Re-seeding your lawn is a regular part of landscaping maintenance and is a great way to spruce up your lawn and ensure that it is lush, green and looking its best as summer rolls in. While re-seeding is an essential part of lawn care, if not done properly, or at the proper time, you’ll find that the time, effort and funds needed to spruce up your lawn was wasted. So, that leaves many homeowners wondering, when is the best time to re-seed your lawn?
Tips for Re-Seeding Your Lawn
As tempted as you may be to start re-seeding before Spring, it might be worth waiting to ensure your seeds sprout and turn into the lush blades of grass you’re striving for. Ultimately, the best time to re-seed your lawn is 6-8 before the first frost of Fall/Winter. This ensures that the soil is still warm from the summer months with provides the needed temperatures and nutrients to promote healthy root development. This also ensures that once established, your newly sprouted seeds will also be receiving plentiful rainfall which is a great source for nutrient rich watering.
If waiting until Fall isn’t an option, luckily there are other timeframes that will still work. Spring re-seeding is possibly but will require a little extra care and attention to ensure your lawn sprouts. The main challenge you risk when re-seeding your lawn during the spring is battling the fast-growing weeds that will try to take over your lawn. Another risk is your grass seed and sprouts getting burnt or scorched from the summer heat in addition to dry soil. If you plan on trying to seed your lawn during the spring months, ensure your lawn is receiving ample water, consider an irrigation system, and that you keep an eye on heat stress on young grass.
There are a few tips and tricks you can use to your advantage to ensure that your seed takes off and gives you the lush lawn you’re striving for:
- Watering – make sure to water your lawn often, ensuring your soil stays moist for the first few weeks after planting. This helps your seeds establish, a bonus is if weather allows for rainfall to water and nurture your seedlings!
- Mowing and Aeration – before re-seeding, mow your existing lawn short and aerate the soil. This will help improve the seed-to-soil contact and give your seeds the perfect conditions for growth.
- Regular Seeding – re-seeding your lawn every few years is a great practice to try and maintain a thick and weed-resistant lawn, so once you’ve mastered the re-seeding process, make sure to add it to your bi-annual maintenance task list.
- Fertilize – using a phosphorus rich fertilizer, often referred to as a starter fertilizer is a great way to ensure your seeds have the needed nutrition for ample root development.
Luckily when it comes to re-seeding your lawn you don’t have to be a professional. Ensuring you are seeding at the right time of the year and monitoring the amount of water your seedlings receive are great tools to ensure that your lawn grows in thick. If you are interested in installing a smart irrigation system to ensure that your lawn receives the proper amount of water each day, or you’d like to talk to one of our landscaping professionals about your landscaping needs and dreams, please feel free to contact our office at anytime!