A Beautiful Lawn

Lets Grow Some Grass - A Simple Guide to Overseed the Lawn

Want to have a thicker greener and more lush lawn? There are many ways to help your cause. Proper watering, fertilizing, weed control and  lawn aeration are all important steps in maintaining a beautiful lawn. Overseeding is also a  valuable step, but one that is often overlooked. If you can spread the blades of the grass and see soil, your lawn could benefit from overseeding.

 Why overseed? 

   After about three years the reproductive rate of grass slows down & it eventually reaches a point where it cannot keep up with the need for new plants. Most of the cooler season grasses in our area (doesn't include zoysia & bermuda) grow in bunches. when these bunches start to die out space is left  for weeds to thrive.

   Newer cultivars of grasses are engineered better. K 31 was a popular variety of fescue for quite some time.however it is a wider bladed grass that doesn't blend well with other types of turf. It is also prone to disease when fertilized on a regular basis. Newer versions of tall turf fescues are more drought tolerant and  less susceptible to disease. They are also thinner bladed, blend better with other grass types and have a more robust green color.

  Mixing different types of grasses that have different growing seasons can make a lawn look vibrant most of the year. Overseeding a bermuda grass  lawn with a perennial rye can keep a lawn green in the cooler months when the bermuda has gone dormant.

When to do it

   Late summer through early fall is the best time to overseed in our area. The warm soil (necessary for germination), the abundant sunshine & cooler air (both good for growth) make for ideal conditions to overseed.

How to do it 

  Start by mowing the lawn. Cut it shorter than normal. This will allow the new seed more sunlight. Bagging the clippings is also helpful. The nect step is to rake the area you plan to overseed. This removes debris and makes it easier for seed to soil contact. The next step is to spread the seed.Drop spreaders work well for smaller areas because they are more precise (keeps stray seed out of those landscape beds).  Broadcast spreaders work well for larger areas.  Split the seed and spread it - half while walking one direction and half wile walking in the opposite direction. This will make for a more even distribution of the seed. There are many different types and blends of grass seed, so make sure to check the label for application rates.

Things that improve your rate of success

- use a granular slow release starter fertilizer in conjunction with the seeding

- aerate the lawn first. Core aerators can be found at most rental places

- remove thatch. A mechanical dethatcher will do a better job than raking by hand.

- top dress a thin layer of compost or topsoil (1/4 " at the most) will help hold in                 moisture.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP

 Water twice a day until the seed germinates(may take 3 weeks) & continue to water after that. You want to keep the seeds moist all the time  but not water to the point where they wash away. Ryegrass will usually start in 4-6 days. Fescues 7- 10 days. Bluegrass can take 2 -3 weeks. Forgetting to water for just 1 or 2 days can decrease the germination rate by 20% to 30%. It can take a full month for new grass to establish well and it needs to be watered while this occurs.

 

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Transition Zone - 5 Different Grass Types for Lawn Seeding

There are many different types of grasses & seed to choose from when deciding when deciding what to use to plant or overseed a lawn. The abundance of options can make the task of choosing somewhat overwhelming. Here we list a few of the more popular grass types with pros and cons with the goal of making a choice a little simpler.

   The  'transition  zone' is an area in the middle of the country  where both cool season & warm season grasses tend to grow. Definitions vary but the northern edge covers the middle of Illinois across lower Pennsylvania to the east coast. The southern edge can go as far south as northern Louisiana and across middle Mississippi & Georgia to the east coast. We will concentrate on 5 varieties that do well in this area.

Cool season grasses tend to start growing in early spring & continue until the heat of late summer may cause them to go dormant and turn brown. Growth starts back up with the cooler weather of early fall & some may stay green through winter.Warm season grasses typically start their growth later in spring & thrive during the summer months. Dormancy start in the early to late fall & stays on through winter. The pros and cons listed here are just generalizations for each type of grass. Different 'cultivars'

of these grasses have be bred to overcome some of their flaws. and we will break down each group in greater detail in subsequent posts.

Cool Season Grasses

         Fescue -  most common in our area. 2 main groups fine leaved  &   broad leaved or 'tall turf fescue'

                      -  relatively quick & easy from seed. 10-14 days to start. may appear   clumpy until lawn fills out

                      - can be sodded if done properly

                      - performs well in shady areas

                      - will go dormant (brown) in extreme heat but recovers well when     cooler temps prevail

                      - pest resistant (bugs) but does better in lawns that have a weed   control program

                      - better drought resistance than other cool season grasses

                      - does reasonably well in high traffic areas

     Ryegrass -  2 types - 'perennial' - used as a turf grass. 'Annual' - used as a   temporary ground cover

                         only, not as a turf grass

                      - starts quickly & easily from seed - 3 to 7 days - fills in quickly, is  bright green in color & grows

                         thick - especially in the springtime

                      - perform well in slightly shaded areas but not in intense shade

                      - drought tolerant for short periods of time but needs regular watering to stay green

                      - goes dormant (brown) in the summer but recovers in the fall ( not as quickly as fescue)

                      - low to moderate traffic

                      - good choice to maintain a green color in the winter months

    Bluegrass - grows well from seed but takes time to start - 2 to 4 weeks - does  ot fill in as  quickly as rye

                         but does spread much more evenly than  fescue - starter fertilizer is helpful to the process

                      - commonly used as sod & does well if installed properly - prep work   is important

                      - lush beautiful finely textured grass but requires more maintenance than   most

                      - no drought tolerance - regular watering in warmer temps a must -  needs more water than

                        fescue & rye

                     - does poorly in shaded areas

                     - weed control program beneficial to bluegrass lawns as is leaving the  grass taller

                     - small amounts of fertilizer help as well but too much nitrogen will burn  up lawn

Warm Season Grasses

    Bermuda - grows well from seed or sprigs - not seen often as sod unless it is a  hybrid

                    - rarely needs reseeding

                    - good for high traffic, often used on golf courses & sports fields

                    - prefers full sun - grows patchy in any amount of shade

                    - grows faster in the hot summer months but stays dormant & brown for  most of the cooler months of the year

                    - can be overseeded with rye for year round color

                    - low growing wiry grass - spreads in an aggressive manner- will take  over landscape beds if not

                       kept in check

                    - drought tolerant - needs less water than most but stays greener with  regular watering

                    - somewhat susceptible  to pests & a weed control program is   recommended

      Zoysia   -  grows from plugs & spreads slowly - takes considerable time to establish

                    - grows very densely & chokes out just about everything once it is  established

                    - From seed (plant in late spring for Southern Indiana) 14-21 days to start - 12 weeks to fill in if planted properly

                     - will spread into landscape beds if not kept in check but not as  aggressive as bermuda

                    - likes full sun - does not do well in shade but better than bermuda

                    - somewhat drought tolerant but preforms best with weekly watering

                    - tends to stay dormant from early fall to late spring -does not mix well with any other grasses

                     - stay brown for more of the year than any   other transition zone grass

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