When & why to overseed: Lawn care tips

If your lawn has bald patches, it might be time to overseed. Lawn grass can develop empty patches for a variety of reasons, including weeds, diseases, heat damage or cold weather. Luckily, overseeding is a simple process to help fill in the existing grass and promote a lush, green lawn.

Want to know more about overseeding? Here are the basics:

When & why to overseed your lawn

Your lawn can develop bare spots or sparse patches of dead grass when it suffers stress from drought, damage or lack of nutrients. Other signs of an unhealthy lawn include faded color and thinning growth. In these situations, the best option is to overseed with grass seed.

It’s best to overseed a lawn in early fall, when the soil temperature is still high enough to support seed germination. New grass will have enough time to develop before winter temperatures arrive and cause most lawns to go dormant. In warm regions, you can also spread grass seed in your existing lawn in the early spring.

How to overseed your lawn

You can hire a professional lawn care service to overseed your lawn. Large-scale landscaping equipment can make the job quicker and more efficient for a professional.

However, the DIY approach is simple and only requires a few basic tools:

1. Prep the lawn by aerating and removing thatch.
2. Use a seed spreader to distribute the grass seed evenly throughout the bare patches.
3. Water immediately after spreading the grass seed, and then daily for about two weeks to aid germination.
4. Once the new grass has grown to the height of your existing lawn, you can mow it as normal.

Overseeding can be the key to transforming your existing grass into a healthier lawn. If you’re not sure where to start, consult your local lawn experts for advice.