# Overseeding in Fall (conflict of information) Clarification Needed!



## Mudokon (Jun 7, 2017)

Okay so based on the steps I've read here vs. videos ive watched, I'm seeing a conflict, can anyone here clarify so I dont mess up?

*Lawn Forum:*
1. cut low in September
2. seed
3. push seed into ground
4. water
5. wait two weeks, throw down liquid 25-0-0 urea

*Online video guides:*
1. cut low in September
2. seed
3. starter fertilizer + milorganite
4. water in
5. mow finally in October
6. in October also fertlize with milorganite again (and put down lime if you have high ph levels)

So it seems like the guides are close, but the fertilizer during overseeding is confusing.

thanks again!


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## MMoore (Aug 8, 2018)

wouldn't bother with the fertilizer until your new grasses have grown up. fertilizer will make your existing grass grow rapidly and shadow/outperform the new grasses.


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## ericgautier (Apr 22, 2017)

MMoore said:


> wouldn't bother with the fertilizer until your new grasses have grown up. fertilizer will make your existing grass grow rapidly and shadow/outperform the new grasses.


+1 :thumbup:


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## Mudokon (Jun 7, 2017)

Thats what I was wondering, because I get that its boosting, but it seems like multiple places online say "seed and starter fertilizer" when overseeding.

What about bare spots, that could use some starter fertilizer with seed right?


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## Mudokon (Jun 7, 2017)

MMoore said:


> wouldn't bother with the fertilizer until your new grasses have grown up. fertilizer will make your existing grass grow rapidly and shadow/outperform the new grasses.


But what if mow super low , seed and add starter fertilizer, then the grass wont compete they'll almost be at same height?


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## rockinmylawn (Mar 25, 2018)

Mudokon said:


> MMoore said:
> 
> 
> > wouldn't bother with the fertilizer until your new grasses have grown up. fertilizer will make your existing grass grow rapidly and shadow/outperform the new grasses.
> ...


Can you guarauteed to yourself that the legacy grass won't outgrow the young ones if given any fert?
Risk managing tells me better to be safe & give the litle ones a chance.


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## john5246 (Jul 21, 2019)

Mudokon said:


> MMoore said:
> 
> 
> > wouldn't bother with the fertilizer until your new grasses have grown up. fertilizer will make your existing grass grow rapidly and shadow/outperform the new grasses.
> ...


No, what he told you is right. Don't put the starter fertilizer until your new seeds germinate, or even 7 days after germination, then 14 days, basically add small amounts of fertilizer every week. That's what I've been doing and it's working out great.

There is no point for the milorganite at seeding, so if you want put it down go ahead, it won't do much of anything since it's so weak like 6-4-0 or something.

I'm very skeptical of miloganite and if it has any use. In my case I have debris from trees falling on the lawn all the time, very small twigs that get mulched and leaves as well as grass clippings that i mulch. If you are growing grass without any other organic matter then I think milorganite could help a lot. I think 1 bag of peat moss over the lawn is probably much better for your soil.


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## Mudokon (Jun 7, 2017)

Gotcha okay thanks everyone for the help!

ill mow low, dethatch, clean it up, seed and water!

in october after 4 weeks have passed and the new grass has grown a bit more ill put down milorganite and some iron to boost things.


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## troksd (Jul 27, 2018)

I would not go by the calendar. Use weather conditions instead. Assuming U are in Bellevue, Wa, then seeding could have been done two weeks ago. Seeds need heat, water, and resting place to germinate.

I would fertilize after the 2nd and 3rd mow. Spoon feed weekly for 2 - 4 weeks.



Mudokon said:


> Gotcha okay thanks everyone for the help!
> 
> ill mow low, dethatch, clean it up, seed and water!
> 
> in october after 4 weeks have passed and the new grass has grown a bit more ill put down milorganite and some iron to boost things.


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## Khy (Jul 27, 2018)

Agree w/ above. You shouldn't be seeding based on a calendar. Use Greencast for your area, check the average temps, once they get below 80 for the average time. You check your local weather for the next week... it's going to be around 80 all week, Greencast says your average temps for this time of year are around 80?? Throw that seed down.

Seeding too early (especially if you have irrigation) is far less likely to fail than seeding too late. You "might" get a heat wave in late August that burns out a couple of the young seedlings. You WILL likely get an early frost that kills the majority of your seedlings over winter before they establish good roots.


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## Bkell101 (Jun 25, 2018)

Khy said:


> Agree w/ above. You shouldn't be seeding based on a calendar. Use Greencast for your area, check the average temps, once they get below 80 for the average time. You check your local weather for the next week... it's going to be around 80 all week, Greencast says your average temps for this time of year are around 80?? Throw that seed down.
> 
> Seeding too early (especially if you have irrigation) is far less likely to fail than seeding too late. You "might" get a heat wave in late August that burns out a couple of the young seedlings. You WILL likely get an early frost that kills the majority of your seedlings over winter before they establish good roots.


I'm struggling with this....I'm in Cincinnati OH and next week is 90 high x 3 days. If I try to overseed and stay diligent with watering (I'm home on vacation all week), will I still fail?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

No it won't. I did a reno and dropped seeds in the first week of August. I had plenty of 90+ days before and after. Keep the area from drying. Try to get the seed into the soil as much as possible (1/4in deep).


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## Bkell101 (Jun 25, 2018)

g-man said:


> No it won't. I did a reno and dropped seeds in the first week of August. I had plenty of 90+ days before and after. Keep the area from drying. Try to get the seed into the soil as much as possible (1/4in deep).


Thanks so much!

I'm doing somewhat of an experiment....

quite costly and time consuming but I like working in the yard and learning from you all.

My yard has triv and poa a. Split by a walkway.

Right side has lots of sun. I dug out the lawn on the right side and sodded.

Left side, I've pulled up as much triv as I can
By hand and I'm going to try and overseed this fall and next fall.

On the left side, Depending on which side looks better in two years I'll either round up in the spring and sod (as long as triv doesn't make its way back on the sodded side) or I'll continue to overseed and try to keep waging the war on triv.

I'd love to round up in the spring and then overseed in the fall but can't stomach a brown dirt yard for that lawn and my neighbors will be mad.

Admittedly I'm pretty novice and have done some foolish things in the lawn but it's fun and sort of a learning process. Open to any suggestions.


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## Bkell101 (Jun 25, 2018)

Sod side is done thank god.


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## tgreen (Oct 20, 2018)

Bkell101 said:


> I'm struggling with this....I'm in Cincinnati OH and next week is 90 high x 3 days. If I try to overseed and stay diligent with watering (I'm home on vacation all week), will I still fail?


You are fine to seed now. Temps are abnormally high but won't stay that way. By the end of the month, your normal high is only 72F. It's actually good to have high temps at seeding for a warm seedbed. Your TF should emerge in about 5 to 6 days. Bottom line, don't worry about abnormally warm temps right now.


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## WesternPA (Jul 29, 2018)

Just to add one point of clarity to the OP. One would only put down lime if you have low pH (acidic) levels. Agricultural limestone (aglime) will buffer low pH as it is alkaline.


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## Mudokon (Jun 7, 2017)

WesternPA said:


> Just to add one point of clarity to the OP. One would only put down lime if you have low pH (acidic) levels. Agricultural limestone (aglime) will buffer low pH as it is alkaline.


yeah we have alot of moss here in seattle because of cold and wet, so in october i usually throw down fertilizer and lime to help counter it.

i put down Lilly Miller Super Sweet Sweet Lime Conditioner


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

@Mudokon you should only add lime if your soil pH is low, based on a soil test. If it ok, then use iron for moss.


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## Mudokon (Jun 7, 2017)

g-man said:


> @Mudokon you should only add lime if your soil pH is low, based on a soil test. If it ok, then use iron for moss.


whoops sorry, what i meant to say is i use iron for the moss but my neighbor who's lived next door since the houses were built in 1978, he's total organic gardener, he told me the soil is very clay and rocky and he adds lime to it to help.

so its technically not a test done, but since his lawn looks great and my is crap, i was following his lead.


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