Despite how much seed garden centers push out the door, spring is one of the worst times to seed a lawn. Spring seed rarely survives beyond the first days of July. By the time the seed germinates, the seedlings do not have enough time to develop a good root system before the onset of hot weather. That said, there are some mitigating circumstances that can contribute to spring seeding success.
- Shady lawn areas that can be kept moist during the summer have a good chance of success.
- Sunny areas that can be intensively watered all summer have a fair chance of success if started early.
- Sunny areas that will not get special watering attention all summer have little or no chance of success.
- Sunny areas along pavement and in high traffic areas have no chance of spring seeding success.
Very important things to make a spring seed successful:
- Call your lawn service before applying the seed so we can apply the right material for your situation.
- Use tall fescue only. Exception – If you already have a lot of ryegrass in your lawn, then use ryegrass only.
- Prepare the soil very thoroughly.
- Buy seed that is 0% weeds, 0% other crop and that has a germination rate of 85% (must be on the label)
- Water, water, water to keep the soil surface constantly wet until the new grass is well established.
Very important things to avoid if you spring seed:
- Seed that comes with its own mulch covering (nasty ryegrass and other long-term problems).
- Throw seed on unprepared ground.
- Use ryegrass (not a long-term benefit) or bluegrass (too slow to germinate and develop for spring seeding).
- Keep your seeding plans a secret from your lawn service
- Apply preemergent or broadleaf herbicides before seeding.
If you dormant seeded your lawn, have already spring seeded, or plan to spring seed your lawn, please call us immediately at (913) 789-9333 or Contact Us Online.
