Why You Should Start Thinking Now About Overseeding Your Lawn

One of the best ways to get through a long, dark, cold winter is to make landscaping plans for the spring. And, if your lawn is an important part of your landscape, then one of the best landscaping plans you can make is to overseed your lawn.

Even if you are keen on keeping your lawn green and healthy, as it ages, it can become more difficult to maintain. When that happens, grass blades can thin out, and weeds will inevitably pop up to take their place.

2 Options to Rejuvenate an Aging Lawn

There are two main ways to combat a thinning, browning and weedy lawn. 

1. Resod the Lawn – Resodding involves removing the top layer of your current lawn, adding a new layer of topsoils and installing new sod. While it gives you an instant, green, weed-free lawn, resodding can be quite expensive, especially if you have a larger lawn. 
2. Overseeding – When overseeding, you add a layer of grass seed on top of your existing lawn. It is far less costly than resodding, but you don’t get an instantly healthy lawn. Still, with a little extra work, overseeding can produce results that are on par with resodding.

2 Methods of Overseeding Your Lawn

Regardless of which method you choose, you need to prepare in similar ways. Preparation starts by having everything you need for the overseeding.

• Tools – Lawnmower, rake, seed spreader, lawn sprinkler
• Grass Seed – You should have one kg of grass seed for every 450 sq. ft. of shaded lawn or 750 sq. ft. of lawn in full sun
• Soil – For every kg of grass seed, you should have about 20 kgs of topsoil or enriched soil. You can also use garden compost.

Before you begin your overseeding method, you should mow your lawn using the lowest cutting height setting on your mower, and bag the clipping (don’t mulch them). Rake the lawn afterwards to remove as much grass and debris as possible. Raking also helps prepare the surface of your existing soil for the new layer.

Also, measure your lawn or the part of it that you are overseeding, to find out its square footage.

1. Overseeding Method 1: Spread Seed
   1. Liberally spread the grass seed over the area using a seed spreader and the ratios listed above.
   2. Apply a thin layer of soil/compost over the seeded area. The layer shouldn’t be more than ½ cm deep. This layer not only helps to nourish the seed to help it grow, but it protects the seed against wind and birds.
   3. Gently rake the seeded area to make sure both the seed and soil come in close contact with the existing soil and don’t just sit on top of the existing grass.
   4. Water the area lightly, no more than ¼” of water, every day for two weeks, before reducing the watering to every other day for another two weeks. 

If you’re not sure how long to water the lawn so it gets ¼”, place tuna cans or aluminum pie plates around your lawn before watering. Leave the sprinkler on for half an hour. Check the water levels in the containers after watering and adjust your timing accordingly.

1. Overseeding Method 2: Spread Soil/Seed Mix
   1. Mix 20 parts soil/compost with one part seed. Make sure the seed is spread evenly throughout the mixture. 
   2. Spread the mixture evenly across the overseeding area to a depth of about ½ cm.
   3. Gently rake the seeded area to make sure both the seed and soil come in close contact with the existing soil and don’t just sit on top of the existing grass.
   4. Water the area lightly, no more than ¼” of water, every day for two weeks, before reducing the watering to every other day for another two weeks.

Why You Need to Start Thinking Now About Over Seeding Your Lawn

The two best times of year to overseed your lawn is in the fall, no later than 45 days before the expected first frost for your planting zone, and when there is no longer a threat of freezing temperatures in the spring.

While you should check the dates specifically for your area, the average first frost in the fall for most of the Greater Toronto Area is October 6th, though it is earlier the further away from Lake Ontario you get. The average last date for freezing temperatures in the spring is the first week of May, though it is later further away from Lake Ontario.

While we’re in the middle of winter right now, you can start your plan to overseed your lawn right now. You can measure the areas you’re going to need to overseed and keep an eye on your local landscaping services and supplies outlet for when they get the tools, seed and soil you need.

You also need to begin keeping an eye on the weather and hope for an early spring!

To learn more about keeping your lawn healthy, check out our post “Lawn Maintenance Tips For A Healthy Landscape”.