Lawn Preparations for Over Seeding

Dethatch the lawn in early summer. Time the job for when you need to fertilize the grass for the season. Standing on the sidewalk or driveway, set the dethatcher's blades to cut ¼ inch above the ground. Run the machine over the problem areas as many as five times to rip the tangled layer of plant tissue. Do not let the blades come in contact with the soil. If the location is uneven, raise the blades higher. Rake the thatch debris off the lawn. Broadcast 1 lb. nitrogen per 1000 square feet. Spread a different amount if your grass is on another feeding schedule. Irrigate the lawn to release the fertilizer.

Set your lawn mower to its lowest setting and cut your grass. Keep St. Augustine grass 3 inches tall. Perform this and the following steps 30 days before the first freeze.

Rake the existing lawn to remove grass clippings and other debris from the surface.

Broadcast the seeds at the rate recommended for over seeding with your particular grass species. Broadcast 10 lbs. of annual ryegrass per 1,000 square feet, for example. Fill the broadcaster with half the seeds and spread them in one direction. Sow the second half perpendicularly. If you move east to west the first time, spread the second half as you walk from southeast to northwest.

Water the seedbed at planting. Continue to irrigate the seeds for 10 minutes twice a day for two to three weeks. Apply water to the established cool-season lawn when the blades begin to wilt.