RESEEDING LAWNS

                                    RESEEDING LAWNS

No matter how beautiful your lawn is it will greatly benefit from reseeding. All plants including grass have a certain life span. As the older grass dies away it leaves  spots where weeds can take hold next spring. The best way to avoid that is with thick lush growth. Since we cut our lawns often they are not able to reseed themselves.

September and early October is the perfect time to reseed your lawn.  As the summer heat fades, weeds and wildflowers begin to wane, dying back in the fields and on our lawns. This will give your grass seed plenty of space to germinate and grow without competition for sunlight, water and nutrients. The cooler weather and increased rain and even the morning dew will keep your seedlings moist until they become established.

Grass seeds must be kept moist so a light watering when it is dry will be appreciated. Lawns do best with one inch of water per week. More that is more harmful rather than helpful, producing weak shallow root systems and encouraging fungus and diseases.

September seeding will also give your young grass a few weeks to sprout before the leaves fall, blocking the greatly needed sunlight.

In order for the seed to germinate it must make contact with the soil so the roots can take hold . Thatching, raking and aerating will greatly improve your success level.

If you haven't taken a soil test in three years, I highly recommend taking a sample of your lawn. This will give you your pH and proper fertilizer information. 

WHY DOES SOIL pH MATTER?

Soil pH is a scale to measure how acidic or alkaline the soil is. Soil pH of 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic and a pH above is alkaline.

Plants, vegetables and grass grow better, are healthier and produce more within their own pH range.  The proper pH permits plants  to absorb minerals from the soil. Evergreens require an acidic pH around 4.5 while tomatoes need a pH of  7.0.

By knowing the plant nutrition needs of your lawn and gardens, you can prevent the over-application of fertilizers.

Soil test sampling kits are available for a fee from your local County  Cooperative Extension offices listed in the phone book.

Separate soil samples will need to be taken from areas used to grow different types of plants.  For example, separate soil test kits should be used for lawn areas and vegetable garden areas.  Samples from rhododendron, azalea, and other broad leaf evergreen areas should be kept separate from other shrub areas. Also sample separately areas that have previously received different lime or fertilizer treatments and areas that are noticeably different in plant or soil quality.

There is far too much information to give in this article, from how and when to thatch to seed selection.

Luckily for us your local Cooperative Extension will supply  this information free of cost.

Happy Gardening,

James