Over-seed Treatment
Overseeding is an essential part to any lawn care programme, which introduces and encourages new growth amongst the old turf, making the lawn healthier and improving the look of the lawn.
By cutting grass we are preventing it from developing to a mature plant where it would naturally over-seed the lawn, thus providing an opportunity for weeds species such as poa annua (annual meadow grass), moss and daisies to move in and establish.
Luxury Lawns recommends having an over-seed treatment straight after scarification, as this will fill up the areas in the turf that the scarification process opens up and will give you the best possible looking lawn.
Why use Luxury Lawns?
We use seed that is genetically enhanced and not available in normal seed mixtures off the shelf. Our seed is more tolerant to disease, drought stress and wear yet still looks great, this is why it is used at places such as Wimbledon, the last World Cup and many professional football pitches throughout the UK.
What is the best way to stop weeds and moss?
The simple answer is a thick healthy lawn!
By overseeding you are encouraging the lawn to thicken up by introducing seed into the areas where a weed or moss would normally blow in and germinate or establish.
When should I over-seed?
Seed needs two things for successful germination. Warmth and Water.
This is why seeding is mainly advised during the Spring and Autumn, as rainfall is more frequent during these periods and soil temperatures are still relatively warm.
If you own a sprinkler then seeding can be done throughout the summer months, but avoid watering new shoots when the sun is high in the sky as this will scorch the new grass.
Avoid seeding in the cold as low soil temperature and frosts will kill the seed.
How often should I re-seed?
Overseeding is a yearly process, as we are supplementing the lawn by introducing new seed. This is the process that the lawn is unable to do itself due to regular cutting.
Do I need to apply topsoil / dressing?
Topdressing will slightly help the germination rate by protecting the seed however the existing lawn will do the same job and topdressing is a very expensive process.
Grass seed has been around for millions of years and is designed to blow in and germinate naturally.
We recommend over-seeding at a high rate, so there is enough seed for the birds and the lawn and then overseeding again at a later date as this will get the same results but save you money.
If we are carrying out a Lawn Regeneration Treatment, or if there is no existing lawn to start with, then topsoil/dressing is always vital to create a bed for the seed to sit into.
How soon after re-seeding can I cut the lawn?
The longer you can leave the new seed to germinate, the better, as this will allow more time for the new shoots to put down a better rooting system and become established.
Also, cutting too soon will only suck up any un-germinated seed.
We recommend leaving the lawn for a minimum of 4 weeks, or allowing the grass to grow up to the point that the mower can just about still cut the lawn.
The old lawn will start to outgrow the new shoots and the lawn may start to look very long but leaving the grass the correct amount of time to establish is vital.
Cut on the highest setting to start and leave a few days before cutting again slowly, lowering the cutting height as this will avoid scalping and give the lawn time to recover in between cuts.
How often should I water my lawn?
Grass is 95% water and without H2O new seed cannot exist, as it will never produce new fibre (leaves).
Luxury Lawns recommends watering at least once a day for an hour until the seed has germinated and grown to a height of 1 inch.
After this, watering can be reduced to twice a week until the lawn has established well and thickened up.
After this point, all lawns should be watered at least once a week for an hour during the dryer months; of course, satisfactory rainfall levels will reduce the amount of watering sessions needed in a week.
Handy Tip: Want to Save Water? Why not Book up a Water Retention Treatment and save up to 50% on your watering bill!