Seeding your lawn is not that complicated. It just might require a lot of work. We’ll cover seeding during the spring and in the late summer/early fall. We’ll also talk about seeding plow damaged areas.
WHAT TYPE OF GRASS SHOULD I USE?
Before we go into how to do seed, we should cover the most important choice to make which will affect your lawn for years to come: Which grass type to use.
The traditional mixes of grass types, for home lawns in New England, have been a mix of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and some type of fine fescue. But lately, a relative “new kid on the block” called “turf-type tall fescue” is getting used more often. Here are the characteristics of these grasses:
Kentucky bluegrass:
Dark green color. This is the “gold standard” of lawn types. Most sod grown for use in our area is made up almost entirely of bluegrass for this reason.
The most cold hardy grass. Excellent early spring greenup.
Self repairing. It spreads by underground shoots called rhizomes. If a lawn gets burnt out by summer heat and/or damaged by insects, diseases, or heavy traffic, it can rapidly repair itself during the fall without the need to seed.
Does not form clumps. This makes it an excellent choice for athletes fields as well as home lawns. Ryegrass and most fescues grow in clumps and won’t spread into areas that have been damaged. Clumps may make for uneven footing and a “bumpy” lawn.
Mows very well. The very fine texture makes for an easy, even cut.
Perennial ryegrass:
Wear tolerant. You’ll find this to be a major component in “play” mixes. Kentucky bluegrass is a little less tolerant of foot traffic.
Quick establishment. Most ryegrass germinates within 7-10 days, where most bluegrasses may take three weeks.
Very good color. The better varieties rival bluegrass.
Fine fescue:
Shade tolerant. You’ll find a higher percentage of fine fescue in “shade” mixes.
Low fertilization requirement. This is useful in areas that will not be so intensely maintained.
Tall fescue:
Drought tolerance. This is the most drought resistant grass that will grow well in our colder climate.
Very good color. The more improved varieties look very much like bluegrass.
Very wear tolerant. This is the most wear tolerant of the grasses.
The bottom line is that if you know that your lawn will be able to receive some type of irrigation throughout the season, the traditional mix of bluegrass/ryegrass/fescue, in varying percentages, would be suitable. If the area to be seeded is in a sunny site that may not receive irrigation during the hottest time of the summer, then you should consider a mix including tall fescue.
As usual, if you’re unsure about all of the options, please reach out to us. We’ll be happy to help!
HOW TO SEED YOUR LAWN:
LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL:
The late summer is THE best time to renovate your lawn. Whether it’s never been thick, or was damaged by the summer heat and drought, late August through September is the time to do it. Warm soil temperatures, cooler weather, and less weed competition help to rapidly establish new grass.
Before you seed:
Determine the area to be seeded. Roughly calculate the square footage. You’ll then know how much seed, lime, and other materials to buy.
Determine how much topsoil you have. You should have a minimum of 3“, with 6” being ideal. If you’re going to do it, now’s the time to add more soil.
Perform a pH test. Soil should be at a pH of 6.5 for best results. You can always add lime later on in the seeding process to correct.
Select the right seed for the site. Will it be a play yard, or a showcase area, such as a front yard? Is it a sunny or shady site? Will there be irrigation after the initial installation and thereafter? These factors should all be considered when selecting the seed.
Buy high quality seed!! With any luck, you’ll live with this lawn for a long time. Newer varieties of grass types have improved tolerance to heat, drought, insects, and diseases. They also tend to be finer textured and have better color than the older varieties. These grass seed mixes will be more expensive than the what you’ll find in the big box stores. That extra expense is not much in relation to the overall cost and effort of the project. Don’t skimp!! If you have any questions about seed quality, please reach out to us.
Once you have the materials on hand and the equipment:
Loosen the soil. If you’re seeding over an existing lawn, you must penetrate to mineral soil. The soil should be loosened to a depth of about 2 inches. This can be done by using a core aerator or dethatching machine. Our preferred method is to go over the area twice with the aerator. If the lawn has many bald patches, we’ll also use a slice seeder after aerating. DO NOT JUST THROW SEED OVER THE TOP OF THE AREA WITHOUT LOOSENING THE SOIL. IT WILL NOT WORK WELL.
Broadcast the seed evenly. Too little will result in sparse turf. Too much will result in too much competition between seedlings and a waste of $$.
Spread other amendments. If the pH test revealed a need for lime, then apply that. Starter fertilizer can be applied at this time although a greater benefit could be derived by waiting 2-3 weeks when the seed starts germinating.
Lightly mix the seed, and amendments, into the soil. This is necessary only when seeding into bare soil. If you’re overseeding into established turf, it’s usually not necessary. If you need to mix the seed into the soil, using the back side of a leaf rake dragged over the surface will usually do the trick. If you’ve used a slice seeder, then further mixing is not necessary.
Press the seed into the soil. This can be done with a lawn roller, for larger areas, or with your feet, in smaller areas. This creates good seed to soil contact and greatly improves germination. Again, if there’s already some grass coverage, this step may not be necessary.
Mulch open areas. If it’s a new lawn area, or it’s very thin, it’s best to cover the seed lightly with straw or one of the many pelletized seed mulch products available.
After the work is done:
Water, water, water. Seed requires frequent water for success. We usually recommend watering at least once a day for seeded areas that already have a decent amount of existing grass. For bare dirt seeding, plan on watering at least twice daily, once at around 10am, and again at around 1:00. For very hot weather, add another watering time at about 4.
With proper watering, expect germination starting in about 7 days, for perennial ryegrass and fescue, to about 21 days for Kentucky bluegrass. Keep your frequent watering regimen going for about a month. After that, you can probably reduce to once daily, or even less, as the cooler fall weather will demand less water.
Mow the lawn as it reaches your normal mowing height. Be a little careful when making turns on your new lawn. The root systems are not that well developed and you might take a chunk of lawn with you on a sharp turn.
Keep leaf litter off as much as possible. Don’t let leaves pile up and mat down on the new grass. Rake lightly or, better yet, use a blower to clear leaves regularly.
Keep winter traffic to a minimum. Packed snow and ice will damage a new lawn.
If you follow the steps properly, you can have a very consistent lawn next spring without the worries of having to fight summer weed infestations while trying to get new grass to germinate. If done early enough, and the grass cover is consistent enough, we may even be able to use our traditional pre-emergent herbicides the following spring.
SPRING:
If you’re seeding in the spring, you’ll follow the same steps, but some additional challenges are in store:
New seedlings will be in direct competition with emerging crabgrass and other fast growing, aggressive summer annual weeds. We CANNOT use our traditional pre-emergent herbicides on a freshly seeded lawn.
The young grass will have to go into the summer heat with an immature root system. It will be more prone to damage from heat and drought stress, as well as numerous fungal diseases.
The new lawn will not be ready for any traffic for most of the summer. This is a pretty important consideration if you have young children and pets.
It will require more watering for a longer period of time. Because the lawn is young and has an immature root system, it will require more pampering for it to survive the summer. Unfortunately, this extra watering will also encourage weed and disease development. This means the use of more fungus and weed controls, which add to the expense of developing the lawn. Another consideration is the possibility of watering bans/restrictions.
Many times, the end result of spring seeding is a lawn that is apparently full of weeds, and not much else. The new grass is there. It’s just suppressed by the more aggressive summer weeds. At the end of the season, there may not be much difference in results between a lawn that was seeded in the spring, and one that was seeded just a month, or two, before in late summer.
There are pre-emergent herbicide products that can be used to control annual weeds that will not affect your desirable seedlings. These can be costly and not always as effective as we would like them to be. We will use these products, if the situation allows.
Also, you must plan on pampering your new lawn all the way through the hot season to avoid loss.
The bottom line: Avoid spring seeding unless you’re repairing plow damage or any other type of major disturbance or installing a new lawn. It’s just not worth the extra expense.
PLOW DAMAGE REPAIR:
There will always be a little winter damage on some lawns. Plows, snow piles from plowing, cars parked on lawns, and leaf piles can all bring on unsightly dead spots in the spring. Follow these steps:
Check any turf that has been rolled up. Sometimes the plow will just scrape the turf off. If it looks like a rug that has been pushed aside, it can sometime come back to life if it’s just put back where it was. If it’s totally torn apart, forget about it!
Loosen the soil. This might be a good time to add a little more, too.
Mix a little gypsum into the bare dirt. Gypsum is the “unsung hero” of lawn care. It neutralizes salts, reduces compassion, and improves soil structure without changing pH.
If the area to be repaired is small, consider using a product that has seed and mulch mixed in. Scotts Patchmaster is especially designed for small area repairs. The mulch indicates areas that have been seeded, helps retain moisture, and and provides cover from birds that might want to feast on the seed. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!
If you choose to use just seed, be sure to remove any thatch down to the bare mineral soil. Apply the seed at the recommended rate, and lightly till it in to the top half inch of soil. It’s best to apply some type of mulch on top.