A lush green lawn is desired by many but achieved by few. There is a secret behind achieving it which the landscape professionals know but many homeowners remain unaware of. And that secret is overseeding. As a part of a comprehensive, proactive plan, overseeding keeps lawns looking thick and great. Whether you are tending your first lawn or have years of experience, learning how to overseed your lawn can improve your results. The professionals from overseeding services in Fulton County GA will enable you to get the lawn of your dreams.
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What is Overseeding?
Overseeding is basically spreading grass seeds over a lawn that already exists. When it is done right, it is a straightforward process that achieves the desired results. As grasses mature, thinning is normal especially when the lawn is used heavily and the grass gets heavy traffic. Overseeding keeps your lawn competitive and steeped in youth and vigor, without starting over from scratch. The basics of overseeding are the same everywhere, but goals and timing vary based on geography and the type of grass grown.
Make Overseeding a Success by Establishing Your Goal
Generally, homeowners overseed in order to correct thin lawns, but professionals use overseeding to prevent the grass from thinning. For lawns in southern regions, overseeding warm-season grasses with cool-season reinforcements adds green color during winter. When warm-season grasses go brown, overseeding with a premium, cool-season rye-grass provides a green temporary lawn while your permanent, warm-season grasses are dormant.
Do the Task at the Right Time
The best time for planting cool-season grasses in northern regions is late summer to early fall, when they are growing most vigorously. The second, best time is the Spring season. The warm soil encourages seed germination, cool fall air stimulates growth, and soil moisture stays more constant. Also, the tough, warm-season lawn weeds, such as crabgrass and nutsedge, are less active in fall. The professionals recommend overseeding at least 45 days before your average first fall frost. In southern areas, you should overseed thinning lawns in late spring, as warm-season grasses enter active growth.
Prepare the Area Properly for Overseeding
Before overseeding, you need to mow your lawn extra short and remove the clippings, so new seed contacts soil and gets sunlight and water. Set your mower at two inches or less for regular overseeding. For southern lawns and winter color, set the blade as low as it goes, and cut just above the soil, which is commonly known as scalping. Rake the soil with a metal thatch rake to remove thatch, clippings and debris. This loosens and exposes soil to receive seed and ensure the success of overseeding.
Correct Existing Lawn Problems Beforehand
For problems that are beyond normal thinning, you should test your soil and make corrections before you proceed with overseeding. Follow test recommendations for using soil amendments and repairing bare lawn spots. If needed, take time to dethatch and core aerate compacted lawns so air, moisture and seed can get to the soil. When you take these measures before you overseed, the chances of achieving that lush green lawn greatly increase.
Select a Quality Grass Seed Product
The better the seed, the better the lawns. You should always use grasses that are recommended for your regional climate and always choose top-quality grass seed which you can depend on. The local seeding company provides premium grass seed appropriate for sun, shade or high-traffic areas in lawns in northern or southern regions.
Regular Maintenance Needed
Newly overseeded lawns need consistent moisture. You need to keep your newly revived lawn looking its best with a regular, comprehensive maintenance plan that includes diligent watering, best mowing practices and proactive overseeding.
Author Bio
Tom Dexter greatly desired a lush green lawn but whenever winter arrived, his green lawn would turn brown and look dull. But with overseeding with the right kind of seed, he was able to achieve his desired green look all year round.
