Brown, barren, or dead spots in your lush green lawn is nature’s way of saying it’s probably time to re-seed. Just like over-seeding helps reestablish grass in the thinning lawn, re-seeding helps to grow new grass in areas that are bare.
Understanding Different Types of Grass and When to Re-Seed
You need to know the right time to re-seed before figuring out when you shouldn’t. There are two varieties of grass – Cool Season Grass and Warm Season Grass, each of which have a different re-seeding time.
Cool Season Grass is suited for areas that experience extreme temperature fluctuations like cold winters and hot and humid summers. In Pennsylvania, it’s best to sow this grass in early fall to allow it to establish roots before winter.
- It germinates when the air temperature is between 65-70 degrees F. The soil temperature should be between 50 to 60 degrees F.
- The best time to re-seed is at least 45 days before the first chance of frost.
- Preferred season to re-seed is fall. Best month to re-seed is September. It can also do well if you put down the seeds in mid spring.
Warm Season Grass is found abundantly in the southern, south-eastern, and south-western states.
- It grows well in warmer climate when the air temperature is over 75 degrees F. The soil temperature required for this grass to thrive is between 65 degrees F to 70 degrees F.
- The perfect time to re-seed is at least 60 days before the first frost.
- Preferred time is late spring. Depending on location, it does well if planted between mid-April through June.
Is It Too Late to Re-Seed
This depends on what your objective is. If you want your seeds to germinate this season, it will be too late to plant them if you miss the peak seeding time, which is –
- Early fall for cold season grass. Late October and early winter are too late to reseed as the seeds will probably die in the harsh frost.
- Late spring for warm season grass. Peak summer is too late to reseed as the harsh summer heat will not allow the seed to germinate.
If you want to do dormant seeding, you need to re-seed in early October. This will ensure your cold season grass will stay dormant this season and establish their roots next spring. This can be risky as warm spells in winter can encourage germination, making the grass die too soon in the harsh winter weather.
Get Ready for A Lush Green Lawn
Figuring out when to re-seed is not as straightforward as it might seem. Apart from the right month to re-seed, you should do a soil sample test of your lawn to check its nutrient and alkalinity levels and rectify them with appropriate amendments and remediation, if necessary. Then you need to prepare your lawn for re-seeding. Connect with experts in this field to help you make the right decision.
GREENSKEEPER has over 50 years of lawn care experience. Our expert lawn care consultants evaluate your lawn and create customized and proven solutions for updates and repairs, including re-seeding and over-seeding, aeration, and fertilizer treatments.
Learn more about re-seeding your lawn. Call GREENSKEEPER at (215) 938-8440. You can also contact us using our online form for a free quote.
