HERE'S WHY OVERSEEDING IN THE SPRING IN MISSOURI IS A WASTE OF MONEY

Overseeding is a great way to restore your thinning lawn and keep your grass strong when it's up against the toughest seasons. However, it is important to know that it is not a lawn care service that you can do at any time of the year. It is a common misconception that spring is the best time to overseed your lawn. While the spring season is a time of growth for a lot of different plants, your new grass seeds won't have enough time to establish in the soil before they have to withstand the harsh summer heat. The best time of the year to overseed your lawn in Missouri is actually in the fall. The soil temperature is ideal for seed germination and your grass seeds will have time to establish before the winter. To gain even better results from your overseeding service, it is highly recommended that you schedule a core aeration service prior to overseeding.

Why You Shouldn't Overseed Your Lawn in the Spring

Spring is typically the time most people associate with planting and growing—after all, it is the season of "renewal." However, overseeding a lawn in spring, especially in Missouri, is a losing battle. When you overseed in the spring, the seeds will not have enough time to establish themselves before the summer heat begins, resulting in stunted growth and sub-par results.

Another factor to consider about spring overseeding is pre-emergent weed control. If you typically apply pre-emergent weed control in the spring, we definitely advise against overseeding at the same time. Your pre-emergent weed control won't be able to tell the difference between a weed seed and a grass seed and will end up blocking all seeds from sprouting.

Fall is the best season to overseed your lawn.

Thanks to the ideal soil temperatures, overseeding in the fall gives the seedlings a chance to germinate and sprout new grass before the winter hits. While the weather during the winter months may be harsh, the planted seedlings will be protected by the snowfall, which helps them survive until the spring when they will have the chance to really flourish. By the time spring approaches, many of those seedlings have already established roots in your soil, allowing them a higher chance to survive during those intense summer months and not be affected by any pre-emergent weed control you may apply to your lawn!

Consider aerating before overseeding for the best results.

While overseeding is a great method to help fill in the patchy areas of your lawn, you may want to consider core aeration prior to the seeding process to help make your lawn strong and healthy. When a lawn care provider aerates your lawn, that means they are poking small holes in your soil to give essential nutrients better access to the roots of your grass. If you overseed directly after aeration, the grass seeds can fall into these holes, giving them good seed-to-soil contact, which will give them a higher chance of germinating successfully.

Core aeration also helps loosen up compacted soil. With compacted soil, much of the water that nourishes your grass will not make it to your grass’s roots. Core aeration creates a channel for more air and water to easily enter the soil, which is beneficial for your existing grass as well as your new seedlings. That's why it's always best to overseed right after your lawn has been aerated.

Ask your lawn care provider if they provide core aeration services when you're considering overseeding your lawn!

Give us a call today to schedule our overseeding service.

It's never too early to start planning ahead for your lawn in Missouri! At Sam's Turf Care we offer our overseeding service to property owners in Independence, Gladstone, North Kansas City, and throughout the surrounding areas of Missouri. Contact us or give us a call today at (816) 886-1121 to schedule our overseeding service.