Reseeding Grass and Repairing Your Lawn

Now is the perfect time to start repairing your lawn from damage that occurred last year or over the winter. Whether it was caused by bugs, fungus, overwatering, underwatering, a dog digging a hole, or a kiddie pool being left out too long, these cool mornings and warmer afternoons make it the perfect time to fix and repair damaged lawns.

1. Should I use grass seed or sod?

Totally up to you!

A. Sod is instant gratification, but it is more expensive and labor-intensive.

B. Grass seed will take 14–21 days to germinate, but it is very easy to apply and extremely affordable.

2. Picking out your seed — you want it to match

A. Most lawns (95%) in the Valley are a mix of perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and creeping red fescue, making our Custom Blend perfect for most lawns.

B. Our Shady Yard Blend contains the same grasses but reverses the percentages of each. This blend is mostly creeping red fescue, which does well in shady yards. I say "does well" because all grass needs some sun. It also contains perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass to match and blend in with your existing lawn.

C. Play Yard is great for those who have kids and pets and don't have time to wait for seeds to germinate. This blend contains annual ryegrass, which germinates in 7–10 days, meaning it can handle foot traffic about two weeks earlier than other blends. The downfall is that 30% of this blend is an annual. In the spring, it will appear thin, but it will fill in over time.

D. Our final mix is the Heat & Drought Blend. This is a mix of tall-type fescues that are very deep-rooted, making them drought-tolerant. Never seed patches with this mix. It's an all-or-nothing seed. It has a wider blade than our other mixes and a different shade of green. Patches will stick out forever.

The grass we plant in the Valley is cool-season grass. It is very happy in the spring and fall but wants to go dormant during the heat of July and August. This is important because it determines when we repair the lawn, feed the lawn, and water the lawn.

Don't panic during the summer if your lawn looks "sick." It might just be going dormant. Bring in a sample, and we can help determine whether action needs to be taken.

3. How to prep the area for seed

A. Grass seed has to be touching soil in order to germinate. Make sure the area is clean and all thatch is removed.

B. If you have pets or kids in the area, you might want to put up a temporary fence to ensure there is no foot traffic until the seed is ready for its first mowing.

If it's a big area, you might seed section by section, leaving space for your pets to do their business.

C. I like to add a layer of compost before seeding. Our dirt in the area is clay. Even if you buy topsoil, it's clay. That's all we have. The more compost you can put down, the better.

Either add 2" of compost and rototill it into the top six inches of soil, or add ¼" of compost and lay the seed on top without tilling.

D. For putting the grass seed down, I just use my hands in a motion a lot like you would use when feeding chickens. You can use a broadcast spreader on a low setting if you are doing a big area.

It takes less seed than you would think. Add too much, and the seed will compete with itself. Too little, and it will be thin.

E. Cover the seed with ⅛" of compost, Garden & Planter Mix, or certified weed-free straw or alfalfa. Not too much! Deeper than ¼" and it won't germinate. You just need to get it out of the birds' line of sight.

• Birds love grass seed! We have cheaper options to feed the birds if they want some!

F. Keep it damp for 14 days. If the seed starts to germinate and then dries out, the seed will die. It is very important to keep the soil damp for the first 14 days.

4. How to water

A. We can't say, "Water three times a day for 15 minutes," because there are way too many variables: outside temperatures, how much water pressure you have, the type of sprinkler heads, how many days of wind, etc.

This is something you will have to keep an eye on. It's very important to always keep the top inch of soil damp.

The trick is to not water too much and wash the seed away, causing bare spots in your lawn.

B. Cool spring days might only require watering once a day for two minutes. As we warm up, we might need to add another two minutes later in the same day.

C. Once it has been mowed one time, cut the water way back! Drought-stressing the turf tells it to grow more roots. This will be true for the rest of the grass's life.

DEEP AND INFREQUENT WATERING is the best thing you can do for all your plants.

D. Your sprinkler clock should be adjusted at least three times a year. It's not a "set it and forget it" situation! You should have a spring setting, summer setting, and fall setting.

Use the Water Audit Kit!

E. Overwatering causes more damage than underwatering. Too much water drowns out all your beneficial organisms, like mycorrhizae, earthworms, and many other things.

F. Remember, we live in a desert. Plants in our area can withstand some drought. Watering every day, or even worse, twice a day, is more water than the rainforest sees.

5. What got us to the point of reseeding, and what else might we need to do?

A. Dog running a path while chasing a squirrel?

• You need to loosen the soil first. Pena-Turf will be a huge help. Apply it before you seed, then reapply every six weeks, as the dog will continue to compact the soil.

B. Urine burns

• You need to apply Thrive first. Thrive is excellent at balancing out pH levels. Do this before applying the seed, or it will burn off again.
  

C. Fungus damage

• Fungus will never attack a healthy lawn. It moves in to break down dead and dying material.
• First, identify why the fungus moved in. In most cases, Thrive will fix the reason you got it. Others might need the sprinklers adjusted, followed by Thrive.

D. Bug damage

• A healthy lawn will outperform bug damage. You might want to start with Zamzows Spring & Summer Lawn Food.
• Bad infestations might require insecticide first. Different insecticides are used for different bugs.

E. Thinning lawn due to shade

• i. All grass does better with some sun. If possible, prune the trees that are shading the area. Filtered sun is better than no sun.
• ii. If you can't prune, be prepared to overseed every other year. Even creeping red fescue will decline after two years with little to no sun.

F. Seeding under a pine tree

• i. Understand that the pine tree has made the soil underneath it acidic on purpose. It does not want competition.

If you really want grass under your pine tree, you can apply lime 2–3 times a year, and grass will grow. But you will change the color of your pine tree. A blue spruce will no longer be blue; it will turn green.

6. Why feeding naturally is important

A. A healthy lawn will outgrow damage before it is seen.

B. Naturally fed lawns create an atmosphere that grows beneficial fungi and bacteria. These help break down thatch and yard clippings, turning them into compost.

C. Chemically fed lawns might look good for a while, but the soil is slowly being killed. This is where thatch comes from and why there is a need to aerate.

If your soil is alive, the life cycle of everything going on in the soil aerates it for you.

D. Our feed not only focuses on macronutrients but also micronutrients. Others only focus on the macros because the micros are very expensive to add. This is why ours will outperform the competition.

7. Is the mowing length important?

A. Yes. In the spring, mow shorter just to clean up last year's dead growth. As the season progresses, slowly raise your mower. By mid-June, you want your mower set to 3–4 inches.

B. If your soil stays shaded, weed seed cannot germinate. Exposed soil equals weeds. This is why most weeds start at the edge of sidewalks. We usually scalp the edge with either the mower or the weed whacker.

C. The higher you set the mower, the less you will have to water. Shaded soil will retain moisture longer.

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Remember L-A-W-N

When you have a problem with any plant, including your lawn, remember the acronym L-A-W-N. This will help you solve many of your problems.

L — Light
Is my lawn getting enough sun? Yes or no?

A — Air
Is my lawn getting enough air, both above ground and below ground?

W — Water
Is my lawn getting enough or too much water? Most, and I mean most, of us are watering too much!

N — Nutrients
When was the last time I fed my lawn?

This is the only crop in the world that gets harvested every week, sometimes twice a week. Feeding it naturally and regularly is extremely important.