We hear of many stories where seed has failed in lawns for one reason or another. As we head towards autumn, this post exists for you to make the very most of your overseeding efforts to gain the results you’re looking for first time around! Read on to learn lawn care near me more

1) Any lawn repair is all in the preparation 

If your first step is to reach for the grass seed you have in the garage, this may be where you have been going wrong…

It is vital that lawn overseeding is carried out at the correct time of year. Even professional grass seed mix will not germinate when the soil temperature is below 5c. Dependent on where you are and the expected weather conditions, seeding can be carried out in the winter months – but be aware that you’re not going to gain quick lawn care service results.

The perfect time however is upon us – early autumn. We complete as much of our seeding work as possible from mid-August to early October due to:

The warm, summer soil temperature lending itself to quick germination and establishment

The shorter days, morning dew and incoming autumn rainfall

Preparation prior to overseeding for us is at the very least aeration, and in many cases a full lawn renovation to include harsh scarification. Seed will not germinate unless it is surrounded by soil. Throwing seed onto your lawn surface, all the more so when it’s full of moss and thatch, isn’t going to get the results that we want.

For the best results, first give the lawn a clear out with a rake / scarifier. Then clear the debris up and aerate before you even consider using any seed. Your lawn will thank you for it later! 

2) Age and type of seed in use

Seed doesn’t last forever. Every bag of seed should have a label stating the seed types that are in the bag, and the date that the bag was sealed- have a look for this.

After the first 12 months, seed germination can reduce by around 10% of seed per year. If you have a bag of seed that has been in your shed for the last 4 years, then it could be that only around half of it is now viable unfortunately. You can always test it on a small area, but you may need to be prepared to do the work twice if you choose to use older seed.

There are many differences in grasses that we commonly look to grow in lawns. Common grasses include ryegrass, fescue, and sometimes bent and meadow grass. Each of these have many different cultivars with varying strengths and weaknesses. These include their tolerance to shade, tolerance to drought, wear tolerance, tolerance to close mowing, density, colour… the list goes on! 

Make sure that what you are using is going to be fit for purpose on your lawn. Most DIY branded seed mixes will give you an idea from the box as to its purpose, but don’t expect a ‘fine lawn’ mix made up of fescue and bent to be able to survive if you have 2 dogs and kids that actually need a ryegrass dominated seed mix more suited to a football or cricket pitch! 

3) Brush seed into holes and grooves

Seed sat on the surface of your lawn, as already touched upon, isn’t going to be enough to gain the results you’re looking for. 

After you’ve scarified and aerated, there should be holes and grooves all over your lawn – the more the better in the areas where the grass is thin or bare. 

After seeding, lightly brush (or as we do, dragmat) seed so it disturbs the soil surface and knocks seed into the holes and grooves. 

If you aren’t planning on top-dressing your lawn then this is a must for good germination as there’s no way that the seed can gain the seed to soil contact otherwise. The seed must be planted like any other seed and it being in contact with the soil, rather than just the surface, will give it the best chance of success. 

4) Use of top dressing

As suggested above, top dressing is a key stage in creating the seed to soil contact that we crave for the best possible germination. We enjoy using an organic top dressing which is screened all the way down to 3mm to provide the light covering that is needed to enhance germination.

If there are dips in your lawn, be aware as we don’t want you to be burying the seed any deeper than 1cm as a maximum –  otherwise it may not make it back through. If you need to correct dips, use a denser top soil product first and tread this down to hollow it out before overseeding and top dressing. 

To enhance germination, only a very fine dusting of top dressing is needed. Save yourself the cost and the backache – we’ve been there so you don’t have to! 

5) Don’t forget about lawn repairs… 

You’ve carried out steps 1-4, the lawn is covered in soil and your wife thinks you’ve gone mad. Now what?

You’re not quite there unfortunately – not if you’re going to gain the turnaround that you’ve been bragging about anyway! 

You’ve got the soil temperature; you’ve got the soil contact… but like any other plant these seeds need water!

Little and often is the key when looking to bring grass through. Don’t be tempted to flood the lawn by leaving a sprinkler in the same place. It will wash around your hard work and the seed can rot if this is done repeatedly. 

As you would any other plant or pot, look to keep the soil damp, watering early morning and again in the evening. If there is rain that day then great, take the day off, but be sure you’re keeping on top of it until you start to see those fresh green shoots after 8-21 days. 

Once germination really starts to get going and all the seed is through, you can water a little deeper every other day to encourage roots to search downwards for water. Your first cut of the area following your overseeding will likely be 3-4 weeks since you carried out the initial work.