Best time to re-seed a lawn?

[Mike]

I have some areas ion my lawn that need a little help. I am going to sow in some grass seed in these areas tro see if I can help it out. I was told by a neighbor that I can throw the seed out in the snow and by spring it will start to grow. Is it to early? Has anyone done this before? or should I wait?

[James]

I think he's full of crap. The ground is froozen when it rains it will wash the seeds away. It might help to read the directions on the bag.. LOL

[tidyjet]

Mike,
I've always heard that fall is the best time. Throwing seed into the snow seems plausible if birds and what have you don't get to it before it sprouts in the thaw.

My yard [had] a lot of bare spots. Soil is very clay/shale like. The builders probably scraped off the top soil and sold it. Our local Lowes will frequently palltize scores of broken bags of top soil and fertilizers. I bought a couple Ranger PU loads of this stuff for penny's on the dollar and worked it into my yard with seed in bare spots in late Oct. I also went in on an aerator rental my neighbors were doing and punched millions of holes into the yard too to help get moisture down into the turf roots.

Well winter was late for us, we had lots of rain and warm temps through Dec as my fellow area poster will attest. For Christmas, most of my yard was a lush green with no bare spots. I'm anticapating more grass than I care to mow this year.

If you want lots of green yard, do what I did your 1st thaw or when it starts getting warmer.

Fertilizer is very important whose various compositions and applications are a true science. Maybe someone can enlighten us on the best ones and how to use.

my 2 cents,
paul

[Beth n Rod]

I found this on a site I like for gardening.
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Reseeding The Lawn
Location: Salem, OR

Question: After looking through previous questions and answers on this site, I have seen some answers which mentioned that reseeding a lawn is one element in maintaining a healthy lawn. Seeing that my own lawn is thinning slightly in some areas I'm beginning to think that this is the one component I missed. What constitutes "reseeding"? Is it simply a matter of dropping more seed on the lawn? How do I keep my lawn from thinning?

Answer: To maintain a thick, lush lawn, you'll need to water, mow and fertilize regularly (use a 3-1-2 ratio, and apply one pound of actual Nitrogen per 1000 sq.ft., in April, June, September and late November or early December). Along with that, lawns might need aeration if they're subject to heavy foot traffic which will compact the soil. Finally, thatching is important every few years. Dig a small square of turf and look at the blades, stems, stolons and roots. If you find more than 1/2"-3/4" of thatch built up over the soil surface, de-thatch your lawn. Then rake out the old stolons and other dead matter, reseed the bare spots and water well. New grass will appear in 7-14 days. While it's a lot of work to keep a lawn lush and thick, the rewards are great. And, a thick lawn will crowd out any weed seeds that try to germinate.

http://www.garden.org/searchqa/index...g%20lawn&adv=0

Hope this helps.
Beth

[James]

seeds do not germinate below 40 degrees

[Beth n Rod]

That's good to know too. Thanks Jim!
Beth

[GymRat]

I've always understood, you should seed, lime and fertilize in September to start new growth, so it can establish a strong root system over the winter. You should then fertilize again in October and then again in December (hence SOD September, October, December). You should not fertilize in the spring and summer because this causes to rapid of growth which can cause the lawn to burn, unless you are willing to apply a lot of water during these periods.

John

[Beth n Rod]

We missed our window of opportunity last fall. So you are saying if we do this in the spring, make sure to water well and often??

[GymRat]

Originally Posted by Beth n Rod

We missed our window of opportunity last fall. So you are saying if we do this in the spring, make sure to water well and often??

I would definitely aerate then apply the seed to help the seed get a little depth this spring. We usually have enough rain in the spring to promote good growth. If we have a wet summer like last summer, you won't have to water at all. The bottom line is you want to get a good deep root system to keep the heat of the summer from burning your yard to a crisp.


Good luck, John

[Mike]

Thanks for the information everyone, seeds are in the ground now. I took a before photo, when it decides to warm up and the grass begins to grow I'll take an after photo and post them both here.