staff A well-kept lawn is a terrific way to improve your house’s curb appeal. A properly maintained property also requires regular mowing and watering.
Your region’s climate significantly impacts what types of grass can grow there. A soil test is a good idea, too.
After the test and mowing, dethatch your lawn to prepare for overseeding. This will improve the seed-to-soil contact needed for germination.
Improves Your Grass Growth
Over time, soil can become compacted and depleted of essential nutrients. Grass won’t grow well in this condition. Additionally, a lawn seeder can help break up thatch and prepare the ground for reseeding.
The sharp blades on the slice seeder create a series of slits in the turf thatch, opening up space for planting seeds. This method of overseeding is less labor-intensive than tearing up the old lawn and starting from scratch.
An excellent time to overseed is in the fall. The cool weather gives the grass a better chance to germinate and establish itself before the summer heat and drought hit.
Ensure you follow the recommended seed and application amounts for your lawn type. For instance, if you are overseeding in the shade, look for a mixture that specifies shade tolerance. Also, water the soil immediately after overseeding and continue to do so daily until it germinates. Then slowly reduce your watering frequency.
Reduces Weed Growth
Weeds grow from seeds, tubers, or roots. They often germinate in bare patches of the lawn and can compete with grass seeds for nutrients, water, and sunlight. A thick turfgrass lawn makes it harder for weeds to find a vacancy and insulates the soil keeping it warmer, which deters their germination. Regular mowing and a good fertilizer program will also reduce the need for weed control.
Annual weeds like crabgrass, plantains, and knotweed germinate in disturbed soil, and their growth can be reduced with hand pulling, cultivation, burial under mulches, or herbicides. The best control for annual weeds is to prevent them. Mulch garden beds with leaves, straw, or grass clippings, and use black plastic in vegetable gardens to reduce light and inhibit weed growth.
Perennial weeds like clover and black medic are more common in lawns with poor soil conditions. To eliminate these weeds, fix the underlying issue: soil compaction, low soil fertility, or an inferior grass species.
Reduces Water Usage
Lawns consume a lot of clean water that requires tremendous energy to produce and pump. This is especially true if your yard has bare spots. Tearing up your entire property to install new grass is expensive and time-consuming. Overseeding those bare spots is more affordable and quicker.
Overseeding a lawn also reduces the need to use fertilizers and chemicals. Overseeding can be done in the fall or spring. Fall seeding usually produces better results due to the warmer soil temperatures.
A slice seeder is a machine that slices into your lawn using steel blades to create furrows and then deposits the grass seed in those furrows. This method improves the contact between the source and the soil, which is critical to germination. Once the lawn is overseeded, it’s essential to water it regularly. However, you should avoid repeatedly saturating the soil, as standing water could wash away the new seedlings.
Reduces Chemical Usage
Using a slice seeder to oversee your lawn, instead of spreading grass seed randomly, gives the seeds more security and a better chance of germinating and growing into thick, healthy turf. This also makes it harder for weeds to compete.
A slit seeder uses steel blades to slice into the ground and create furrows. The depth of these furrows can be customized according to the type of grass you are seeding.
The best time to seed is in the fall when grass seeds can grow well before the summer heat and drought set in. To ensure successful seeding, follow the soil-test recommendations for types of grass that thrive in your area. Clear all debris from the lawn before using the slit seeder, and apply fertilizer as per your soil test results.
Crowding out weeds is another way to make your lawn healthier and can help reduce the need for chemical fertilizers or fungicides. For example, clover, a common broadleaf weed, works as a natural fertilizer, converting nitrogen in the air to a form the turf can use.
