If you have a lawn that looks thin, overseeding is a simple strategy that you can use to rectify this. The problem is that most people assume you need to aerate the lawn before you do this. This is not actually true and you will be able to overseed your lawn without aerating if you follow certain steps.

When To Overseed

It is important that you plan when you are going to overseed your lawn to ensure that you get the best results. It is recommended that you overseed the lawn when summer turns to fall. However, you can also look at doing this in the spring. It is important that you avoid overseeding during the summer because the seedlings will have too much competition from weeds at this time.

Preparing The Soil

To prepare the soil for the seedlings, you do not have to aerate it. You should mow the lawn close the surface of the soil. You should then remove the debris with a metal rake as this will also loosen the soil for the seedlings. If you do not want to rake by hand or aerate, you should look at using a de-thatcher or a power rake.

Spreading The Seeds

Once the soil has been prepared, you will need to start spreading the seeds. You can do this with a drop spreader or a broadcast spreader. You need to ensure that you use the same seeds as your current lawn as this will ensure that it grows successfully. The rate of seed application will vary depending on your needs.

If the space that you need to reseed is small, you can do this by hand. If you are going to be seeding the area by hand, you need to ensure that the seeds mix with the sand. This will help the seeds spread uniformly and avoid any bare patches.

Apply Fertilizer

Once the seeds have been spread, you need to look at applying starter fertilizer. Once the fertilizer has been applied to the ground, you will need to rake it and the seeds to mix them with the soil. This can be done with a metal rake or a broom.

Watering The Lawn

When you water the lawn after seeding, you need to be careful and lightly water the area. If you water the area too heavily, the seeds could be dislodged or float in standing water. You should look at watering the area twice a day to ensure that the soil remains moist while the seedlings establish themselves. This will generally take 2 to 3 weeks.

When To Mow The Lawn

Until the lawn seedlings have established themselves, you need to keep the lawn height at around 2 inches. This will ensure that tall grass does not shade the emerging seedlings and stunt their growth. You should raise the mower setting to 3 inches when the seedlings reach this height. The blades on the mower must be sharp when you mow the lawn to decrease the chances of pilling the seedlings from the ground. For more tips on lawn caring visit the website Ziehler Lawn Care.