Overseeding is spreading grass seeds over an existing lawn. When you have a worn and thin lawn, overseeding is the secret solution to achieve the vigorous, thick, and lush lawn you’ve always wanted. So, learn when and how to overseed a lawn with our handy guide.
Remember that by overseeding you can fix bare spots, creating a thick and thriving lawn. As the lawn grows densely, it will prevent weeds from taking root.
Learn How to Overseed a Lawn Correctly!
- Choose the ideal time to overseed
- Mow low and rake the lawn
- Choose the grass seed
- Improve the soil for better results
- Start spreading grass seed in bare spots
- Apply fertilizer to aid seed germination
- Water the lawn for healthy growth
How to Overseed a Lawn? Follow the Pros Advice to Succeed!
Choose the Ideal Time to Overseed
Like other things in lawn care, overseeding requires proper timing. If you do it at the wrong time of year, you’ll waste your money and time because you’ll be disappointed with the results.
Depending on your type of grass, you must consider the following timing considerations:
Cool-Season Grasses
Cool season grasses are the only type that can thrive in Washington State. For instance, you can successfully grow species like tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, rough bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescue.
The best time to overseed this type of grass is in late summer or early fall. As a matter of fact, warm soil temperatures from summer months encourage seed germination and aid root growth.
Warm-Season Grasses
On the other hand, warm-season grasses are originally from tropical regions. So that is why these grass species thrive in the scorching sun and high temperatures of the Southern U.S.
Warm-season grasses include species such as Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, centipede grass, zoysiagrass, bahiagrass, and carpetgrass.
The best time to overseed this type of grass is in late fall or early winter. We recommend that you overseed your lawn at least 45 days before the first frost. We don’t recommend overseeding warm-season grasses in spring since hot summer temperatures will inevitably stress your young grass.
Mow Low and Rake the Lawn
Before overseeding your thin lawn, you must cut your grass shorter than usual. Then, you should rake the lawn and bag the clippings. Doing a good yard clean up will make room to later spread the grass seeds and fill up the gap, literally.
Choose the Grass Seed
The type of grass seed you’ll choose depends on your existing grass species. Of course, when buying seeds, you need to choose a product specially designed to thicken thin lawns.
If you have cool-season grass, we advise you to buy Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™ Sun & Shade. This is a 3-in-1 solution since it combines grass seed, fertilizer, and a soil improver. Best of all is that it’s an easy-to-use product because you can apply it with any type of seed spreader.
Overseeded Lawns Are Destined to Succeed!
Overseeding is without a doubt a key part of the comprehensive, proactive plan to achieve a vigorous lawn.
After reading our handy guide, we are confident that you now know how to overseed a lawn correctly. Don’t let thin lawn or bare patches ruin the look of your landscape and home.
Take advantage of our pro lawn care tips, and use overseeding as your straightforward way to fill in bare spots in your lawn.
Remember overseeded lawns are destined and bound to succeed!