Maintaining your grass can often mean a lot of work, and it can be really frustrating when you encounter problems that cannot be fixed with simple solutions like water and regularly cutting your grass.
Unfortunately, there may come a time when your grass is starting to thin out in places, or there are bare patches where there is no grass to be seen. If this has happened to your grass, then you might be wondering how you can solve the problem.
You might think that it is time to get rid of the grass and start again, but there is actually an easier and simpler alternative to this. You could simply overseed your grass instead of having to start again from scratch. We are going to tell you what this means and how you can do it yourself in this article.
Can You Put Grass Seed On Top of Grass?
Yes, when you put grass seed on top of grass, this is known as overseeding. This is something that is often done to fill thinning or bare parts of your grass, but it can also be done to prevent things like browning during the winter. To do this, you would overseed your grass in the summer with cool-season grass.
All you have to do is scatter the new grass seed all over your existing grass, and after some time, it will be looking brand new again. There are some additional preparation tasks to do first, but the process is really easy and simple.
Why Would I Overseed My Grass?
You might want to overseed your grass if it has started to look weak and thin. Overseeding can help you to bring back that thick and natural luscious green that once spread the span of your garden.
By spreading new grass seed over your existing grass, you will be able to fill in any thin areas to bring some life back to your garden.
You should know that this is not the same as reseeding, as this would involve completely ripping up your grass to start again from scratch.
So, overseeding will save you the big task of doing that. It is normal for old grass to need to be replaced over time, and worn gardens are also the perfect place for weeds to grow, which is why overseeding can be so beneficial. It is a fast and cheap way to revitalise your garden without having to start from the beginning.
When is the Best Time to Overseed Your Garden?
The best time for you to overseed your garden would be in either the spring or autumn. Germination will take around 7 to 21 days in ideal conditions, and the ideal daily temperatures should be higher than 13ºC for the process to be completely successful.
How to Prepare Your Grass for Overseeding
Unfortunately, you can’t just throw the seed down and hope for the best, as there is some preparation involved.
You will first need to use a metal rake to remove any dead grass that could be stopping your seeds from taking root properly. You should also cut the grass before you get started and remove all the excess grass.
Cutting the grass to a length between 1 and 1.5 inches will allow both sunlight and water to reach the new seeds more easily.
You can also choose to aerate your soils to break up any compacted soil in order to allow air and water to be able to easily penetrate the ground. Improving the condition of your soil can also help to encourage grass growth.
Sowing and Maintenance
Ideally, you should use a seed spreader to evenly distribute your grass seed over the ground, but you can do this by hand if you prefer. You should apply twice the normal amount of seed than you would if you were starting from scratch, as this will allow for an overlap of grass to prevent any bare patches in your distribution.
Once you have scattered all of your seed, you can also choose to add some fertilizer, but you should be mindful of what you are using if you have any pets. You should also try to avoid walking on the grass and make sure that it is getting enough water.
Moist soil will encourage deep root development. You should also avoid cutting the grass until it is almost an inch higher than it would be when you normally cut it.
Overseeding Poor-Quality Grass
If your grass is experiencing any other issues, aside from bald patches or thinning, like fungal infections or other external causes, then you are going to need to solve the problem before you start the overseeding process.
Otherwise, the grass is only going to be destroyed again once the infection spreads to the new grass. This means that you will have to start the process again, which is not ideal.
If you are having any issues with the new seed not growing and filling in your grass, then it might be the case that you need to kill and remove the existing grass and start from scratch. This shouldn’t be an issue, but it can happen in certain circumstances.
Things to Keep in Mind When Overseeding
Choosing the right seeds for overseeding your grass is really important, as it will need to blend in with your existing grass once it has grown. It is recommended to choose the same grass type as the one that you already have in your garden.
However, if you do not particularly like your existing grass, you can choose to blend it with new grass seeds that you prefer the appearance of.
You will also need to make sure that you are spreading the seeds as evenly over the existing grass as you possibly can, as this will provide the best results. You should also be mindful to add extra seeds to areas that are bare or really patchy, so the grass will be able to fill the void space.
