Overseeding your lawn is a sure-fire way to bring healthier, greener, and more luscious grass to your front and back yard. The many benefits of overseeding grass range from insect and disease prevention to increased resistance against drought and heavy traffic. Read on to discover how, when, and why to overseed your lawn.
What Is Overseeding?
Overseeding lawns is a technique used to improve the density, colour, and health of your grass. Over time, your lawn can lose its luster from heavy traffic, harsh weather, and insect activity. Overseeding is particularly beneficial for grass that needs more and more maintenance, such as constant watering and fertilizing. The process involves scattering grass seeds over your existing lawn in order to plant new grass without disturbing the turf.
Advantages of Overseeding
Lawns bear the brunt of extreme hot and cold temperatures, continuous foot traffic, and heavy rainfall. This can lead to inconsistent growth patterns, overly dry or wet soil conditions, and burnt brown grass blades. Here is a list of advantages to overseeding grass:
- Fills in and prevents thin or bare patches of grass.
- Increases the thickness of your lawn.
- Enhances the strength of your grass.
- Improves your lawn’s ability to combat droughts, insect and animal activity, and diseases.
- Reduces weed development and growth.
- Protects the health and colour of your lawn during the colder months.
When is the Best Time to Overseed Your Lawn
Determining when to overseed depends on the climate conditions in your area as it influences which time of year has the most active growth period. In Canada, specifically the GTA, the best time to overseed lawns is the late summer or early fall. Ideally, you’ll want to overseed approximately 45 days before the first expected frost of the season. It’s important for the seedlings to establish their roots before the ground freezes in the winter. This helps ensure your lawn remains strong and retains its colour throughout the winter.
Preparing Your Lawn for Overseeding
For successful grass seed germination to occur, your lawn’s existing turf requires some preparation. Here is a list of steps to overseed your lawn:
- Consult lawn care experts, such as Queensville Sod, to determine the best seed for your lawn.
- Use a soil thermometer to ensure the soil is between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
- Test the pH level of your soil to find out if it’s lacking essential nutrients.
- Mow your lawn short to loosen the top layer of soil.
- Rake your lawn to ensure there’s no grass or debris blocking the path for the new seeds.
- Moisten your lawn with water the day prior to overseeding, then proceed with aerating your lawn.
- Add an enriched topsoil if your grass seed doesn’t already include one. You can now spread the grass seeds over your fully prepared lawn.
How To Choose the Right Seed
Cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fescues, are ideal for the GTA’s climate and soil types. Queensville Sod has a great collection of grass seed, including various mixtures and an overseeding lawn kit with seed and soil.
Spreading the Seed
The two primary methods for spreading seed are with either a drop or broadcast spreader. There are also handheld spreaders which you can use to overseed small sections of grass rather than a medium to large front yard or backyard. Explore the benefits of drop and broadcast spreaders below:
Drop Spreader
A drop spreader releases seed directly below its wheels at a fixed rate set by the operator. You walk the drop spreader around your lawn until full coverage is achieved. Often, people will use a drop spreader to overseed the edges of their lawn near the driveway, sidewalk, or pathways.
- Precision
- Little to no product waste
- Fixed dispersal rate regardless of walking speed
Broadcast Spreader
Broadcast spreaders distribute seeds over a wide area, in line with your walking speed. A broadcast spreader can achieve a more even spread than a drop spreader. They are often equipped with guards that protect you from getting in the path of the seed and a dial to control the number of seeds being released. Here are the advantages of using a broadcast spreader:
- Quick seeding of large areas
- Even seed distribution
- Less work for more coverage
Watering after Overseeding
In total, it takes about 8 weeks for your new lawn to fully establish. Proper watering after overseeding is a vital part of ensuring successful root development and growth. The following are a few best practices for watering your lawn after you overseed:
- Apply a generous watering immediately after you overseed your lawn.
- Within the first 10 to 14 days, water only lightly once a day.
- Following seed germination, you can reduce the frequency of watering but increase the amount of water used.
- Once your grass is fully established, follow the regular watering care instructions for the grass type.
Lawn Maintenance After Overseeding
Healthy grass needs more than just adequate watering, it also requires nutrients from a fertilizer. The nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in your fertilizer encourage good root growth and give your lawn the lush green hue. The fertilizer you apply and often you apply it will depend on your lawn’s grass and soil type.
Mowing After Overseeding
It’s important not to rush to mowing after overseeding. The grass seeds will need time to settle into the soil and establish roots. It’s recommended to wait until your lawn is at least 2.5 cm high before you mow. When you do begin mowing, make sure your mower is at the longest length setting.
How Often Should You Overseed?
While overseeding can do wonders for your lawn, if you overseed too much, you can do more harm than good. If your lawn is prone to drought and disease, you may overseed your grass once a year. However, most lawns should only be overseeded once every few years when the grass begins to thin and appears patchy.
Let’s Begin Overseeding Your Lawn
Queensville Sod is your go-to source for all your overseeding needs. With our knowledge and first-rate products, we can help you grow the finest lawn on the block. Contact us today to learn about the exceptional range of products and services we can offer you.
