overseeding

We have not even begun to cool down, but it is time to put together your checklist of products you are going to need if you plan on overseeding your warm season lawn come October.  If you still need to decide if overseeding is for you, please check back to my last blog.  It’ll help with that decision.

I will give a detailed plan on how to overseed as we get a little closer, but here is a list of items to pick up at the store this Labor Day weekend.  These are just recommendations, and the exact fertilizer numbers can vary, but it is best to keep your analysis in the range I provide.  

 Fertilizer – Starter fertilizer applied with the seed such as 6-20-20, 16-24-12, or 16-20-0 at 5 pounds per 1000 SF.  Your second fertilizer application will come two weeks after the seed has been down using a balanced fertilizer such as 15-15-15, 21-7-14, or 16-16-16.  You also want to make a final fertilizer application before we receive our first frost in mid November using calcium nitrate 15.5-0-0, 15-15-15, or 21-7-14 to push the growth.  Once we receive our first good frost you can put the granular away for a couple months as you will not get the reactivity from them with the low soil temperatures.

Verticutter (Ren-o-thin) – Make sure you lightly verticut the lawn in two directions to open the grass plant up and allow for better seed to soil contact.

Sharp Mower – Take your mower blade in to get serviced and sharpened up before you go in and start taking those mowing heights down.  Ideally in the next few weeks you will let your lawn start to grow up 30-40 percent in height so when you scalp it down you are taking it to a normal height.

Perennial Ryegrass – Make sure the label has a minimum of 96 % germination.  Anything less will produce unsatisfactory results and give you less than desirable color.  Seed should be all perennial rye grass with no annual rye grass or fescue in the mix. Seed needs to be applied at 8-10 pounds per 1000 SF and there is no reason to go at a higher rate. A higher rate will produce excellent color for the first month and then the ryegrass will start to choke itself out.  

Seed Cover – This can be used during the later part of the year to overseed to help keep heat in the ground. 

Foliar Fertilizers for the winter – If you are in the shopping mood and already at your local store pick up some foliar iron and potassium products for the winter months to maintain color.  

****TIP OF THE WEEK****  Start to let your lawn grow up in height if you will be overseeding this fall.  You will want at about 30-40 %  longer in height than you normally keep it.  This allows you to scalp in the fall to a reasonable height and will help your lawn recover next year.