Overseed Your Spring Lawn

A common question for the springtime is when and should I overseed the lawn.  Unfortunately, living in the south and using the warm season grass Centipede, reseeding sometimes doesn’t work as well compared to northern states and using cooler-season grasses.  But if you need to repair some bare spots or your grass is thinning, it doesn’t hurt.  Landscapers say the best time to overseed an existing lawn is late summer until early fall.  If you did not have a chance to do so last year, it might be something you want to take care of this spring.  If you choose to overseed in spring, there are 4 important aspects landscapers recommend you consider.

1. Be conscious of the season for crabgrass preventers – If you seed in spring, you cannot apply most standard crabgrass preventers. These materials can keep grass seeds from germinating, as well as the new seeds.
2. Be conscious of the season for broadleaf weed control – Broadleaf weed control is the same as crabgrass preventers, except the waiting time is less. If a broadleaf weed control is applied to an area, the standard wait time before seeding is 3 to 4 weeks. Once the new grass has germinated and become established, it has to be mowed two or three times before any weeds can be sprayed.
3. Aerate before broadcasting seed – One of the best methods to ensue good germination is to aerate the lawn first before broadcasting seed across the area. Broadcasting seed across an established lawn will result in little to no germination.
4. Water, water, water – Finally, water is critical to the success of seeding at any time of the year.  Once the seed germinates, the roots are tiny and have an immediate need for water.  If the roots dry out, the seed will die. Be sure you have some way to provide adequate water once the seed has been broadcast across the area.  The best method is to have an automatic sprinkler system. If the system has not been started for the year when you complete the seeding, you may have to manually water the areas until your system is turned on. Depending on the variety of seed, you may need to keep the area moist for 4 to 6 weeks after seeding.

This is valuable information from landscapers provided online.  Happy Spring!