If your grass is looking a little spotty, it may be time to reseed your lawn. It is rare that a lawn must be killed off and replaced, so even if your lawn has many brown or bare spots, give reseeding a chance because it will usually save a lawn. Reseeding a lawn takes less time and money than totally starting over from scratch. You can reseed a lawn in any season, but fall and spring work the best. So if it is fall and your lawn is starting to look like it needs some help, reseed right away rather than waiting for it to get worse during the winter, because it is will harder to get great results in the winter.
Reseeding a lawn can be done by anyone with the ability to follow directions and read labels. You do not need to have any lawn experience. The first thing to do is to apply a weed and feed. Liquid weed and feeds are preferred. Wait two weeks and then give the lawn a short mow. Powerrake the lawn to remove debris and thatch. When you buy seed, buy seed that is suited to your area and climate. Read the label on the seed to be sure it is appropriate for your location. Do not buy the cheapest seed you can find. Apply the seed to the bare spots in the lawn and then cover the seed with soil, straw, or another material to help keep the seed in place. You do not want the seed to get blown or kicked around. Water the seed often and try to keep it from drying out. Give it extra attention when the sun is out and it is hot. After the seed germinates, apply a starter fertilizer to the reseeded areas.
Do not use pre-emergent weed control because they prevent all seeds from germinating including the grass seeds that you are trying to grow. The new seeds will take about a full season before they look like the rest of the grass, but this is a lot easier and cheaper than replanting the whole lawn. You should continue to do normal lawn care such as using fertilizers, weed killers, watering, and mowing. You should reseed a lawn about once a year to help keep the lawn from getting into bad condition. You should also use a chemical program to keep your lawn in top shape.
One of the main reasons that lawns require reseeding is because they do not get enough water and nutrients. Keeping your lawn watered and using fertilizers and chemical programs can help prevent your lawn from thinning or getting bare spots. Even then, you may need to reseed certain areas. Remember that grass is not native to many states where it is planted, so the climate is not well suited to grass. This is why grass requires so much care to keep healthy.
