The fall is the best time to reseed your lawn
Written by Lori Golaszewski | | news@toledofreepress.comMost homeowners would agree that a lush lawn adds value to their homes and properties.
But if your lawn isn’t in tip-top shape, fall is when you should perk up your turf.
Fall is the best time for reseeding grass, experts say, because the cooler weather helps the grass to germinate and establish a root system before it goes dormant for the winter.
“Between October and November, you get about 80 percent of your root growth,” said Bob Harris, a certified landscape professional.
“You build up a good root system, that way in the springtime you can get along with a regular lawn care program. It’s much harder to plant in the spring because then you have weed problems.”
Harris is the founder and CEO of Elite Lawn & Landscape Inc., 3248 South Ave.
The optimal time for planting grass is mid-September through mid-October, Harris said, but it can be done as late as mid-November.
“Most people are impatient, so if you seed in mid-November, you don’t see the germination,” Harris said. “You have bare ground until springtime. A lot of people think it doesn’t take, but it does. If you want to see visible results, September is the optimal month.”
Depending on the type of grass that is planted, it typically will sprout within a week to 21 days, Harris said.
Before applying seed, Harris suggests loosening the soil several inches to give the grass room to grow.
Once the seed has been planted, mulch or straw should be applied on top of the seed to hold in the moisture and disperse the water more evenly, he said.
To ensure that the grass takes hold and grows, watering and fertilizing are crucial, Harris said. Fertilizer should be applied as soon as the seed starts to germinate, and the reseeded area should be kept moist enough so that the top layer of ground doesn’t dry out, he said.
“The big thing is keeping it constantly wet until it starts germinating. After that, fertilize it and start watering deeper so that the roots grow down. You reduce the frequency, but you increase the amount of water you’re giving it.”
