Fall Grass Reseeding Guidelines

Why Reseed

• Reseeding a lawn improves the overall appearance and health of the lawn, providing a more uniform appearance. If done with the proper preparation, it fills in bare spots, repairs brown patches, thickens up thin areas and improves the health of the lawn by crowding out weedy growth and filling empty spaces with healthy new grass plants. It is a good way to introduce a stronger grass variety to your lawn for your growing conditions. Most lawns benefit from reseeding every couple of years, along with other lawn maintenance tasks such as aerating and fertilizing.

Preparation

• Before you spread seed and water, prepare the area to be reseeded. If there are patches of thatch, dead, dried, matted grass and leaf debris, remove thatch with a rake or a dethatching machine. If the lawn is bumpy or has depressions, use a weighted roller to even out the surface of the lawn. Fill in very large holes and pits with soil and break down large bumps with a shovel. Then aerate the lawn with aerating spikes sandals or an aerator. If there are large sections with more weedy growth than grass, use a small rototiller to till up the earth and chop through weeds, removing as much weed foliage and root system as possible.

Tools and Equipment

• Reseeding a lawn is more than throwing a few handfuls of seed onto the lawn. The right tools and equipment are required for the most successful reseeding project. You'll need to buy, borrow or rent a sturdy lawn rake, a weighted roller, a rotary spreader and possibly a rototiller, a dethatcher and an aerator. Additional items include a watering device, a lawn edger and fine lawn seed mulch to cover seeds.

Timing

• Although grass seed will sprout and grow in a variety of seasons and conditions, fall is an ideal time to plant grass seed. The cooler temperatures encourage quick germination and allow new grass seedlings to take hold without heat and drought stress, as well as aid in moisture retention, which is very important to new growth.