- 1). Select grass seed that's adapted to your needs. If shady areas need renovating, for example, choose a shade-loving variety. If you're looking for a grass to keep your southern lawn green over the winter, choose a grass that thrives in cool weather, then dies back to let your warm-season grasses show in summer. Talk to your Extension agent or visit your local feed store or garden shop to get recommendations for your climate and your situation.
- 2). Mow your yard as closely as possible and bag or rake up the clippings, so the new seed will have the best chance to come in contact with the soil. Save the clippings to use for mulch after seeding.
- 3). Rake the yard with a dethatching rake. Also use the rake to scratch the soil of any bare spots and loosen the top 1/2 inch.
- 4). Rent a lawn seeder which automatically slits the turf and inserts seeds, or spread seed by hand or with a spreader. If you're renovating a lawn with bare spots, put the recommended amount of seed for a new lawn on the bare or thin areas and half to three quarters the recommended amount of seed elsewhere. If you're overseeding a southern yard with cool-season grasses for the winter, spread two to three times the normal rate of seed, since all the seed may not reach the soil to germinate.
- 5). Cover bare or thin areas that you've reseeded with a light layer of topsoil. Add starter fertilizer also if you want. Spread a layer of straw or grass clippings as mulch on top. Apply straw at the rate of 100 lbs. per 1,000 square feet.
- 6). Roll the lawn lightly to press the seed against the soil with a water-filled roller.
- 7). Water the lawn the same day that you overseed it. If not enough rain falls to keep the soil slightly moist, water it again each day until the new blades of grass reach 2 inches tall.
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