Heres Why You Should Be Dormant Seeding
When you have missed the fall overseeding window, dormant seeding helps to eliminate bare spots and thickens turf to fight spring weed pressure. Research shows winter dormant overseeding outperforms spring overseeding when using cool-season grasses. Turf-type tall fescue, bluegrass, and ryegrass germinate sooner in cold soils and will have more time to develop than seed sown in spring. Grass seeds sown over densely shaded areas, specifically under trees, will gain an advantage allowing emerging grass plants to establish before spring foliage arrives.
A Lawn Care Company That Cares
While there are certainly companies that will perform spring grass seeding in Ohio or Northern Kentucky, there is good reason why Oasis Turf & Tree will not perform these services at that time of year. We know that the spring does not provide optimal growing conditions and that new grass will have a tough chance at survival.
At the end of the day, our objective is to do whats best for the customer, even if that means forgoing potential revenue we could earn that spring. In a perfect world, we would love to see all of our customers hold off on seeding until the fall. This is what is truly best for the success of your lawn.
If you have more questions about grass seeding, give us a call at 513-697-9090 or let us provide you with a free estimate.
The Best Times To Seed Your Lawn
Do you know when the nest time to seed your lawn is? If you have a lawn that is thin or has dead spots in it, overseeding is your best option. Keep in mind, certain times of the year are better than others. While its still possible to seed your lawn during non-optimal times, you will save time and money by seeding during the better parts of the year.
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When Is The Best Time To Renovate A Lawn
The timing for lawn renovation varies according to grass type and elevation of the site. For the most success, follow the guidelines below.
- Seed cool-season grasses anytime from March through September. Along the Front Range and Western Slope the optimal time is mid-August to mid-September.
- Seed warm-season grasses April through July. Seeding after July is not recommended.
- At high elevations do not use warm-season grasses. Cool-season grasses can be seeded in the spring, as soon as temperatures begin to warm.
- Seeding after the first fall frost is not recommended, as young seedlings may be winterkilled. It is better to wait until the following spring to practice lawn renovation.
Protect The Grass Seed
Once applied, cover the seeds with soil for protection. Sowing the seeds prevents wind or water erosion and birds or other animals from eating them. After covering the seeds, use a rake across the entire area, working the seeds into the soil. Cover the seeded area with weed-free straw or use an erosion-control blanket for added protection.
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When Should You Aerate My Lawn
Just like larger lawn projects, seeding inclusive, the best time to aerate is during or right before the time your grasses reach their optimal time for natural growth. Great as aeration is for lawns, the results can be counterproductive when applied at the wrong time. Quick fact never you aerate a dormant lawn.
In the northern region where lawns have cool-season grasses, the best time to aerate is early fall or early spring. If you are in the south, where there are warm-season lawns, there is no better time to aerate than late spring or very early summer.
And if aeration coincides with active growth, great! Grasses can recover quickly, and areas exposed by aerator equipment, are filled. Aeration is most seamless for you, and softest for your lawn when your soil is freshly moist from irrigation or rainfall, the preceding day.
Aeration can be a difficult process on extremely dry soil moisture, thus, takes the difficulty out of it. You should, equally, not make the mistake of aerating extremely wet lawns. It can wait and is better to wait.
When Is The Best Time To Dormant Seed
Dormant seeding is the most successful when applied after the last tree leaves have fallen and have been removed. Removing yard debris allows for better seed-to-soil contact. Dormant seeding should occur early enough in winter to avoid the muddy conditions from spring thaw and rain. Once you develop a good dormant seeding plan, you will be surprised at the positive results.
Best Seed for Dormant Seeding?
Cool-season grasses are best for dormant seeding. These cool-season grass seed blends and mixes will perform perfectly for dormant seeding. Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, turf-type tall fescue, and perennial rye sown over cold winter soils will germinate sooner than the same grass seed sown in April.
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What are the Benefits of Dormant Seeding?
There are many benefits to dormant seeding. The biggest benefit is it allows for more time for overseeding. If your schedule does not line up with the perfect fall overseeding window, you have an extended window for dormant seeding from November to March. Another benefit is under large shade trees. Dormant seeding allows seeds to germinate in early spring before the leaves start to fill in in late spring. And last, but not least, dormant seeding is better than spring seeding. Grass seeds sown during the dormant season will germinate sooner than grass seeds sown in April
How to Prevent Crabgrass after Dormant Seeding?
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Grass Seed Germination: What To Do When Grass Sprouts
Grass seed germination takes from five days to three weeks, depending on the species. After grass seedlings begin to grow, you can taper off watering. Transition gradually, going from daily to every other day to every three or four days and finally to weekly.
If youre wondering if grass seed grows in the winter, the answer depends on where you live and the type of seed. Be sure to plant grass seed early enough to become established before the ground freezes. Grass can take a couple of months to become established, and an entire growing season to be ready for extended foot traffic.
When seedlings are up about an inch, check to see if there are any bare spots that need to be re-seeded. You can begin mowing when new grass is about three inches tall a milestone that might not be met until spring.
Is This A New Home Site Does The Soil Need To Be Amended
On new home sites, it is a common practice for the topsoil to be removed during construction. The remaining subsoil is less fertile, compacted, and often building debris, stones, and rubble is left behind. This soil produces a poor quality lawn. Ideally, improve the soil before planting by mixing compost into the top 6 inches of the soil and raking out any debris and rocks.
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How Do I Prepare My Lawn For Seeding
All wood, stones, and large roots should be removed. To remove roots and rocks, use a spade and garden rake to scratch the soil 1 to 2 inches at the surface, then dig about 6 inches deep. If you want to smooth out your existing soil, add seeding soil to the top.
If you have a large garden, you may want to add a layer of mulch around the perimeter of the garden to keep weeds from growing in. If you dont have enough space to do this, use a garden trowel to dig a trench about 2 to 3 feet deep and fill it with soil.
Cover the trench with a tarp or other material to prevent weeds and other pests from entering your garden.
When To Reseed Vs Overseed
Reseeding is often confused with overseeding, which is the process of applying seed to your existing lawn to thicken up thinning areas in your yard. Reseeding, in comparison, involves first, killing the existing grass and weeds, then starting over with new grass seed.
While overseeding is a great way to thicken an existing lawn, Jonathan Green recommends reseeding a lawn when more than ½ of your yard is full of weeds or bare spots.
Starting from scratch may seem extreme, however, reseeding is sometimes your only option if you dont want to fight weeds for years to come. In order to have uniform, green grass, you have to hit the reset button and reseed your lawn.
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When Is The Best Time To Seed Your Lawn Complete Explanation
A lot of care is needed to keep the seed healthy, it is one of the most resilient plants in the world. The first thing you need to do is to get rid of any weeds that may be growing in your lawn. You can do this by using a weed killer such as Roundup.
If you dont have a lawn mower, you can also use a garden hoe to remove the weeds. Once you have cleared the area of weeds, the next step would be to fertilize the soil with a good quality organic fertilizer. This will help the plant to grow faster and will also help to prevent weeds from growing back.
The best organic fertilizers for lawns are those that contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients are essential for the growth of all plants, but especially for grasses. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the building blocks of plant growth. They are also the two most important nutrients that plants need in order to be able to take in water and nutrients from the air.
Can You Plant Grass Seed In The Winter
Grass seed can survive the winter and can be planted during the winter. If you put grass seed down in November or December, it will stay in the ground until the soil warms up in the spring. It can be beneficial and save you time on the job, even though it comes with risks.
If you dont want to wait until spring to plant your seeds, you can plant them as soon as the ground is warm enough to allow them to germinate. The best time to do this is after the first frost of the year, which is usually in mid-March. Youll need to be careful not to over-water your seedlings, as too much water can kill them.
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How Should You Water Your Lawn
Gentle waterings using a garden hose can always work, but what most people prefer to do is use a sprinkler system. A sprinkler system, like this , will help you get an even coverage throughout your yard. You can even get a timer for it so that you dont have to go outside while it gets watered.
Of course, if you choose to go the sprinkler route, you also need to be aware of its upkeep. During the colder months, you might need to winterize your sprinklers to prevent damage to your system. Aside from that, you should be good to go in terms of watering.
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The Best Time To Seed Your Lawn
Fall is truly the best time to seed your lawn. This is typically anytime between late August through the end of October, though the exact timing it is dependent on weather. By waiting for the fall, you provide more than enough time for grass plants to mature, so that crabgrass control can be applied to your lawn the following spring.
Weather conditions in the fall are also the best of the year for creating the optimal, long-term environment you need for new seeds to germinate and continue to grow. The weather is cool, the ground is plenty moist, and the soil is still warm. Your lawn will develop a healthy root system that will allow it to become established in plenty of time before the summer stress sets in.
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Planting Grass Seed In Fall
In many climates, the best time to plant grass seed is in the autumn. The still-warm soil of late August, September, October, or November encourages optimum root growth, while the cooling air temperatures discourage excessive top growth. This is perfect for establishing lawn grasses and promoting extensive root growth. It also makes the turf more resistant to drought and better able to access nutrients in the soil. In addition, in most regions, fall also brings increased amounts of rainfall. This means you wont have to lug out the hose and sprinkler as often.
Its time to plant grass seed in the fall when nighttime temperatures drop down to about 60 degrees F. Keep an eye on the forecast. Opt for sowing grass seed when theres a day or two of rain predicted.
Why Is Timing So Important
Dont underestimate just how important timing is for successful grass planting. This is because the correct conditions are necessary for the seed to properly germinate, grow, and retain its health.
Spring tends to be a good time of year for planting many different kinds of grass due to the seasons combination of rain, sunshine, and warming temperatures, but it poses challenges to grass seedlings as well.
A spring-planted lawn has to contend with pressure from annual weeds and its young root system will need support to survive the heat and drought of a tough summer.
Additionally, many homeowners rush and plant grass seed too early in spring before soil temperature catches up with the air temperature.
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Can I Seed My Lawn In Spring In Cincinnati Dayton Oh Or Northern Kentucky
6 min read
There are a lot of great reasons to seed a lawn. Whether repairing spots thinned out from summer stresses, or as a part of a proactive measure to regularly introduce improved grass species for a thicker and more resilient lawn, seeding remains a valuable lawn care task.
However, seeding is one of those lawn care practices that homeowners often mistakenly assume can be done any time of year. But the fact of the matter is, there is definitely a best time to seed your lawn.
Spring is one of those common times when you might be thinking about seeding. Its possible that youve noticed some thin spots and are anxious to do something about it.
Seed companies also start pushing their product on radio and television ads or in big box stores, taking advantage of the fact that they know youre going to be spending more time outside. And, as we make the welcome transition from winter to spring, you may be feeling motivated to get the lawn into shape.
Unfortunately this big push for marketing seed at the wrong time of year is setting you up for false expectations that the product is going to do well.
The truth is that the practice of seeding your lawn in the spring can lead to a host of problems and it simply isnt worth it. If youve been thinking about spring aeration and overseeding, these are some important points to first consider.
How To Seed A Lawn: Tips From The Professionals
Lawns are mainly used as recreational areas. They are soil-covered areas in which grasses and other grass-like plants are planted. You should consider having such an area around your house. If you already have one, maintain it to ensure that it is healthy and looks good.
How should you maintain your lawn? You should seed it often. That will help ensure that your lawn does not turn brown, patchy, and thin. In short, seeding will help ensure all the bare spots and gaps in the sod are filled.
Seeding will also help thicken your lawns grass. Thick grass can effectively hold surface water, preventing soil erosion. A lawn with thick, healthy grass also looks good. Below are more details on seeding a lawn.
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How To Select The Best Grass Seed For Your Home
To have a lush and healthy lawn, you need to choose the best grass seed for your home. To know the grass seed that will be best for your lawn, you need to find out your soils PH. You can find this out by taking a soil sample and sending it to professionals for further testing. However, you should ensure that you gather soil samples from different spots.
After finding your soils PH, choose grass species that grow well in your soil. For instance, if the soils PH is less than 7.0, go for bermudagrass and centipede grass. Iron chlorosis will occur if you grow these grass species in high PH soils.
When selecting these seeds, you also need to think about how you will use your lawn. If people often use your lawn, you should choose grass species that can sustain high traffic levels. Bermuda Grass is an example of such grass.
You should also think about the appearance that you want your lawn to have when choosing these seeds. For instance, go for Zoysia grass seeds if you want to end up with a thick, dense lawn. If you want to have a dark green-colored lawn, go for Bermudagrass seeds.
Before selecting grass seeds, you must check whether your lawn area is shady or sunny. If the area is shady, you should choose grass species that can thrive well in shady areas. These grass species include St. Augustine, Zoysiagrass, and Kentucky bluegrass.
How To Plant Grass Seed
For small areas, use your hand to distribute the seed, flinging it out over the area. For large areas, use a walk-behind broadcast spreader or a hand-held hopper spreader to disperse the seed. Its all too easy to put down too much seed, or conversely, not enough seed. When youre finished, the grass seeds should be evenly spread over the soil surface. They should be about one-quarter to one-half inch apart . If you sow grass seed too thickly, the plants will outcompete each other and their growth will suffer. If you dont sow them thickly enough, weeds may move in.
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