What is Overseeding

What is overseeding? Overseeding is the process of sowing seed into the existing lawn without having to dig it up and start over from scratch.

Overseeding is much easier and less expensive than starting over with a new lawn. But how do you know if your lawn needs overseeding?

First take a look at your lawn. Is the soil in good shape (loose, well drained, and level) but the grass is still thin and weak even with a good weed and feed program?

How old is the grass in your lawn? Is it new in the last ten years or so? If not it may be a good candidate for overseeding because the new and improved varieties of seed today are less susceptible to pests and diseases.

Unless you need to till in amendments or change the grade of the soil, overseeding would be much easier and cheaper than establishing a new lawn.

Now that you have determined that you would benefit from overseeding, when is the best time to overseed?

For cool season lawns, the best time would be in the late summer or early fall. It is best to plant at this time since the moderate temps and rain are starting to come back at this time. It also gives the grass sufficient time to take hold before the winter arrives.

Spring is the next best time to plant cool season grasses. It also has moderate temps, and much needed rain at this time. The downfall with planting in the spring is that the summer weeds are also germinating at this time, which will compete with the new grass seed that you have just sown. Crabgrass preventers can not be used at the time of planting grass seed, so you may have to put up with some crabgrass until you can use the preventer the next year.

So now you ask, how do you overseed? For this answer please click here to go to my Overseeding Lawn Page.

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