If you’re anything like me, you probably stand around to admire your lawn many a quiet evening. It kind of makes you feel like a King (or Queen), to survey all that is yours – your kingdom. Maybe you’ve noticed that your little kingdom is looking just a little rough around the edges lately, a little brown and patchy even, and you know it’s time. It’s time to reseed. But when is the best time and just how the heck is the best way to do it? Well, have no fear, because it’s not as difficult as you may think! Follow these easy steps for a successful seed sowing this spring.
It’s All About Timing
The very first thing you need to do in order to have a successful reseed is to choose the right time to do it. Even though your turf may have stayed green this winter, it’s still been in a dormant state. That means it’s not actively growing, instead it’s pulling all the nutrients down to the root system to keep things healthy beneath the surface.
When you’re looking for the perfect time to reseed, the temperature of your soil will need to be at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can hold off until about the soil temperature is at 60 degrees, then you’ll notice even more success in your reseeding efforts. That’s because the seed will germinate faster with a little extra warmth.
How Do You Reseed?
Reseeding may seem like a daunting process, but I promise you once you get going it’s pretty easy. Plus, you’ve been inside all winter – so it’s a great excuse to get outside in the fresh air and sunshine. To reseed your lawn, follow these steps:
- Remove any weeds from the areas you want to reseed, but don’t lay down any herbicide – it’ll keep the seed from germinating.
- Score the soil in the area with a cultivator or heavy rake.
- Use a mix of 2/3 garden soil and 1/3 peat moss to spread over the area. Include 1 to 2 cups of a high phosphorus fertilizer per bushel of soil to help encourage root growth. One cubic foot equals about 4/5 of a bushel.
- Spread your soil and fertilizer concoction on the patch you wish to reseed, making it slightly higher than the surrounding area.
- Work it into the soil you’ve previously scored.
- Hand cast your seed generously over the area. You want about 20 seeds per square inch! Feel free to cast a little extra seed out in the surrounding area too.
- Cover the seed in about a 1/8 of an inch of soil gently with a rake, taking special care not to compact the soil in the process.
- Remember to water! A seed can’t grow without sufficient moisture. Keep it moist all the time but don’t apply so much water that you have standing water. Water a little, frequently.
There you have it! That doesn’t seem so bad, does it? Following these directions should make for a beautiful and lush summer lawn – without a brown, bare spot in sight!
