When to Reseed Your Lawn
Is your lawn looking patchy after the hot summer months? Would you like to improve the health of your grass? The best thing you can do for a high-quality lawn is to reseed. This is going to allow you to enjoy a superior lawn that is the best in the neighborhood. You can cover bare spots or simply make your grass look greener. But when is the best time to reseed? Let’s take a look.
Start in the Fall
Many people not au fait with gardening assume that the best time to reseed their lawn is during the summer. This is due to the warmer temperatures. However, it is actually going to be best to start this process during the early fall months. The temperature of the soil is still warm for germination and there is also a slightly cooler air temperature. This is going to allow the growth of the seeds.
Another reason to consider fall is that there are fewer weeds around. They act as competition for grass seeds that are trying to grow during the summer. But you are going to find fewer weeds during the fall.
Things to Do Prior to Reseeding
The early fall is the time of the year when you want to spend more time in the house. The nights are getting longer and all you want to do is relax in the evenings. Fall is the time of year when families tend to start spending more time together at home. For example, with the increased time at home, some people like to watch television, some prefer streaming movies from Netflix while others enjoy playing at an online casino. Others may be drawing up Christmas gift lists while still others take the time to hibernate, much like their grizzly bear cousins. But in the main, the Fall is a time for tidying up the garden and closing everything down for the onset of winter.
Back to the gardening, there are some tasks you will have to do first if you want your lawn to look good over the winter. Before you reseed, make sure that you mow your lawn. In particular, you want the grass very short around where you are going to reseed. This is going to ensure that the seeds are going to get enough sunlight and will not be shaded. It will avoid any competition. In addition, remove any debris and grass clippings for the area. All of this is going to help make reseeds a lot easier and more successful. Then you are going to be ready to begin the process of reseeding your lawn to make it look attractive.
How to Reseed Your Lawn
In order to reseed your lawn, first, you have to prepare the area. In other words, you need to get rid of any weeds that are existing on your grass. You want to get rid of the roots so that they do not come back. Again, this is about reducing the competition for the grass seeds and ensuring they are ready to grow. Then in the spots you want to reseed, you can sprinkle some new soil to create the perfect place for grass seeds to grow. All that is left is to scatter your grass seeds evenly over the area. A lot of people think that the more grass seed they use, the thicker their grass will be. This is not necessarily true. Sprinkle a modest about of seeds of the area.
Once your grass seeds are on the soil, you will want to water them. The soil should be damp for growth and this is something that you will have to do every day. This might be more than once a day, depending on where you live and how much sunshine there is. The soil always has to be moist. In order for the seeds to grow, you may have to cover them up with a sheet. This is going to stop birds coming into your yard and snacking on them. It saves all of your hard work going to waste.
What is Overseeding a Lawn?
When we are talking about reseeding a lawn, we are referring to areas where it has died or become patchy. It is usually in a specific area rather than everywhere over your lawn. You are just repairing the damage caused by dogs, children or the weather. But you may be wondering what is meant when someone says they are ‘overseeding’. Essentially, this is something that you can also to do improve the appearance of your lawn. But it normally covers a larger area on established grass.
Overseeding your lawn has a lot of benefits. For example, if you are having a problem with a bare lawn or thin grass, overseeding can allow your yard to thicken out. In other words, it can look thick and luscious when the seeds have grown. Overseeding involves scattering new seeds among your already established lawn. In addition, overseeding can also make your grass appear greener and reduce weeds.
Just like reseeding, this process is best done during the early fall months. This will allow germination to take place, which can happen in as little as seven days. Depending on the conditions, germination can take 21 days. If the temperature in your area is 13 degrees Celsius or above, this is going to allow the seeds to germinate. The preparation and process are the same as reseeding and it is something everybody has the ability to do.
Reseeding Versus Turfing
If you are not happy with your lawn and how it looks, you have two options. You can reseed your lawn or you can choose to purchase new turf. Both are likely to achieve the same outcome but there are some factors that are going to dictate the best option for you.
Let’s start by thinking about the cost. The ground preparation that is involved in reseeding and turfing is going to be the same. So, you are going to spend the same amount of money to begin with. But there will be a difference when it comes to the rest of the materials. Namely, it is going to cost you more money to purchase new turf. You will normally pay per square meter and the price will vary depending on the type of grass you want and its quality. If you have a large backyard, this could end up being very costly to lay turf. On the other hand, grass seed is relatively inexpensive. You can cover a large area at half of the price. There are different types of grass seeds so this can change your budget slightly. But it is a more economical way to achieve a fantastic lawn.
One of the factors you will really want to consider is time. Ask yourself; how long do you want to wait to see results? How quickly do I want to use my lawn again? If you are someone that is patient and is willing to wait for an attractive lawn, reseeding is going to be fine for you. It takes a couple of weeks for the grass to begin to grow. But it can be a whole six months to one year before you should walk on these areas. Thus, you will need to keep your pets and children away from the reseeded areas until they are established and strong. This is totally different from when you lay turf. This turf has been specially grown by a professional for 12 months at least. It has been nurtured and it is very healthy. In other words, it is ready to establish on your lawn within three to six weeks. You will be able to use your backyard after this time since the professional has already done all of the hard work for you.
What’s more, reseeding has to be done in early Fall. The seeds are not going to germinate throughout the winter due to the temperature changes. This can restrict when you have to restrict your lawn. But the great thing about turf is that it can be done at any time of the year. As long as the soil is not frozen, your backyard is ready for turf to establish itself. So, if a problem happens during the other seasons, you can easily fix it and not have to wait until the Fall.
Therefore, if you are looking for a quick solution that allows you to fix your lawn and use it quickly, turfing is going to be the best option for you. But you will have to be prepared to pay more money. However, if you want to be more economical and you have a larger lawn, reseeding can be preferred. While it can take a whole year until your lawn is established and strong, it can be rewarding to see the process. Plus, if you only have small areas that you want to fix, using grass seeds can be all you need.
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