There are two great reasons to overseed...
Do you have bare, thinning, or shady areas in your lawn?
Overseed with Fescue this fall to increase the thickness and health of your lawn. Fescue is a shade tolerant turf that thrives in shady areas of Oklahoma lawns. Mid-September through October is the best time to establish Fescue grass from seed.
Do you want a green lawn year round?
Overseed your Bermuda turf with Rye this fall to have a lush, green lawn year round. Rye is a cool season turf grass that stays dark green most of the fall, winter and early spring, while Bermuda is dormant. Mid-September through October is the best time to establish Rye grass from seed.
If you have a Bermuda lawn that has become thin because of lack of light, such as under trees, you need to establish fescue in these areas. If you already have fescue established in areas, you may need to add some seed. Fescue does not spread as Bermuda does, requiring at least semi-annual overseeding to remain thick and healthy in our climate.
In more recent years, overseeding Bermuda lawns with rye has become a popular way to keep a green lawn year round. Most winters in Oklahoma will allow rye to remain dark green and active through December with a little loss of color and no growth in January and into mid February. Your lawn will become dark green and active again in later February, two months before Bermuda is active. Once the Bermuda becomes fully active in May the rye will die back.
To have success at seeding fescue or rye grasses follow these steps:
- Step 1: Preparing the soil: A very important step in the process is having good seed to soil contact. Where your lawn is completely void of any turf, lightly rototill or loosen the soil in the area to a depth of 2". If you are adding seed to an existing turf, even if it is Bermuda do not remove the existing turf. It will act as a blanket to hold moisture in until the seed germinates. Just lightly rake, dethatch, aerate or a combination of all three until you have created a way for the seed to come in contact with the soil surface.
- Step 2: Applying the seed: When starting with bare ground, apply 10 pounds of fescue seed for every 1,000 square feet. If you have existing fescue, apply 7 pounds of fescue per 1,000 square feet. If you are seeding rye over Bermuda use 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Once the seed is spread, use a leaf rake to move the seed into the soil. Use a lawn roller to lightly press the seed into contact with the soil.
- Step 3: Watering: This is the most important step and most often when people fail. You must keep the seeded area tacky moist at all times during germination, usually 2 weeks. If you allow the seed to dry out between watering, your success rate will dramatically decrease. Water long enough keep the area moist without causing runoff three times daily. Once the seed is up, water every other day until the grass develops maturity.
- Step 4: Fertilizing and Mowing: When your new seed is at least 80% germinated, apply 10 pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. We recommend a fertilizer with around 20% nitrogen. Mow often enough that you never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. Do not apply any herbicides until the lawn has been mowed at least 4 times.
For more information regarding overseeding your turf or to have a lawn care professional come and overseed your landscape, call Western Lawns at 405.943.4242 or email PeteMoss@WesternLawns.com.