Nobody wants to see patches on their lawn, but sometimes we get confused about how we can cure it and make it beautiful again. Can we directly put seeds over the sod to repair it or should we first remove the sod?
Can you reseed over dead sod? Yes, you can reseed over dead sod by doing the proper preparation and following the process of proper reseeding. You need to first mow your lawn short and then take it to remove all the dead plants than do the reseeding for a beautiful lawn.
Now you know that you can reseed your lawn over dead sod but how will do that properly and what are things you should keep in mind. Let’s talk about these things in detail.
Why You Should Reseed The Lawn?
So there are 2 ways to repair your lawn patches. You can repair it by replacing the dead sod with new sod or by reseeding your lawn.
If you want to replace the dead sod with new sod then it will take a lot of effort, time, and money to do that but on the other hand, reseeding the dead patches in your lawn is easy and affordable.
Let’s talk about the benefits of reseeding your lawn in detail:
- Affordable – Reseeding the lawn instead of laying the turf is very affordable as seeds are very cheap than turf laying on lawn. If you compare the prices of turf with the prices of seeds, there is a huge difference.
- Easy – reseeding the lawn instead of laying sod is very easy and anyone can do that. On the other hand, laying sod on your lawn can be very technical at times and take a lot of effort also.
- Takes less time – you can reseed your lawn patches in one day if you follow the process and it will take less time as compared to laying sod which can take 2-3 days.
Best Time To Reseed Over Dead Sod?
Choosing the right time to reseed your lawn is very important as it is a defining factor in how easily the seeds can germinate and grow and how much care you need to provide in different seasons. So choose the best time to reseed your lawn.
The best time when you can reseed your lawn is in the autumn when the heat is low and there are more chances of rain that can help in your watering and keep the soil moist for longer because of the cool temperature to help the seeds to germinate properly.
Autumn is also best because seeds love to grow in cool temperatures and the soil is also cooler as compared to summer.
Another good thing to reseed in autumn is that weeds usually don’t grow in autumn, so there is less competition for the seed to grow in the lawn and it can grow very easily.
If you don’t have time to wait for autumn or you wanna do it now, in whichever season you are then you need to do it properly keeping all the things according to the need of the seeds, to make sure they germinate properly or your lawn will look patchy after doing all the hard work.
If you are reseeding your lawn in summer, then try to keep the soil moist throughout the day by watering your lawn lightly 2-3 times a day. And you can remove weeds also as they thrive in summer and can block grass growth in the lawn.
How To Reseed Over Dead Sod?
Reseeding your lawn is not difficult if you follow the process properly and you will see the lawn as beautiful and think if you follow the process.
- Soil test – doing a soil test before seeding or overseeding is very necessary as it tells you about the health of the soil and whether will it be good to provide all the essential nutrients to the seeds to germinate and grow properly. Test your soil for essential nutrients and soil acidity and then provide the nutrients according to the report.
- Mowing – Next process is to mow your lawn short so that you can find all the patches and reseed them properly. If the grass is too high then it can hide patches in the lawn and also block sunlight to the new seeds which can block seed germination and grass growth.
- Rake – after you have mowed the lawn properly, remove all the grass clippings and also all the dead grass from the patches. Rake two times in the opposite direction to remove all the grass from your lawn.
- Dethatch – dethatching your lawn before reseeding is very important as it can block the seeds to go into the soil and make it very difficult for the seeds to germinate. What dethatching does is it removes all the dead layer above the soil, which makes it easy for the soil to take nutrients and also for the seeds to germinate.
- Aerate – aeration is important before reseeding your lawn but only if you find the soil in the lawn to be compacted. If the lawn has compacted soil due to heavy foot traffic or due to no aeration in past years it can be difficult for the seeds to grow deep roots in the grass, as it can’t excess essential nutrients easily. This will make the grass grow thin and make your lawn look patchy.
- Reseed – now this is the main part of the process. To reseed your lawn properly, make two batches of the seed and then do the reseeding from the first batch and then change the direction and reseed the lawn with the second batch. This will make sure the seeds are spread evenly in the lawn and you have not left any patches. If your lawn has small patches then you can reseed it by hand. But if the patches are big then you can take the help of a spreader to do it properly.
- Roll it – after the seeding of your lawn, roll it so that the seed gets into the soil and not just lays above the soil. This will make the seeds germinate well and not get eaten by the birds as well. The best way is to lightly roll your lawn 1 or 2 times.
- Water – after you have done the reseeding and rolling, lightly water your lawn 2-3 times a day for a week so that the soil stays moist and cool for the seeds to germinate properly. After the germination process when you seed some grass in the patches then reduce the frequency of the watering and start increasing the amount of water. This will promote a deep root system for your grass.
Take Care Of Your Newly Seeded Lawn
After you reseeded the patches in your lawn over the sod. Now you need to take care of your lawn properly to maintain it and to make it thicker. The three main things to maintain a newly seeded lawn are watering, fertilizing, and mowing. Let’s talk about these in detail.
Watering – properly watering your lawn is very crucial for maintaining as well as promoting grass growth.
For the first week, after reseeding your lawn, lightly water the lawn 2-3 times a day to keep it moist for germination, but after you start seeing some grasses growing in the patches then start reducing the frequency of the watering one time a day with heavy watering.
After 2 weeks start watering the lawn 2 times a week with 2-3 inches of water. This will promote the grass to grow deep roots to search for moist soil and make your grass drought and heat-resistant for the summer.
Fertilization – fertilizing the lawn is very important to keep it healthy and thick. If the grass doesn’t get the essential nutrients from the soil, then it will grow thin or create patches in your lawn, which you were trying to fill.
For proper fertilizing of the newly seeded lawn, first start with the starter fertilizer, which will boost the seed germination. After 3 months of seeding, fertilize your lawn with a slow-release fertilizer every 6 months to provide it with all the nutrients the grass needs to grow.
Mowing – the last but not least thing to maintain your lawn is mowing. Mowing makes your lawn look healthy and promotes horizontal growth in grass. Which makes the lawn thicker and blocks all the unnecessary plants like weeds to grow in the lawn.
Mow between the height of 2-3 inches of grass and never mow more than 1/3rd of the grass, or it can stress the grass, and sometimes you will start to see patches in your lawn due to that. Make a schedule for mowing your lawn and follow it.
How Do I Get Rid Of Dead Grass Before Seeding?
Raking is the best way to get rid of all the dead grass clippings of the grass from your lawn. Rake your lawn in different directions to remove all the grass as the dead grass can lay down in different directions and cannot be removed at once.
Do You Have To Remove Dead Grass Before Seeding?
Yes, you need to remove the dead grass before seeding as it will make it easier for the new seeds to go into the soil and germinate properly. If you leave the dead grass in the lawn then it can block seeds to go into the soil or it can block sunlight and water to get to the seeds to help them germinate.
Does Raking Dead Grass Help It Grow?
No, raking dead grass will not make it grow back as it is already dead and won’t come back to life. But raking the dead grass will help it remove from the lawn to make way for the new seeds to germinate and grow into these patches.
