Should You Overseed New Sod? [And When To Do This]

care for your lawn can take time and plentitude of attempt . theorise you have new sward you recently put down , and you ’re wonder if you need to overseed . Will spreading novel seeds on your fresh sod make a incontrovertible difference ? What does overseeding do ?

Luckily , we ’ve researched this question extensively and have the answer below .

If you recently set down sod and want to overseed , this can sometimes be helpful . For example , if your new bugger is already thin in some sections or dying , overseeding can serve fill it out and improve its overall feel .

However , if your young sod looks salubrious and does n’t have thinning or dead sections , there ’s not much need to add more seeds to the soil .

As we start this article , we will cover all things sod and discourse whether you should supervise on unexampled Mary Jane . If your lawn need a chip of TLC , you have n’t lay down sod before , or you need other tips and thaumaturgy : we ’re here to assist . With that said , permit ’s plunge in good order into this issue !

Do You Need To Overseed New Sod?

Not always . gardener choose to supervise newfangled superoxide dismutase mainly to fill in patches that might be slender or dying . Since your greensward is belike still correct to the new soil , throwing more seeds onto it wo n’t always be necessary or helpful .

As we said , the best time for this is if your lawn becomespatchy . Most new sod will be full and unripened , as it ’s essentially foursquare of pre - grown Mary Jane .

Therefore , we do n’t see the point in overseeding a healthy lawn ( sod or not ) . You also need to think of that too many seeds fighting for nutrients in the terra firma can cause undesirable competition .

When this happens , plane section of once - healthy lawns can die off , leave unembellished soil behind . So , unless your new sodomite is having fuss growing , we do n’t recommend overseeding powerful away .

Sometimes it ’s better to let your sod have a minute to fall in , even if that means less - full department .

What Can I Put On My New Sod To Make It Grow?

One of the good things you could do for raw sward is to add a slow - liberation nitrogen plant food . However , experts urge waiting until your new sod has been laid forsix weeksbefore fertilizing .

A benefit of using fertilizer on newer superoxide dismutase is that it ’s load down with food . Since sod is transplanted grass , it can sometimes lack certain nutrients it would have had if you grow it from seeded player .

Therefore , apply a irksome - release nitrogen product to the ground can serve even things out . Sod , although beautiful and easy to install , can be tricky .

Sometimes , your unexampled green goddess will not respond well to the new ground , which can be frustrating . As we mention , you desire to give your new sodomist clock time to settle and adjust .

After six weeks , apply fertilizer and cover the grass as you normally would .

The last affair your new sod need is an excessive amount of product or aggressive mowing / seeding .

When Should You Overseed Sod?

When it comes to the right fourth dimension for overseeding sod , we recommend hold off until the fall . Most experts will advise a belated summertime orearly - mid falloverseeding , although in most climates : descent weather is best .

We say this because sward respond better to seed as the weather cools down . Furthermore , your locoweed seedlings will enjoy the cooler temperatures and should be able-bodied to make their way into the soil .

The one affair you want to deflect when overseeding sod is waiting until it ’s too hot or too inhuman . strain and have your atmospheric condition conditions as restrained as possible when you do this .

accord toRyan Turf , the early pin provides your new seed with optimal germination and growth .

As long as you give your sod and seed fertilizer , water , and restrained temperature decent as you overseed , everything should be able to settle in before the colder winter .

You also require to factor in that many types of forage go into quiescency as December smash . As the temperatures drop to freezing levels , your lawn will turn brown and wo n’t be grow until the leap .

What Does Overseeding Do?

For anyone confused about what overseeding is , think of this as plant grass seed directly into existing turfwithouttearing it up or messing with it .

Overseeding is when you use a broadcaster to distribute X amount of cum over a lawn . You will typically see this happen in the evenfall or later summertime . When overseeding , you encourage new blades of grass to come forth from the ground as the atmospheric condition improves .

Therefore , some gardeners will hold back to do this until spring , although it ’s best to countenance your new seedling settle in the fall and go dormant through winter .

For case , if your sod is dying in sure sections and you want to fasten it without a mess : overseeding is your best choice . Doing this wo n’t disturb the grass and will fill out the problematic section(s ) .

So , we recommend overseeding if you do n’t desire to necessarily rend out your dead or sick grass but still take to fix it . Penningtonrecommends overseeding 45 years before the first frost of wintertime / fall , so keep that in mind .

Can I Overseed On Dead Sod?

Yes ! One thaumaturgy to getting your lawn back to growing full and green is overseeding . As we said before , applying new dope seeds to an unhealthy lawn can help oneself change its visual aspect and growing formula .

Many lawn expertsrecommenddoing this rather than tearing up the dead grass , as it ’s less invasive . Sometimes , grass ca n’t keep growing as common .

You desire to bestow a better miscellany for your mood or apply the same character but open it thick over the greensward . call up , sodomist can take a few weeks to settle in , so do n’t finger the need to have it look perfect like a shot .

For example , if you laid down sod meant for a strong climate but are in Michigan or Wisconsin , we recommend overseeding with nerveless - weather condition grass this 2d sentence .

Not all grass can grow everywhere you want it to . Sod , like even sward , ca n’t withstand certain climates bet on its eccentric , meaning you take to research before purchasing .

Again , try and overseed with the new grass in the early fall or late summer , roughly 45 days before the first icing of the year .

Can You Bring Back Dead Sod?

alas , there is n’t normally a way to revive dead sward . However , you may bring your lawn back to being lush and unripe by replacing your sod or overseeding .

In cosmopolitan , the sod will die if it grow in the wrong climate or is provoke by disease . Some landscape painting pro recommend tearing up your dying or dead sod andreplacingit once the weather is warm .

On the other hand , other landscapist choose to overseed the dead sward and let the new blades of sens take over the property . Therefore , there are a couple of room to handle this .

One matter to remember is that once sodomist die entirely : it wo n’t ever come back . Of course , grass will typically go through winter dormancy , so do n’t panic if your lawn turns brown through that period .

You only want to worry about your sodomite if it ’s mid - outflow and the ground is still brown and patchy . That will indicate something go wrong , and you take to manage . Grass does n’t subsist forever .

What Is The Best Way To Install New Sod?

If the sentence comes to lay down newfangled sod , you require to accumulate the come after materials :

Once you have everything ready for the installation :

After you finish these ten step , irrigate your sweet superoxide dismutase and apply a lawn freshman if postulate !

Installing Sod Tutorial

Here ’s a television showing the above steps fromThe Home Depot’sofficial YouTube channel . This full process should n’t be too challenging , and if you need any of the equipment we listed , The Home Depot rents a lot of it out .

To Wrap It All Up

Whether you take to lie down fresh sod or already have , it ’s always good to be after on overseeding . We found that you do n’t need to overseed levelheaded , growing bugger , although this can be all-important for dead sections or patchiness .

Generally , overseeding is only necessary if there ’s an issue with your existing sod / lawn . Therefore , do n’t sense required to put wise semen down right after set up your new sod .

Sod needs metre to adjust to its new home , so apply a lawn freshman and fertilize after around six weeks .

And while we have your attending , check out these helpful related garden posts below !

How Long After Tilling Can You Lay Sod Or Plant Grass ?

How To Create A Lawn With Kentucky Blue Grass Sod

Can Grass raise In Clay Soil ? [ Inc. The Best Kinds To apply ]