Tired of the way your lawn looks? If it hasn’t looked up to par this summer with the relatively good weather, it never will and reseeding your lawn is an option. Mid-August is the best time to seed a new lawn or overseed an existing lawn. If the lawn is just thin and needs a little help, fall is the best time to fertilize your lawn and control weeds. Depending on the condition of your lawn, you have some options to improve your lawn:
1. If the lawn is in fairly good shape but thin and with a fair population of weeds, you can improve the lawn dramatically with applying 1 lb N/1000 sq ft in September and 1 lb N/1000 sq ft in November. An application of a broadleaf herbicide in mid-October should take care of most of the broadleaf weeds like clover and dandelion. This is the option to choose if you don’t want to spend a lot of time and effort improving your lawn.
2. If your lawn is very thin and weedy, but doesn’t have serious soil problems such as compaction, you can follow one of two courses of action. The first is to mow very low in early to mid August and then use a power overseeder to cut in turfgrass seed. Keep the lawn mowed short until the grass seed begins to gerimante. The second option is to apply Roundup to the weeds and grass, wait about 5 days, and then use a power seeder to cut in seed. Aerifying the lawn in many different directions prior to cutting in the seed will also help to improve the germination and establishment of the new grass. Be sure to keep the lawn well-watered until the new seedlings are established. Applying a starter fertilizer (high in P but low in N and K) at 1.0 to 1.5 lbs P2O5/1000 sq. ft. prior to seeding will enhance also improve establishment. Then follow the fertilization and weed control steps listed under option 1 above.
3. If your lawn is very thin, weedy, and has serious soil problems such as compaction or bad drainage, apply Roundup in early August to kill the existing vegetation. After about five days, till, regrade the surface to improve surface drainage, compact the soil slightly with a water filled roller or garden tractor to insure that there are no major undulations after grading, rake the surface to a final grade and then seed. Follow the seeding with a light rolling to improve the seed soil contact, and then keep the lawn well-watered until the new seedlings are established. Applying a starter fertilizer (high in P but low in N and K) at 1 1/2 lbs P2O5/1000 sq. ft. prior to seeding will enhance also improve establishment. Then follow the fertilization and weed control steps listed under option 1 above. More details can be found in AY-13 “Lawn Improvement Programs