Our lawn gets heavy traffic as we are often walking on it, putting garden
furniture on it and our late dog and other friends dogs play on it. We
nurture our plants, vegetables and flowers and we also need to look after
our lawns so that they are also healthy. So every few years we feel the need
to revitalise it and overseed.
We usually have good success with Canada Green grass seeds which is a tough
mix, but there are many other grass seeds available. It is important we choose the grass seed that best meets our lawn needs, whether in sun or shade and how the lawn will be used for example light or heavy use. As we are on heavy clay soil, part of our garden
is mostly in shade and the other part mostly in sun and our lawn is much
used most of the year, we want a tough grass mix that can stand up to our
activities.
I have never sown a new lawn from scratch but we do overseeding of our
existing lawn and sow over smaller bare patches as well as needed. If the lawn looks like this photo below, with bare patches we could do with considering reseeding or overseeding.
Sowing grass seed onto an existing lawn can help improve its density,
health and overall look. We like a grass seed that is tough, fast growing
and one that looks nice and green once grown.
Here's how to do it in steps so that it is most effective. You will need to
check the instructions on your grass seed packet as each grass type may be a
little different. This article covers the general steps we take when
overseeding our lawn.
As usual preparation is key. The best times of year to over sow a lawn are
in Spring and in Autumn/Fall. You will need to stay off the lawn for a few
weeks after sowing seed so timing is important.
What You Will Need
-
Grass seed appropriate to your lawns needs and use
-
A Lawnmower
-
A rake to rake the compost
-
A fork or spikes to aerate the soil
-
Multipurpose compost
-
A garden sieve - to sieve the compost into a fine tilth
-
Watering can or hosepipe, both with a fine gentle spray attachment.
Steps to Overseed Your Lawn
Step One Mowing The Lawn
Mow your lawn but perhaps a little shorter that you usually do to about one
to one and a half inches tall. This is done to make sure the seeds have
better access and contact with the soil.
Step Two Raking The Lawn
It is important to rake the lawn removing all debris, bits of twigs, leaves
and so forth. Take this opportunity to rake out any thatch as well. This is
perhaps the most energetic step!
Step Three Aeration Of The Soil
This is the process of making small holes in the soil. It is helpful to do
this every year for drainage regardless, but also for the purposes of seed
sowing it helps the seeds get into the soil more easily. How you wish to do
this really depends on your size of your lawn, the time you have available,
how active you are and if you enjoy it.
We have a small lawn so we just take
it in turns to go over the whole lawn with a garden fork making holes at
short intervals probably a foots length. It take us a couple of hours but is
not too taxing. If your lawn is bigger you might want to hire a lawn aerator
or hire someone to do it with machinery.
Step Four Spreading The Grass Seed.
It is important to spread the seed as evenly as we can over the lawn. As we
have a small lawn we just broadcast the seed, this means taking a small
handful and casting the seed out over an area, then repeating. Again if your
lawn is larger or you wish to ensure it is perfectly spread a broadcast
spreader will do the job well. Check the seed packet you use for how much
you need to use.
Step Five Topdressing
I think this is worth doing for most lawns, which is to spread a thin layer
of compost or topsoil over the seeds. This protects them from being blown
away in the wind and from having too many eaten by birds. We usually use a
garden sieve to gently sieve the compost over the seeds so we get a light
even coverage.
Step Six Watering The Lawn
It is important to water the lawn straightaway after seeding and top
dressing. This is to moisten the soil and again to stop seeds flying
everywhere in the wind.
It is important to keep the seeds at least damp for up to two weeks after
sowing, until they germinate. I usually try to time garden grass reseeding
for a day when rain is forecast for several days after. This saves me a big
watering job and I like to think that rainwater is likely better at this
stage.
If watering myself it means I need to tread on the new seeded lawn so
it is best to put planks down to step on so as not to damage any new delicate roots.
Also you need to water lightly and evenly with a good rose gentle spray.
Avoid a harsh jet of water as this will only serve to clump seeds together, waterlog the ground and may drown them.
After about 2 weeks you can reduce the watering to two
or three times a week, unless it rains for a few hours two to three days in a
week.
We generally do step four spreading the seed and step five topdressing and
step six watering one after the other in rows then step backwards and repeat
the three steps for the next row. We find this prevents us trampling all
over the fresh seed on the lawn.
Step Seven Ongoing Grass Care
We need to keep off the grass as much as possible for about two to three
weeks. This can be a little frustrating but it is important to give the seed
a good chance at rooting. Once the grass has germinated and grown to
about three inches, we can reduce the frequency of watering. We just water
every other day or every few days depending on the weather, but we make sure
it is now a good drink at this stage, rather than a light spray.
It is important not to think of mowing the new seeded lawn until the grass
has grown to at least three inches. Depending on the lawn it can be good to
buy a lawn fertiliser and use that according to instructions to keep the
lawn in good condition through the year.
Protect the seed from being eaten. While I love birds it is important to
try at least to keep them off the seed, you can put up scarecrow like
features of poles with pots on top but in our garden no matter what I do
there are always mice and birds and especially wood pigeons who come down to
eat some of my seeds! I am relaxed about it though and always think of the
old adage.
"Four seeds in a row:
One for the mouse,
One for the crow,
One to rot,
And one to grow."
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So reseeding or overseeding a lawn is quite a big undertaking. However it
is not something most of us will need to do all that often. Once a year is
generally advised but we often let it go to once every two or even three
years. In between we simply address any bare patches that arise. Our lawn is
however not an immaculate showpiece but somewhere we use and live on when
outside.
If you want or need a really beautiful immaculate lawn then once a year
overseeding is advisable. However often you reseed, the results are so
worth it when you sit out on your lovely green, thick lawn in late Spring
and summer and can enjoy it.
A beautiful, healthy green lawn sets off all the flowers and plants
beautifully and is a thing of joy!
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Reviewing Overseeding A Lawn With Grass Seed by Raintree Annie.
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