Lawn Repair, Lawn Seeding & Renovation Evansville
Lawn Grass Planting
Proper lawn mowing, fertilizing, aerating & watering are all important parts of a lawn maintenance program. However the most effective way to improve a lawn is to overseed. Overseeding is the process of planting new grass seed to an existing lawn to improve density and overall health of the turf. Preparation, timing and proper technique are the keys to successfully lawn repair. Fall overseeding is often accompanied by aerating the yard and the application of starter fertilizer.
Not all types of grass need over seeding. Warm season grasses like Zoysia and Bermuda spread mostly by sending out "runners" that form new grass bunches and or not overseeded. Cool season grasses like Ryegrass, Fescue grass and (to a lesser extent) Kentucky Bluegrass all benefit from yearly overseeding.
Not all types of grass need over seeding. Warm season grasses like Zoysia and Bermuda spread mostly by sending out "runners" that form new grass bunches and or not overseeded. Cool season grasses like Ryegrass, Fescue grass and (to a lesser extent) Kentucky Bluegrass all benefit from yearly overseeding.
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Benefits of Lawn SeedingGrass has a life span. Over time a lawn will thin out due to older grass plants dying off. Damage from insects and disease can also take a toll, as well as the heat and dry weather of summer. Overseeding can fill in thinning areas and make the lawn look thicker. Adding new grass seed will improve color - newer grass plants are greener in color. Many newer varieties of cool season grasses are bred to be much more disease and insect resistant.
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Lawn Seeding - When is the best time?
The two best times to lawn repair are late winter/very early spring & late summer/mid fall. Three to four weeks before mowing season starts in the spring is the best time to do lawn repair - the cooler temperatures, the higher than average amounts of rainfall, the lack of competition from summer weeds and the lack of traffic make for ideal conditions to repair grass in the lawn. However, many people apply preemergent herbicides in the spring to prevent weeds. If that is the case, it is much better to wait until fall to seed a yard. The warmer soil temperatures with cooler air temps are ideal for growing grass. The timing also allows for 2.5-3 months from the new grass to get established before wintertime. Either time of year works, but fall overseeding is more common.
Lawn Repair
Overseeding in the fall is a good way to repair a thinning lawn. For bare spots and pet damage, grass seed with a very thin layer of potting soil is one way to go. The soil provides shade for the grass seed, It helps hold moisture & keeps the seed from becoming bird food before it has time to sprout. Another option is to use sod to repair bare spots in the lawn. Sod is instant gratification - nothing beats sod for a quick thick healthy green patch of lawn. Buying sod in smaller amounts to do repairs usually costs under $2.00 per square foot.
Types of grass used when lawn seeding in the Evansville Area
There are many different varieties of grasses that a homeowner can choose for lawn repair. The conditions and makeup of the soil, how much sunlight an area receives, the cost, how much time & effort you are willing to spend on maintenance and climate conditions for your area all factors for choosing the best lawn grasses for your residential lawn..Grass types are divided into two main groups - cool season grasses and warm season grasses. Cool season grasses generally grow in more northern areas and grow most actively in the spring & fall. They tend to green up early in the spring and hold color well in the late part of the year. The downside to these types of turf is that they tend to go dormant (turn brown) in the heat of summer or during especially dry conditions and usually require better soil conditions to grow, but liven back up when the weather is more favorable later in the year. Warm season grasses tend to be common in more southern lawns. They tend to thrive in the heat of summer and need much less water than other varieties, but tend to green up later in the year and go dormant in cooler weather. They also do better in clay and sandy type soils. Evansville & Southern Indiana are in whats considered the transition zone - in the middle of where the cooler climates of the north meet the warmer climates of the south. It takes a blend of different grass types to maintain a yard in this area.
Cool Season
Ryegrass - Annual rye is often grown as a temporary cover, while perennial rye is a fast germinating fast growing grass that does best in the coolest climates. It blends well with other types of grass and is often used to add density to existing lawns. Rye is often used for overseeding with Bermuda grass to provide green color in the winter after the Bermuda has gone dormant for the winter
Kentucky bluegrass - it is most popular cool season turf because of its blue green color and does well filling in bare spots. It does well in sunny areas but does not do well in the shade It generally requires more maintenance ( watering & fertilizing) than rye or fescue lawns.
Fescue grass - the most shade tolerant of the cool season grasses. It is also does better in the heat of summer and needs less water. It is a lower maintenance variety of grass and tends to hold its green color most of the year.
Warm Season
Bermuda - It can be grown in just about any soil conditions and is very drought tolerant. It needs to be mowed frequently as it tends to grow quickly in warmer conditions. At the height or the growing season, it It holds up well in high traffic areas and is often used on athletic fields. Goes dormant when the temperatures drop later in the year and greens back up in the middle of the springtime. overseeding with Ryegrass will add color to a bermuda lawn in the winter..
Zoysia - It grows very thick & will gradually spread on its own. there is no need for weed control as Zoysia chokes out weeds & other varieties of turf. Needs to be mowed frequently because of its thickness but requires less watering & fertilizing than other types of grass. Aside from mowing, it is one of the lowest maintenance lawns, but it goes dormant and turns brown earlier in the fall and does not turn green again until much later in the spring
Cool Season
Ryegrass - Annual rye is often grown as a temporary cover, while perennial rye is a fast germinating fast growing grass that does best in the coolest climates. It blends well with other types of grass and is often used to add density to existing lawns. Rye is often used for overseeding with Bermuda grass to provide green color in the winter after the Bermuda has gone dormant for the winter
Kentucky bluegrass - it is most popular cool season turf because of its blue green color and does well filling in bare spots. It does well in sunny areas but does not do well in the shade It generally requires more maintenance ( watering & fertilizing) than rye or fescue lawns.
Fescue grass - the most shade tolerant of the cool season grasses. It is also does better in the heat of summer and needs less water. It is a lower maintenance variety of grass and tends to hold its green color most of the year.
Warm Season
Bermuda - It can be grown in just about any soil conditions and is very drought tolerant. It needs to be mowed frequently as it tends to grow quickly in warmer conditions. At the height or the growing season, it It holds up well in high traffic areas and is often used on athletic fields. Goes dormant when the temperatures drop later in the year and greens back up in the middle of the springtime. overseeding with Ryegrass will add color to a bermuda lawn in the winter..
Zoysia - It grows very thick & will gradually spread on its own. there is no need for weed control as Zoysia chokes out weeds & other varieties of turf. Needs to be mowed frequently because of its thickness but requires less watering & fertilizing than other types of grass. Aside from mowing, it is one of the lowest maintenance lawns, but it goes dormant and turns brown earlier in the fall and does not turn green again until much later in the spring
Lawn Repair with fescue
Turf type tall fescue is the variety most commonly used when seeding turf. It does well in sunny conditions and is often blended with Kentucky bluegrass due to the similar appearance of both varieties. Fine fescue is used in densely shaded areas but does not do well in full sun. Coarse fescues like Kentucky 31 tall fescue are generally cheaper, but should not be used for lawn repair. It has a much wider blade and is similar in appearance to crabgrass & quack grass ( both weeds). Most fescue seed takes about 10 to 14 days to germinate.
Lawn Repair with Kentucky bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass takes time to germinate - commonly 2 to 5 weeks - much longer than other cool season grasses. Most types of bluegrass send out underground stem called rhizomes to spread and fill in bare areas. Because of this, Kentucky bluegrass lawns are somewhat " self repairing " and will not need to be overseeded as often as other turf types. It uses more water than fescue seed and is more inclined to go dormant in the heat of summer. Over fertilizing makes bluegrass more prone to disease, but it is probably the most popular lawn repair grass because of its rich blue green color.
Lawn Repair with Ryegrass
Ryegrass is broken down into two groups perennial and annual. Annual ryegrass is used as a temporary cover or erosion control and usually dies out within a year. Perennial ryegrass is more commonly used in overseeding & lawn repair, but is rarely used by itself. With proper watering, some types of ryegrass can germinate in less than a week. It is used in seed blends to provide cover for slower germinating bluegrass and fescue seed.