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gmanar_gw

overseeding help !

gmanar
9 years ago

Hi All,

I have a 5000 sft lawn with tall fescue, in the front and back. It was pretty bad this year and it being the second year at this house (and a new construction) ... i wanted to make it better.

Late last year i sarted moving towards organics - and am using soybean meal, Alfalfa.

The lawn was in pretty bad shape - bare spots - and the grass not thick at all etc..

So I de-tatched around 9/17, end of sept aerated, overseed with 25 llbs of lesco transition seed around 10/1 and added alfalfa at the same time.

I watered 3 times a day about 5 mins at a time. The lawn looks much better - many spots have been filled in. There is a lot of baby grass (if i may call it so).

Now when i take a closer look it is still not very thick - dense.so here are my questions:
1. should i do another round of overseed or just wait till next year and do it in fall.
2. if i overseed now will it germinate and establish in time before the winter.
3. it has been 4 weeks - so can i add another round of alfalfa ?

I have sent out samples for soil test to the local county and am waiting for it.

Any help or advise is greatly appreciated :)
Have a great day and weekend !

Thanks and regards
Gmanar.

Comments (3)

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    Newly seeded/overseeded lawns will not be very dense. It takes time for the turf to grow and fill in. By next spring, you should see a much more lush, dense appearance. Patience :-)) I doubt you need to add any more alfalfa at this time but you could do a later, winterizing fertilizer application in late Nov/early Dec.

  • Kimmsr
    9 years ago

    Until you get the results of the soil test back it would not be a good idea to put down any kind of fertilizer since you would not know what might be needed, if any. In addition to what that soil test will tell you about the soils pH and major nutrient levels you want to know how much organic matter (humus) is in the soil as well as how well that soil drains, what kind of life is in the soil, how it smells, and how it handles.
    3. If it appears that the previously spread Alfalfa has been digested you could spread more, now.
    2. It takes between one and six weeks (better quality, longer germination time) for grass seed to germinate so if you have that much time before the soil gets too cool, or growth stops, you have enough time. Here, in Michigan it is approaching real iffy, but in North Carolina (? right) it may not be.
    1. In reality, I would wait. Give what is growing now a chance to grow and fill in.

  • gmanar
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks a lot. I will wait to see it looks better in spring - else will do another round of overseeding next fall. Just the amount of prep-work that went into it ... didn't want to do it again :)

    There used to be a lot of water run off - even with 20 min on sprinklers - so did the baby shampoo treatment - and now it looks much better - no run off ... and the soil seems much softer now. (usually i water 1hr - once a week - if it doesn't rain).

    The Alfalfa that i put last time (during overseeding) is all gone ... so i am planning to do another round of it this weekend. I have never put cracked corn - do you think it is ok to put some corn and see ? - just for some variety in what i put.

    One thing though ... I have noticed no life in the soil ... no earthworms what so ever. I have raised beds - and have been taking good care of it ... but none in them as well. Do i need to do something to increase the number of earthworms ?

    Thanks and regards
    Gmanar.

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