Why You Should Overseed Your Lawn
Do you want to have the thickest best looking lawn in the neighborhood?
Well if you do then you should overseed your lawn every year to reach its full potential.
There are a few things to consider such as the best time, overseeding without aeration and the type of grass seed to use.
Let’s get started…….
What is overseeding lawns?
Maybe you heard of it or maybe not but the process called overseeding is just spreading grass seed over your existing lawn.
Yes it sounds strange that you would apply grass seed over a lawn that is already established but there are good reasons to do so.
Over time your lawn may begin to thin out.
This can be caused by a number of different reasons but the most common are traffic from activity, cutting the grass too low and build up of thatch.
Its also possible you have a problem with grubs or beatles that can weaken the root systems.
Why should I overseed my lawn?
There are some good reasons and benefits for overseeding your lawn that include:
- Erosion reduction
- Thicker and denser grass
- Help resist insect damage
- Fight off drought
- Strengthen against disease
- Reduce the amount of fertilizer and pesticides
- Fill in bare spots
How do I overseed my lawn
The overseeding process is fairly simple but there are some important steps that need to be taken in order to get the best results.
Its usually a good idea to aerate your lawn before overseeding as a way to get the thick layer of old grass clippings and thatch off the surface of the soil.
The holes in the soil also allow the seeds a place to fall.
Step #1
Your going to want to cut your grass a little shorter than usual. This allows the seeds, water and sunlight to make it to the soil surface.
Step #2
Rake any access grass clippings and dead grass sitting at the roots on top of the soil
Step #3
Spread the grass seed over the lawn using a spreader. Spreaders come in different styles and sizes.
Choosing the correct spreader will be determined by the size of your yard or the areas getting overseeded.
Step #4
After your seeds have been spread you can now add fertilizer using a spreader.
Step #5
Add water but don’t over do it. Adding too much water can wash your seeds away.
When is the best time to overseed my lawn if I live in the Syracuse NY area?
Every area of the country is a little different when it comes to its climate.
Here in Syracuse we get a range of temperatures spread throughout our four seasons.
The best time to overseeding in the Syracuse area is the end of August to the beginning of September.
The reason for this is that it gives the seeds enough time to germinate before we get our first frost.
If done correctly you should see new grass sprouting within a few days.
Another factor is the type of grass we have here in the northeast.
Our cool weather grasses grow better after the peak of the summer months.
Overseeding at the end of August and beginning of September is the best time get your new grass ready for the winter months.
Should I overseed my own lawn or hire a lawn care company?
As a homeowner you have the option of doing the job yourself or hiring out the work to a lawn care company.
First you will need to figure out the square footage of your yard to get the correct amount of seed.
As for equipment all that is needed would be a spreader.
From there you will need to calculate how much seed to spread with the spreader.
If you think that it would be better to hire it out we at Monster Lawn Care Plus would be more than happy to give a free estimate.
