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Overseeding: What Is It and Why Should You Do It?

Are bare spots and thinning grass blades taking over your lawn? 

Do you fertilize your lawn and seed the soil every spring, but your turf just won’t grow as lush and green as your neighbor’s? 

Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals is here to help you understand why overseeding may have failed in the past and how it can help save your lawn this year!

What is Overseeding?

Overseeding is an easy method of planting grass seed that avoids disturbing the soil in your yard. 

This method differs from new lawn seeding because overseeding is exactly like it sounds – planting new seed over an existing lawn.

Weller Brothers lawn care professional overseeding a lawn in Sioux Falls, SD near the street.

When to Overseed Your Lawn

You should overseed in the fall, typically between late August and early October before the first freeze. 

In the Midwest, we recommend that lawns be seeded with cool-season grass that is best acclimated to our temperate climates. The most common grasses used in our area are Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, which are designed to thrive in cooler temperatures. 

When planted outside the appropriate season, these grasses will struggle to germinate and grow in the summer heat. This will result in having to re-overseed again in the fall. If you’ve struggled with overseeding before, perhaps this timing was the problem.

Fall is also the time of year when you should aerate your lawn. At Weller Brothers, we always recommend that overseeding be performed alongside aeration in the fall.

Important Factors to Consider When Assessing Your Lawn

If you notice any of the following conditions in your lawn, it is important to consult with a lawn care professional. They will determine if overseeding should take place sooner rather than later. 

  • Thin Grass 
  • Bare Patches
  • Invasive Weeds
  • Brittle Grass Blades
  • Undesirable Grass Types
  • Spreading Fungal Infections
  • Pest Damage
  • Poor Drainage
Lawn in Sioux Falls, SD that has not been properly maintained. green, healthy grass in Sioux Falls
Lawn in Sioux Falls, SD that has not been properly maintained.

Can You Overseed in the Spring?

You shouldn’t. Here’s why.

Cool-season seeds need cooler temperatures to germinate; warm-season seeds perform best when planted in the warmer weather of late spring or early summer. However, we do not recommend using warm-season grass seeds in the Midwest climate zone, which is why Weller Brothers Landscaping overseeds in the fall. 

Springtime is when we begin our fertilizer program, beginning with the pre-emergent. Pre-emergent is an herbicide that produces a protective barrier across the soil surface to prevent weeds from emerging. Pre-emergent is non-selective, which means it will prevent the growth of any non-established vegetation – not just undesirable weeds and grasses. 

Spring pre-emergent application is crucial to the health of your lawn, as it is the best method of fighting off weeds before they disrupt new grass growth. Even if pre-emergent is not applied, cool-season grass seeded in spring will develop shallow roots because the conditions are not ideal for growing. This is why we do not recommend overseeding in the spring.

Weller Brothers lawn care professional overseeding a Sioux Falls, SD lawn.

Contact Us For Overseeding in Sioux Falls, Rochester, or Des Moines

As winter approaches, don’t miss out on the benefits you’ll see next spring from overseeding in the fall.

The lawn care professionals at Weller Brothers in Sioux Falls, SD, Des Moines, IA, and Rochester, MN, have the experience to properly overseed your lawn today.

Request Fall Overseeding »