When to Overseed Lawn in North Carolina
Overseeding your lawn in North Carolina is a great way to get a thick healthy lawn and fill in bare spots, but it’s important to find just the right time of the year to do it. Our goal at Jonathan Green is to help you grow a vibrant healthy lawn, and we provide everything you need to accomplish the task.
When to Overseed
Early fall (late August to early October) is the best time to overseed your lawn. Soil temperatures in the fall are still warm, which promotes optimum seed germination, and cooler air temperatures are better for grass growth. Warm-season weeds are also much less active at this time of year. With the right amount of moisture, fertilizer, and sunlight, your new grass will have two to three months to establish itself before lower winter temperatures stop its growth.
A springtime seeding can also be done. However, Black Beauty Grass Seed Mixtures are the only ones to consider for a spring seeding because they are tough enough to stand up to the long hot days that begin late in May and stretch through the summer.
When seed is put down in early spring (March to mid-June), it won’t germinate until the soil temperature is consistently 55 degrees. Even when the soil temperature is warm enough to germinate grass seed the soil will still be cold a few inches down which causes the grass roots to grow more slowly. If the weather suddenly gets too hot, it could cause the young seedlings to burn up. You may also encounter more weeds than you would if planting in the fall. By overseeding in early fall, you can avoid a lot of hassle.
Tips for Overseeding
To get the most out of overseeding your lawn, here are just a few things we’ve learned over the years.
Invest in a spreader. This is necessary for large lawns and helpful for small lawns. Spreading seed and other products by hand does not ensure an even distribution, and some spots might end up missed. You’ll find that you use the spreader over and over again to treat your lawn with fertilizer and other products.
Use Love Your Soil®. If you have hard compacted soil, put down Love Your Soil when seeding. It is formulated to loosen up the soil to allow for better root growth. It also works to release trapped nutrients in the soil to make them easier for the roots to absorb.
Choose the best grass seed. Black Beauty® Original Grass Seed is designed to be heat and drought resistant and develop roots up to four feet deep. Black Beauty lawns are a rich dark green color and the leaves have a waxy coating like that of an apple that seals in moisture. It is suitable for both full sun and shade and is the choice of sod growers across the United States. Reading the blog posts on the Jonathan Green website will help you learn what is the best Jonathan Green grass seed mixture for your needs.
Use a fertilizer safe for seeding. We recommend Veri-Green Starter Fertilizer for Seeding & Sodding. It is safe to use on new seeds and is designed to make new seed grow quicker and thicker. It will feed your new lawn for up to two months and will help develop a strong root system so your grass will survive the winter or the summer.
Mentioned Products
For more tips on when to overseed your lawn in North Carolina, visit us at JonathanGreen.com or visit your nearest independent retail store for valuable lawn and garden advice.