What Is Step By Step Spring Seeding? | Mowbot

When spring arrives, you have a golden opportunity to repair or replace patchy, spotty turf, or establish a whole new lawn. While it is sometimes best to seed your lawn in the fall, the spring season offers unique benefits such as frequent rainfalls and the ideal temperature of soil for the best seed germination.
Bare and dead patches of your lawn are more evident once the grass leaves dormancy and are commonly caused by insects, disease, poor weather, and other environmental stressors. Neglected yards are typically worse off come spring, but even well-maintained yards can suffer from spottiness. Following the step by step spring seeding process below and return or replace your lawn to a glorious green and healthy state.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE STEP BY STEP SPRING SEEDING?

The first thing you need to know is when the best time is. As said, many kinds of grass are better suited to a fall seeding, but spring seeding does have its perks. If you’re looking to spring seed, look to perform it between March and May. These months offer a soil temperature between 50 and 60 degrees—the ideal temperature for seed germination. You can safely assume your soil is the correct temperature when the outside air consistently falls between 60 and 75 degrees.
Additionally, you need to ensure you’re choosing the correct seeds for your region of the country, i.e., warm-season grasses are better suited for the south and cool-season for the north, etc.

WHAT ARE THE SEEDING OPTIONS IN STEP BY STEP SPRING SEEDING?

Before you can move through the step by step spring feeding process, you need to know which method is best for your situation. There are three types of seeding you can perform.

1. Spot seeding. Spot seeding is your quickest and easiest option for a spotty lawn; a yard with small dead/bare spots spread throughout. Spot seeding involves spreading seed throughout these patches of dead grass.
2. Overseeding or reseeding. If your lawn is thin rather than bare, the overseeding/reseeding process works best. You apply new grass seed to an established lawn to make it more robust and healthy.
3. Rejuvenation or installation. These options are reserved for extreme cases of damage and neglect. If there is excess thatch or thinness, your lawn may need a full rejuvenation; removing the old grass and installing a fresh turf. Similarly, if you’re building a new home on an empty dirt lot, you need to establish a new lawn.

STEP BY STEP SPRING SEEDING FOR AN ESTABLISHED LAWN

Knowing your soil pH level is crucial before starting step by step spring seeding. Most grass prefers a pH level between five and seven. If you find your soil is too acidic, apply a thin layer of lime. If your soil is alkaline, add sulfate with a broadcast spreader.
If your pH level is fine, or you successfully raised or lowered it, it’s time to aerate. Aeration breaks up compact soil, giving nutrients and water direct access to the root zone. Mow and rake your lawn and adequately fertilize the grass, avoiding weed and feed fertilizers.
Before seeding, water the lawn to a damp but not saturated level and the following day your yard is ready for seeding!

STEP BY STEP SPRING SEEDING FOR REJUVENATION AND INSTALLATION

Use a tiller or garden rake to agitate the top two to three inches of soil and clear resulting debris.Rake to remove clumps and gently firm up the soil with your feet or a roller. Let settle for one to two weeks.
Soil pH is similarly essential in this type of seeding. Again, the preferred soil pH level is between five and seven. Apply soil treatment to resolve pH level issues or to release hidden nutrients in the soil to benefit germination. Apply fertilizer and water to dampness, not saturation. The following day, your yard is ready for seeding with a spreader!

ONCE YOUR STEP BY STEP SPRING SEEDING IS COMPLETE

With adequate preparation, seeding, and irrigation, your lawn will be lush, green and healthy in no time. Protect your turf further by limiting use/foot traffic while new seeds take root and ensuring the soil is damp but not overly saturated.
Whether or not you currently have a traditional commercial lawn care company, consider using a robotic mowing company like Mowbot. Mowbot uses robotic mowers coupled with a complete lawn care service to provide your lawn with all the attention and care it needs and deserves. Before during or after your spring seeding, use Mowbot for your yard and we’ll take the stress out of lawn care.