When you’re ready to overseed your cool season lawn, you can use a rotary seeder for optimal results.
How can you help your cool season lawn recover from summer and prepare for the cold weather? Overseeding your lawn at the start of fall can be a beneficial way to rejuvenate your lawn and repair patches at a time when cool season turf is primed to grow. The lawn care experts at Scientific Plant Service can provide specific guidance for your landscape. In the meantime, consider the following benefits and steps involved in overseeding your cool season lawn this fall.
Preparing to Overseed Your Cool Season Lawn
It’s important to make a plan before overseeding. We recommend:
- Testing your soil. Based on the results, you may decide to apply nutrients or lime.
- Choose the correct type of seed that will thrive on your lawn.
- Act during the right time: Late summer and early fall bring cooler temperatures that are most favorable for cool-season grasses like fescues.
You can also prep the overseeding site by taking the following steps:
- Mow the existing lawn ½ inch shorter than normal.
- Make sure you have less than a quarter-inch of thatch. If there is any more, the seeds may not establish properly.
Verticutting or aerating can both remove thatch and improve infiltration effectively.
Plant Your Cool Season Turfgrass Seeds
Your yard is ready to apply seed once the soil is open, the fertilizer is in place, the temperature is right, the seedbed is moist, and the best seed blend is prepared. Once you’re ready to plant your seeds, you can follow these steps:
- Use a drop-type or rotary grass seeder instead of applying seed by hand.
- Use the right amount of seed. Too much seed is just as problematic as not enough seed.
- Water consistently to keep the soil moist but not saturated and ensure rapid germination.
- Start with frequent, light irrigation and then progress to deeper, more infrequent watering as the root system becomes established.
- Consider mulch. Spreading a light mulch, like clean straw, will help retain soil moisture and keep seedlings from drying out.
Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare
Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.
We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.