Should I overseed or reseed?

Overseeding is generally done to either remedy or stay ahead of a grass thinning problem, whereas reseeding directly addresses barren or dead spots in the yard. The type of seed used is important, but you'll want to weigh your goals for the project first.

Is reseeding the same as overseeding?

With overseeding, you simply thicken up and improve the lawn you already have. With reseeding, you're looking at a total do-over by going back to bare dirt and planting new seed.

Can you put grass seed on top of old grass?

Overseeding can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you've always wanted. By spreading grass seed over your existing lawn, you can thicken up the thin areas, and your lawn will start to look terrific again.

Should I overseed or start over?

If your lawn has large bare spots, or seems thin, aeration and overseeding might be enough. But if you've been trying to grow grass for years, and it just isn't working, there's probably more going on that you need to address. You might need to start over with a lawn renovation.

Is reseeding a lawn worth it?

THE BENEFITS OF OVERSEEDING

Overseeding newer turfgrass varieties into an older lawn can help it better withstand insects, disease, drought, shady conditions and heavy traffic. The investment in overseeding pays off by reducing the amount of fertilizer, water and pesticides required.

The BIGGEST mistake you can make overseeding your lawn

What is the best month to reseed your lawn?

The best time to reseed a lawn with cool-season grass seed is in the early fall, between mid-August to early October, and at least 45 days before the first fall frost.

What month should you overseed your lawn?

The Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance service recommends overseeding at least 45 days before your average first fall frost. In southern areas, overseed thinning lawns in late spring, as warm-season grasses enter active growth. For winter color, overseed southern lawns in fall.

Is it OK to overseed every year?

Make it an annual practice.

"Annual overseeding is recommended to thicken lawns and make them more attractive, but also to introduce improved varieties of grass that are hardier, less prone to insects and diseases, and more drought tolerant," explains Mayer.

Should I add topsoil when overseeding?

Overseeding can also help with any bare spots in your lawn. To remedy bare spots, cover spots with topsoil before you overseed. This will improve the quality of the soil and help the grass grow.

Should I add topsoil after overseeding?

Many think that putting topsoil over the seeds would protect it, but in fact, that will actually suffocate the seedlings rather than doing any good. We suggest that straw, hay, or any other type of mulching material be used.

Can you just throw grass seed down and it will grow?

Let us start with the simple question, will the seed grow if it is just thrown on the ground? The simple answer is, yes. Beyond just throwing the seed out into the lawn and not performing any grass maintenance there is a whole world of lawn care. While the seed is one of the most resilient out there.

Can you put too much grass seed down?

Too much grass seed causes undue competition for resources such as light, water and nutrients, and grass seedlings struggle as a result. Too little seed leaves lawns thin or bare.

What is the best way to overseed an existing lawn?

Do I need to aerate and overseed every year?

Every yard should have aeration and overseeding done regularly. However, there are a few ways to determine if your lawn needs this service soon. If your yard gets heavy use, such as from children and pets running around, it's likely compacted and could benefit from aeration.

When can I reseed after overseeding?

The best thing you can do for your grass after overseeding is give it rest, and your mower causes a lot of unrest. That's why it's smartest to wait around a week, or more if possible, to allow the new seeds to settle.

Is October too late to overseed?

When it's October, people often wonder if it is too late to plant new seed. The good news is if you hurry, seed can still be planted in October with the hope that it will survive the upcoming winter. Although September is the best time, often we can still plant grass seed up to October 15 with good results.

What is the success rate of overseeding?

Even with this heavy watering, overseeding has an average successful germination rate of just 30%.

Should grass be wet or dry when overseeding?

Mow the lawn prior to overseeding. Water the lawn to moisten the soil, but make sure it's not soaking wet. A good rule of thumb is to water the day before you plan to overseed so the soil has a little time to dry.

What to put down before overseeding?

Can I overseed without killing weeds?

Quite likely, you'll benefit most from holding off from performing weed control in order to allow us to complete lawn aeration and overseeding. If you treat weeds late in the fall and skip aeration and overseeding, you're only going to have more bare patches and more weeds creeping in.

How do you tell if you need to overseed?

Should I Overseed if I have weeds?

If weedy patches and bare spots make up less than half your lawn, overseeding is an excellent option for you. It is certainly easier and more cost-effective than digging up your entire yard and laying down all new sod, which can be an expensive and painstaking process.

Can you overseed a lawn without aerating?

The answer is that you can overseed effectively without aerating. As we've just mentioned, it's all about seed-to-soil contact. You can get good results without aerating by simply clearing and raking the soil before applying seed.

Can I overseed in both spring and fall?

There are two ideal times of the year to overseed your lawn – fall and spring. Fall is the best choice. The soil is still warm which means the seed will germinate faster. Also, weed growth tapers off after summer, so your new grass won't have to compete for sunshine, water, and nutrients.

Can you overseed lawn twice?

Is your lawn thin, full of crabgrass and other annual weeds, or damaged by insects such as white grubs or chinch bugs? If the answer is yes, then repetitive overseeding can help. Repetitive overseeding is an easy method to make existing lawns more dense by simply sowing more seed .