Can I Mow After Over-Seeding My Lawn?

Every homeowner desires a lawn that has thick growth, lush color and disease and drought resistance. However, as bad luck would have it, sometimes it grows contrary to your expectations and requires overseeding.

With lawn care, timing is everything. For instance, you should not mow immediately after overseeding and should wait for a maximum of 7-14 days when the grass is of the right height. Making mistakes can be very easy and could cost you time and money.

We will discuss all the best lawn care of overseeding in this article. Read on.

Reasons for Overseeding

Overseeding is planting fresh and better grass seed into the existing turf without tearing down the soil and turf.

Sometimes, a lawn dies out dramatically due to various reasons. Overseeding with a healthier grass seed helps cover up bare areas and spring up thin and weak grass. Therefore, you need first to analyze what is eating your lawn and causing it to lose its desirable nature. This will help you take precautions to prevent the overseeded yard from taking the same route hence waste effort.

Overseeding helps correct problems like;

• Poor soil condition
• Poor drainage
• Soil aeration
• Inadequate water
• Poor fertility
• Deficient sunlight
• Surplus thatch
• Unsuitable grass varieties
• General negligence

If you cannot trace out the problem with your lawn, ask for professional assistance. Do not overseed before you establish the cause of the problem.

When Should You Overseed?

Weeds are the greatest enemy for desirable plants. Therefore, choose a time when there is low weed growth to compete with the new grass. For instance, the ideal time to overseed in the North is during the fall season when the soil is warmer, but the air is cool. Also, the trees are shedding their leave; hence there is adequate sunlight.

However, if you cannot overseed your lawn in the fall, your next ideal time is spring. Moreover, it would be best for those who live in the South if you overseeded in the late spring to mid-summer. This is because the warm-season grasses require warmer soil temperatures to grow.

How Long Will, The Seeded Grass, Take To Grow?

Grass seeds are different hence take different time to grow. Generally, it would take 5-30 days before you start noticing the new grass’s appearance. However, many factors come into play in determining a speedy growth.

Such factors include;

• Type of grass seed
• Age of grass seed
• Weather
• Soil
• Water
• Light and warmth

Timeline for Mowing After Overseeding

Day 1: overseeding is a simple process. Spread your appropriate grass type evenly on the unhealthy parts of your lawn. For better results, combine your overseeding process with aeration. This way, you will have the best growth in the spring.

Day 1-3:

1. Water your grass seed all through immediately after overseeding. You can water twice a day in the first three days as the seeds need more water to grow.
2. Water the seeds thoroughly maintaining ¼ inch of the soil moist.
3. Resume your normal routine of less and longer regular habits.

Day 7-10: your new grass seed needs rest as it grows. Mowing immediately will cause unrest and disrupt its healthy growth. Therefore, it will help if you cut after a week or more. This way, your grass will have a proper height and strong enough to endure mowing. While some experts say four days are enough, it is better to wait longer and play safe.

What Is The Ideal Grass Height For A Healthy Lawn?

Do not rush to mow your grass immediately new growth starts to show. While water is the perfect remedy for a healthy lawn, it is not a guarantee that your grass is ready for mowing. The height of the grass is equivalent to its roots. Therefore, the longer the grass, the deeper the roots, so it’s good to allow your grass to grow longer for the roots to be deeper and healthier.

The ideal grass height should be over 3 inches before cutting. This is also a perfect height for crowding out weeds. At this height, the roots are deep and cannot uproot when mowing the new grass. For grass to grow to this ideal height it would take more than two weeks; hence patience is vital. Besides, you wouldn’t want to ruin all your efforts of planting and watering the fresh grass.

Proper Mowing Guidelines

Growing a healthy lawn is not all, but proper maintenance is critical. To keep it looking great and healthy all year, follow the tips below.

• Always mow with a sharp blade. A sharp blade will result in an even and smooth level of your grass. Also, a precise cut will enable the grass to grow without stress and even healthier. Therefore, you need to sharpen your blade after 20 hours of each cut. If you cannot sharpen the blade, take it to a mow store for sharpening at an affordable rate.
• Remember to mow slowly and gently in the seeded area. The new grassroots have not anchored in the soil deeply as the mature grass hence risk uprooting them when you cut vigorously.
• Only mow dry grass preferably after rain or watering. Wet or muddy grass can be a challenge mowing for an even looking lawn since it tends to curl or shrink. Also, moist soil makes it easy to uproot the roots of the new grass.
• Mow high not to disrupt the root system. This will make create a healthy and thick lawn.
• Leave behind the grass clippings without clumping them. They will retain moisture and return nutrients without adding excess mulch. However, if weeds are growing and happen to mow them, dump the clippings in a compost to prevent the weeds from re-growing.
• It would be better to use a walk-behind lawnmower for the first month when the new grass grows. This ideal for a large lawn and also helps your yard establish itself for healthier growth. Conversely, if you are using a riding mower, be careful when turning the mower. Take longer, and rounder turns to avoid tearing your new plants.
• Give the proper lawn rest. Therefore avoid vehicles, people and even pets on the lawn. These will harm the fresh grass stunting its adequate growth.

Parting Shot

Whether you are overseeding a bare patch or revitalizing an entire lawn, the key to better results is patience. With the right type of grass seed and proper overseeding, you will produce a healthy-looking grass that responds well to fertilizing, watering and mowing. This will also benefit appropriate root development and ideal height growth. Also, remember to mow your current lawn before overseeding to give the new grass enough room to grow.

Moreover, a great lawn increases the value of a property.