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over seeding #867251

Asked May 06, 2024, 1:32 PM EDT

Need info on overseeding my lawn

El Paso County Colorado

Expert Response

Hi Terri,
Without much background here, I'll leave you with a few suggestions.

Now is a good time to overseed to thicken up a thin lawn
It's important to get the seed INTO the soil. So, aeration/core cultivation prior to seeding will create holes for the seed to fall into. The seed will germinate in the holes and the young plants are protected when growing in these holes. The more holes, the more success you will see from overseeding.
Create a lot of holes by going over the lawn 3-4 times with the aerator; spread the seed using a fertilizer spreader; rake the lawn afterwards to work seed into the holes. Water the lawn normally, as the holes will stay fairly moist with normal irrigation.
Don't apply crabgrass preventer, as it will inhibit your grass seed from germinating and maturing.
It is OK to fertilize at the same time as seeding.
Without knowing what kind of lawn you have, I can't tell you what kind of grass seed to use. It's usually best to overseed with the same species as what is now growing in the lawn.

Let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks,
tony