How Can Overseeding Help Your Lawn?

Posted on May 23rd, 2022

Is your lawn looking a little tired or patchy? It might be time to consider overseeding your turf. If done correctly, overseeding will help reinvigorate your lawn and help your grass look greener, thicker, and healthier. Overseeding is a tried and tested, simple method to fill in some bare spots, as well as improve your turf’s density and lushness. 

So what is overseeding exactly? Well, it’s the process of planting grass seeds directly into your existing lawn without pulling up the existing turf or soil. If you think your lawn is a good candidate for overseeding keep reading. In this post, we take a look at the best way to overseed your lawn, the optimal time of year to do it, and a few helpful tips and tricks to get you started. 

Before You Begin

Before you start the overseeding process, it’s important to understand why your grass is looking a bit under the weather. If you don’t work out the problem, the same thing will eventually happen to your new, overseeded lawn down the line. So, think about it and do some research to work out if your turf may currently be suffering from one or more of the following:

• Overwatering 
• Underwatering
• Bugs or pests
• Poor soil quality
• Improper drainage
• Under fertilization
• Not enough sunlight
• Unsuitable grass varieties for the area

Once you’ve diagnosed and understood the problem (or problems!) with your lawn, you can make sure you put the necessary steps in place to prevent this from reoccurring post-overseeding. Remember, if you are unsure of what your lawn problem is, contact your local turf professionals. They will be able to not only diagnose the problem but help treat it too. 

How To Overseed Your Lawn

• Pick your Product: First things first, you need to work out what seed will work for your lawn and your area’s climate. Again your turf experts will be able to assist with the best seed for the best results. 
• Prep your Lawn: Just before you plan to overseed, mow your lawn as short as you can go. Bag the clippings and rake up any debris or dead grass. This will help to open up the lawn for the new seed.
• Spread Your Seeds: If you have a large lawn area, it might be a good idea to use a broadcast spreader. But for smaller lawns, you can easily do it by hand. Follow the instructions on the bag and work out how much seed you’ll need for the total area.  
• Water the Lawn: As soon as you have finished spreading the seeds, get to watering your grass. It’s important to keep the soil moist for the next two weeks so that the seeds head below the surface and germinate. Remember not to overwater your lawn, as it might become waterlogged and wash away those precious seeds.
• Avoid Mowing: Don’t mow until you start to see the turf thickening. Mowing too early could disrupt the germination process. Once you see results and the new grass is firmly established, you can start to mow your lawn again.  

What’s The Best Time of Year to Overseed Your Grass?

Generally, the best time to overseed depends on two things. Where in the county you live and what kind of grass you want in your garden or yard. Most folks from the northern states choose cool-season grasses, where homeowners in the southern states opt for warm-season grasses. Again your lawn professionals can advise on each type and the optimal growing conditions. 

In the Southern parts of the US, you can overseed from spring through to the middle of summer. This is because warm-season grasses need warm soil temperatures in order to germinate. If you live up North, the best time to overseed your lawn is during the fall. This is when the air is slightly cooler and there are fewer weeds for the seeds to fight with. If you are unable to overseed your lawn in the fall, springtime will still work. By planting your grass at the right time of year, you are giving it the best chance to develop strong roots, stand up to pests, and thrive. 

Lawn Care Chelmsford

Do you need help with overseeding or lawn care Chelmsford? Turf Unlimited’s mission is to provide our customers with a thick, green, healthy landscape. Whether you need an automatic sprinkler installation and or regular lawn and garden maintenance, a customer fertilization program, overseeding, tick spray, or care for your trees and shrubs, our friendly and professional team at Turf Unlimited have you covered. To find out more about our wide range of services, visit our website or call us at (888) 649-9919.