WHAT TO KNOW
ABOUT RESEEDING
OR REPLANTING
YOUR LAWN
Spring marks the return of
flowering plants and warm
weather. And homeowners
know that spring also ushers in
the return of home renovation
season.
Homeowners undoubtedly have
an extensive list of projects on
their to-do list this spring, and
that may include helping their
lawns and gardens recover after
a long winter. Unpredictable
weather, which can include drought and excessive
rainfall and everything in between, can take its toll on
a lawn. In certain instances, the best solution may be
planting new grass. But homeowners can consider these
tips before they begin the process of reseeding or replanting
their lawns.
• Scarify the lawn. Scarifying a lawn can help to create
a clean slate, but the timing must be right. Various lawn
and garden experts, including those at BBC Gardeners’
World Magazine, recommend scarifying in spring or
early autumn. But don’t jump the gun when scarifying
in spring by scarifying before the lawn has started to
grow after a dormant winter. Scarify when the soil is a
little wet and the grass is once again actively growing.
Scarfiying can remove any lingering weeds from last
season and also pull up any moss that might have taken
hold over the winter. Without weeds and moss to contend
with, freshly planted seeds are in better position
to thrive.
• Work with a landscaping professional. Homeowners
with manageable lawns can likely scarify their own
lawns with a relatively inexpensive plug-in scarifier.
However, scarifying can be a strenuous physical activity,
particularly for homeowners with large lawns. In
such instances, homeowners can benefit from working
with a qualified landscaping professional. Such a professional
can scarify the lawn and subsequently reseed
or replant new grass. The latter task is not so simple,
as the lawn care experts at Scotts¨ note that choosing
the correct seed is a vital part of reseeding or replanting
a lawn. Choosing seed may sound simple, but it’s
a potentially complex decision that requires knowledge
of the existing grass, including when to plant it.
Certain grasses are best planted in spring or early fall,
while others are best planted in summer. A qualified
landscaping professional can identify the existing grass
and plan the seeding or planting around this important
detail.
• Prepare to water the lawn. Watering is vital to the
long-term success and health of freshly planted grass
seed. Scotts¨ urges homeowners to keep the top inch
of soil consistently moist, but not soggy. That requires
a daily commitment, and setting a multi-function hose
nozzle or sprinkler to the mist setting once per day or
more if it’s hot outside can increase the chances grass
will grow in thick and strong. Scotts¨ recommends
keeping the top two inches of the soil moist until the
new grass reaches a mowing height of roughly three
inches. Once that benchmark has been reached, watering
frequency can be cut back to about twice per week,
but now the soil should be deeply soaked instead of
misted. The soaking will help roots grow deep into the
soil.
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