There’s still some thin spots that I plan to put down more seed, but overall it’s coming in nicely. This should break them up and they’ll return to the soil. Use regular fertilizer that has a higher ratio of nitrogen. However, there are several things you need to pay attention to before and after you sow the seeds to ensure successful growth. Grass types can be broadly broken down into two main categories: warm-season grasses, and cool-season grasses. How Long After Fertilizing Can I Overseed? Nitrogen and phosphorus are two very important nutrients when fertilizing seedlings. We’re heading into fall here in Moline, and you know what that means: cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice everything, apple orchards, and beautiful fall foliage. You aerate and overseed during dry conditions. It is important to keep the new seed moist. Closed Friday thru Monday It’s worth asking around your neighborhood if anyone else wants to do their lawn the same day and split the cost of renting the machine. Tall Fescue. If rain isn’t forecasted the day before you are planning to aerate, you’ll want to water the lawn thoroughly with a soaker hose or sprinkler. Don’t fertilize your seeds before they’ve sprouted (Some commercial farmers use a starter fertilizer for this, but you don’t need to). Closed Friday thru Monday The late fall fertilizer application is targeted for about when the lawn stops growing but the ground is not yet frozen. To ensure your grass seed completely covers the desired area, divide your lawn into an imaginary grid. Grassy weed seeds appreciate the same fertilizer and additional watering from your fall renovation program and flourish. A thorough gentle watering is essential to get things off to a good start. Overseeding starter fertilizer and fall fertilizer both have high percentages of phosphorus to promote healthy root growth. After removing plugs of soil during aeration you can fertilize your lawn to promote stronger growth. Continue to mow the grass to a height of two inches for the remainder of the season. Tuesday – Thursday 9am – 4pm His articles have appeared in “The Family Digest” magazine, “The Lookout” magazine and several southwestern Ohio newspapers. Archived. Lightly water the lawn immediately after overseeding. Slow-release fertilizer provides nutrients gradually, for as long as three months in some cases. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!” Spring-Green can help with core aeration and overseeding. Then, scatter around … The most important aspect of overseeding (whether you do it in the fall or earlier in the season) is providing enough water to prevent the seed from drying out. Fertilize with a slow-release 18-1-8 fertilizer using a spreader, four to eight weeks after the fescue germinates. Always wait until the grass is dry before you mow. Do this about 6 weeks after overseeding. Seeding should be done early in the fall to allow the young plants to establish well before the first frost. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions!” Spring-Green can help with core aeration and overseeding. Give it plenty of fertilizer and water. The only difference between roto-tilling before overseeding and before planting a new lawn is the depth: overseeding requires only tilling about 1 or … During the several weeks following your aeration and seeding service, proper maintenance is extremely important to ensure the success of seed germination and establishment in your cool season lawn. Rake the area again with the same light touch after you overseed to improve the seed to soil contact. The seed, fertilizer, and water will have the best chance to get down into the holes made by the aerator if applied soon after … Return to Regular Maintenance. Applying a starter fertilizer at the time of overseeding is not necessary. Later in the fall, closer to the first frost, you’ll want to spread some slow-release granular fertilizer. Early spring aeration can be just as good as fall aeration if you overseed early enough (once the soil comes to temperature).. You should water your lawn before you aerate it (or do it the day after a heavy rain). Keep mowing the grass to two inches tall for the rest of the season. The contractor who installed your lawn used a high phosphorus or “starter fertilizer” when hydroseeding your lawn. Water deeply and occasionally rather than of shallowly and often. Aeration helps loosen up compacted soil, allowing air, water, and nutrients to better reach the roots. All other time by appointment only. Aeration, overseeding, and fertilizing this fall will give the roots breathing room, a solid start to filling in any sparse patches, and a good dose of nutrients to survive well through winter. Overseeding, in its simplest terms, is sowing grass seeds over the existing turfgrass. Once you have applied your fertilizer, broadcast the seed. Fine fescue can improve shady lawn areas or lawns that face very cold winters. Thanks! Then move into a watering routine as best you can. This means you'll start fertilizing four to eight weeks after planting. Once the weeds are withered and dying, mow the lawn short, and as in the case of winter overseeding, rake the lawn with a metal rake to break up the soil surface so the new seed will be in contact with the dirt. Find out why your lawn is doing poorly by performing a soil test and then adjusting the nutrient balance of your lawn based on the results of the test. I held off doing anything in Spring and plan on attacking it with tenacity in early September at the same time as aeration and Overseeding. Within 48 hours after you aerate you should over seed, fertilize, and water your lawn. how long after overseeding before weed & feed? How to Fertilize Seedlings. An application of Gordon’s Trimec or Speedzone can be applied 28 days after grass seed germination. You can resume your normal watering schedule of longer, less frequent waterings after these first few days. When the soil temperature falls to 50 to 65 degrees or the air temperature … Mother Nature will take care of … Fertilize in early spring (after a mild winter), late spring or early summer (after a cold winter), late summer and fall. The Best Time to Seed and Fertilize After 48 hours of aerating your soil, you will apply seeds and fertilizer then water on the ground. Since a healthy stand of grass will choke out weeds, keep a weed-free yard by hand pulling or spot treating the occasionally weed that encroaches your lawn. What overseeding is and its benefits. This alleviates compaction better than spike aeration, which just pokes holes into the soil. Tuesday – Thursday 9am – 4pm Dormant Seeding vs Overseeding. It is high time to get into soil fertilizer and water. If your lawn is more than 50 percent weeds or undesirable grass variety -- wipe out the vegetation with an all-purpose weed killer. Don't do any weed control until you have mowed several times or you may take out the young seedlings! © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Don’t panic – annual grassy weeds will be slow to germinate as soil temperatures cool in fall. As grass ages, it gets sparser, thinner leaves, so it’s wise to introduce new grass seed regularly. LANDSCAPE DESIGN • BUILD You’ll set your lawn up for a strong, healthy start the following spring. Go in with 18-34-12 (50% SCU) 2-3 weeks after seeding and then once you have mowed it 1 or 2 times hit it with something like a 30-010 (50% SCU) and you can then do weed control. A: Yes, now is the best time to fertilize while the holes created by the aeration are still open, allowing access to the root system and before the cores start to break down. 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