Fall Re-Seed

[lindy rig]

Probably like many, my yard seemed to take a beating this summer. I have some areas of dead/dormant grass with weeds. In other areas the lawn is ok, but some areas are thin and seem stressed.

Is this a good time to overseed? Or should I wait until it gets cooler yet? Also how should I do it. Aerate? I have never done that before.

[Powerstroke]

This is the ideal time of year to do seeding. One of the main components of success will be water so if your lawn is stressed now because of the lack of water, new seed may not do much better. However, if you can provide water this is the best time of year for seeding. Add in some fertilizer and lawns repair themselves really well this time of year.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Rake out the old dead grass.

Dead dead grass will be gray / white. If it's tan, it's just dormant.

Get a quality starter fertilizer, and some decent seed and spread both evenly per label instructions.

Rake it in and water, water, water. We haven't had much rain at all (generally speaking) and even yards on irrigation have pretty much dried out unless they're being watered over 1/2 each day.

I have some properties that are being watered 2 x's per day and are still dry in spots.

[Boxcar Wllie]

My lawn took a beating this summer as well. I am going to have to re-seed a majority of it and was wondering if renting a slice-seeder would be better then using a broadcast spreeder? Also, if I do use the spreeder, what setting should I have it on for seeding with an Athletic Turf mix? Any help is appreciated!!!

[Tom7227]

The pros have spoken. I will add my own 2 cents.

Most important is to buy quality seed that is the correct type for the area you are seeding. Full shade, full sun, partial shade etc are things to take into consideration. Won't find that sort of help at the big box stores. I go to the local feed mill and follow the advice of the main man to a T.

I usually spread some straw lightly over the area to help hold the moisture a bit better. Last time I grabbed some hay by mistake and it was a mess. I've also bought a few bales of peat moss to try and put some organic material into the soil.

Final trick from the feed mill was to buy some oats and spread that around. They grow fast and help hold the soil if we do get some rain, and also shade things a bit.

The obvious issue is water. You don't have enough time to put down too much water. Be sure you spend enough on hoses and sprinklers to get the job done. Realize you probably shouldn't walk on the newly seeded area so you may have to leave the hoses in place for a month or so. Some cheap sprinklers sure make that process a lot easier.

[rundrave]

I have a little over an acre that like others my yard took a beating this year so I don't want to manually rake it if I don't have too. Would I be doing more harm then good going over the entire yard with a pull behind thatcher? I was told not to do this as it will also pull out some of the good grass if I did it this time of the year.

I think I mowed with dull blades for too long so instead of mulching, I have lots of long grass cuttings and its pretty thick through out the yard and I have never gone over it with a rake or thatcher the last 2 years.

I would also like to re-seed but I also have a ton of weeds, clover and dandelions. So here are my goals, reduce weeds, plant new grass, and get rid of old dead grass. What steps should I follow and in what order. Spray for weeds, thatch, fertilize, aerate, plant, water, water water? And then hit the weeds hard again with the sprayer after the first frost

I do have sprinklers so at least I have that going for me. Other than that with the drought and some construction taking place on my property I pretty much let it all go other than mowing and now its time to make it all look nice again.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Run your thatcher.

Read a label for how soon your herbicide will let you reseed.

Some say don't seed for 2-4 weeks after spraying.

If you have enough time for spraying, then seeding, then spray, then seed.

If you don't per your label, just seed and spray in the spring.

Put down a decent starter fertilizer.

Water, water, water.

Put a cake pan out under your sprinkler. Time how long it takes to get an inch of water in the cake pan.

You're going to want to then take that time and spread it out over 5 days. New seed needs a bit more water than once it's established.

[eurolarva]

I found a timer at one of the big box stores that hooks up to your faucet outside. Runs on 2 AA batteries. You can program as often as every 4 hours and for what ever duration you want. I think I paid under 30 bucks for it. Only drawback is it does not have a shut off for night time. If I forget to turn the water off before I go to bed I have to listen to water running through water pipes a couple times a night. It is a great way to keep those seeds wet till they start growing

[Parker]

Reagrding aerating, is it necessary before re-seeding? I am sure it would be helpful, but is it a must?

[Rip_Some_Lip]

Someone told me not to aereate with the soil as dry as it is here in south central mn. We havent had as much rain as the metro. Any opinions?