Grass Seeds

[ricardozooms]

Ok, so a not so smart individual in my household overdid it with the lawn fertilizer last year and now we have many patches of earth where grass used to thrive.

When is best to put grass seeds down?
Is there a process i should follow, ie. cutting grass first or not watering after?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

Ricky Zooms

[BEM]

You have to know the conditions in the area you are seeding as is it shade, part shade or full sun location and buy seed accordingly. Buy a seed starter fertilizer and spread on the ground now. Spread down seed in the recommended rate and lightly cover with a good top soil mix. The most important part of your program once watering begins is not to allow the seed to dry out as most people do and then they wonder why no success.
Until the seed starts to grow you do not need to drown it, just keep the soil on the moist side. As the seedlings get growing water slightly more as any plant with a leaf transpires water. Once seedlings sprout I generally will water 3 to 4 or more times a day lightly keeping it moist, not soaked .
Warning do not seed if you have applied a crab grass preventer fertilizer this season as it will prevent all seed growth!

The best thing you can do acquire a healthy full lawn is in the spring rent a lawn dethatcher and go over the lawn if it has a thatch build up; then rent a core (not spike) aerator (removes small plugs of soil to be left on the ground) for aeration of the soil, this reduces compaction of the soil allowing good root growth and water and fertilizer to penetrate the soil which leads to a healthy lawn. Then overseed the lawn each year.
When normally fertilizing lawns with clay soil conditions I will use half the rate recommended on the package but spread it on twice as often, this works best in allowing the fertilizer to get into the soil, and not just wash off and down the drain in the next big rain storm.
I have rejuvenated many lawns this way and aeration is the best thing for a lawn. Remember just walking back and forth across the lawn cutting it causes compaction of the soil each year; really bad for the grass plants.
A lawn that is a 5 out of 10 now will be a 10 out of 10 in as little as three years using this program and for the most part weed free on its own too. You will save lots of money over resodding the lawn.
Healthy lawns do not have many weeds.
A good watering and fertilizing program should be followed through out the season.
In the last few years we have seen a climate change and in the fall people get tired of gardening and shut off the hose and put it away when they should have been watering the lawn to help it make it through the winter. We have not been getting the snow cover or rain in the late fall season like we once did and plant like evergreens need all the water they gan get to store up for a harsh dry winter.