When To Overseed Your Lawn: Overseeding In The Spring Or Fall?

Fall is the best time to introduce new seed into an existing lawn of cool-season grasses. The ground is typically warm and moist and grass seed does not have to compete with weed germination in the spring, making it an ideal time versus the spring. Overseeding in spring might be an option as well if done early enough in the spring to allow seedlings enough time to germinate and mature before the onset of the summer heat.  Other spring lawn care practices like pre-emergent weed control could also have an impact on spring seed germination, so consulting your lawn care professional on timing and best practices is key.

Overseeding in fall might be the best option for revitalizing a thin or damaged lawn with bare patches. Overseeding is used for larger areas where the turf is thin but not bare.

To optimize your fall overseeding, use new and improved types of turfgrass seed to help the lawn better resist stresses caused by diseases, insects, and drought. It’s also important to pay close attention to soil moisture when overseeding. The tender turfgrass seedlings will need frequent light watering to support germination and establishment. Performing overseeding alongside aeration also encourages optimal conditions for growth.

The effectiveness of overseeding is enhanced when it is combined with lawn aeration. This is the process of extracting small cores of soil to allow  water, air, and fertilizer better and deeper access to turfgrass roots. Core aeration alongside overseeding provides better seed-to-soil contact, which greatly aids seed germination and the growth of seedlings. 

If you choose to overseed in the spring, it is important you do not apply pre-emergent weed control to this turf. This could hamper the new seedlings in the same way it controls emerging crabgrass. Overseeding in the fall, however, can avoid compromising on spring weed control while allowing you to focus on achieving the best overseeding results.

Overseeding can thicken lawns and make them more attractive, but it’s hardly just a matter of throwing the best grass seed onto the lawn. The process requires know-how, specialized lawn care equipment and lawn care follow-through to make it successful—the type of knowledge and services offered by TruGreen®.

If you want to discuss whether our Aeration and Overseeding services are right for you, or you want to learn more about how TruGreen can help you achieve a lawn you’ll love, call 1-866-688-6722 or get a custom quote online.