Why should you overseed your lawn?
Each year many lawns require overseeding. This is due to a number of reasons.
Lawns will go thin when in shaded areas or if we get a massive deluge of rain over many weeks.
Lawns that have been damaged by grub activity will need overseeding
Lawns that are simply not at their best can be overseeded as part of an annual renovation.
What matters is the care that you need to provide once the seed has been laid.
Seed will typically germinate and begin to push through the soil surface as new grass within 1 to 3 weeks depending on the time of year (seeding generally won’t be a successful venture in Winter).
You will need to do the following:
Keep off the lawn for 3 to 10 weeks as much as possible. Any activity on the new lawn will disturb the new seeds. Heavy rain can wash some seeds to the sides. Shaded areas can cause seeds to germinate much slower. Pets, children and any debris on the lawn can cause the seeds to fail. Birds can come down to eat the new seeds. As a result, you may often need to scatter some further seeds a few weeks after the initial overseeding.
Water the lawn daily. If its Spring or Autumn you can water twice a day. If seeding is done in Summer you will need to water 5 times a day. Water LIGHTLY with the hosepipe or sprinkler set to a LIGHT or MIST setting. You want the water to gently fall on the grass without moving the seeds. Heavy watering will most certainly do this. The aim here is to try and keep the seeds damp throughout the first 2 to 3 weeks.
After 3 weeks you can reduce watering to once per day.
After 5 weeks you can reduce watering to twice per week.
After 8 weeks resume a normal watering schedule.