Overseeding: The How and Why?

Is your lawn thin, older or just not that attractive? Fall Overseeding is the perfect way to breathe new life into your lawn. Doing this will also thicken it to fight against weeds, naturally. Here at Classic Southern Lawns, we use a special seeding machine, which improves the seed-to-soil contact as it plants the grass. This is essential for germination. Studies have shown that our slice seeding method can increase germination by as much as 60%, as compared to simply scattering seed (also known as broadcast seeding). 

Why Overseed?

Health: Grass does not survive forever and unfortunately, grass does not produce its own seeds. But guess what does produce seeds? That’s right, weeds! This is why they come back year after year. Overseeding your lawn every few years will help thicken it and make it more difficult for weeds to get established. 

Appearance: Protection against weeds not only improves the health of your lawns root system, it obviously increases the curb appeal.

Resilience: The thicker your lawn, the more extensive your root system is. Your root system protects your lawn against droughts, freezes, insects, and much more.

How to Prepare Your Lawn?

Mowing your lawn very short prior to seeding is important. This will ensure new seeds has a better chance to reach the soil and germinate. Shorter grass also makes it easier for new seeds to sprout and get established. 

Watering?

The key to growth on a freshly overseeded lawn is to keep it wet. It should never be bone dry. The total amount to apply depends on your seed type, location, and temperature. Here in Clarksville, TN, most homeowners have Tall Fescue. During the hot summer months, Tall Fescue needs 1″-1.5″ of water per week. During Fall Overseeding it will be slightly less, so an 1/8″-1/4″ of water each day should be plenty.

It is however optimal to spread this watering over several sessions. You can either calculate the flow rate of your hose, set up cans to collect and measure, or just give it your best guess. The third option actually works well if you can keep an eye on the lawn during the first few waterings. The key is to moisten the lawn without leaving any standing water. This means that different sections of your lawns may require different amounts of water. Shady spots may only need one watering a day, while sunny spots could use three soaks a day.