# Pretty disappointed after my overseed mow



## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

Today was my first Mow since my overseed on August 21st. The grass was extremely tall not surprised if it were every bit of 12in. I have my mower deck set on its Highest setting which is approximately 4 in and I mowed. I collected all the clippings with a pull behind sweeper and I filled my 14 foot trailer with clippings. So the reveal is pretty disappointing I still have what I would consider at this point in time thin grass. enough that I can see dirt underneath it and of course now it is extremely yellow. I had some more seed left over so I was hand-tossed the seed into the thinner spots. not sure if it'll even do any good. I also spread 80 lb of scream n green fertilizer and gave it a water. Hopefully with consistent mowing now at4 in that it will bounce back and retrain itself to live at 4 in.


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

I am curious as to why you let it get so tall?


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## chrismar (May 25, 2017)

Of course it's going to look like garbage going from 12" down to 4"!

As the baby grass continues to tiller out it'll fill in. 4 week old grass is still pretty young.

Remember, it's a marathon and not a sprint!


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

12in grass prevent the 1in one to get any sunlight. I would even drop the 4in to 2in in the next couple of days.


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## SPB903 (Aug 8, 2018)

g-man said:


> 12in grass prevent the 1in one to get any sunlight. I would even drop the 4in to 2in in the next couple of days.


@g-man On the mowing note, seed down for me was last Wednesday (Sept 12) I have germination of course but the existing lawn is now getting too long imo, How should I handle this? ( I did scalp the best I could the day of seed down and I overseeded the entire lawn). Sorry for the hijack!

edit: Im aware that the KBG may hot have even started to germinate yet, as well as even some TTTF and PRG


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

wardconnor said:


> I am curious as to why you let it get so tall?


Because that's what I thought I was supposed to do.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

SPB903 said:


> How should I handle this?


I'm not an overseeder, so this is just an opinion without experience. I would have continued mowing until germination and then pause. At some point you will need walk carefully and mow. There is just no other option.

Athletic fields seed heavy, but continue to play and throwing more seeds the following weeks.


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## SPB903 (Aug 8, 2018)

g-man said:


> SPB903 said:
> 
> 
> > How should I handle this?
> ...


Thanks, @g-man I scalped the day of seed down, literally mowed then slit seeded. With the fert and watering the existing grass has grown so fast, quicker than I expected. I also had germination with 2 days of seed down.


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## fusebox7 (Jul 27, 2017)

When I first started getting into lawn care and we had our new construction lot seeded by a contractor... I had the same concerns as you with the thin and yellow lawn. At the time I knew nothing so I just waited... here's a July 2015 vs. Oct. 2015 comparison... (this was a northern mix lawn with PRG, FF and KBG). Just keep up on the mowing as others have said and be sure not to over-water.


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## SJ Lawn (May 7, 2018)

@fusebox7 Nice before and after pictures. Did you overseed in 2015 ?


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## SJ Lawn (May 7, 2018)

@outdoorsmen With good sunlight, water and some fertilizer, the TTTF seedlings will take off in the next week or two when your temps drift down in St. Louis. I have TTTF and Bewitched pots growing indoors that were seeded on 7/31. The TTTF pots are tillering heavily.


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## fusebox7 (Jul 27, 2017)

SJ Lawn said:


> @fusebox7 Nice before and after pictures. Did you overseed in 2015 ?


Thx! No overseed in '15. I did do PRG overseed in fall of '16, however. This was before I learned "all the things".


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

My flower pot seed sprouted on 2 days in the shade. But yet i have patches that are over a month old that wont grow. I blame the scotts lawn soil.


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

outdoorsmen said:


> My flower pot seed sprouted on 2 days in the shade. But yet i have patches that are over a month old that wont grow. I blame the scotts lawn soil.


I just used that Scotts lawn soil and I got great germination btw.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

For an overseed, the scalp should allow skipping a week or two of mowing but not much more than that. Mow when it needs to be mowed. New grass and germinating grass is tougher than it might look but it needs light.

Keep mowing and things may improve. Cutting grass releases hormones that promote tillering.


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## outdoorsmen (Jul 23, 2018)

Well i mowed again today cause it was needing it. So thats 3 says since lst mow. Is still a bit yellow and lime green. Grass is still a bit matted down in a few spots and reall thin in other spots. Im really thinking i should have never done this overseed technique. Im thinking i may go buy 50lbs more seed and just spread it and dont do anything else defferent. Just spread, mow, water and spoon feed fert. No more plugging and scalping and lettn it grow untuched for extended periods.

I put down 9lbs (1/4lb per 1000) today of urea. I couldn't resist even though i put down that scream n green on Thursday which is a slower release. I almost did milo too. Idk just looking for something to give my my nice thick dark green lawn back.


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## Jconnelly6b (Mar 4, 2018)

outdoorsmen said:


> Well i mowed again today cause it was needing it. So thats 3 says since lst mow. Is still a bit yellow and lime green. Grass is still a bit matted down in a few spots and reall thin in other spots. Im really thinking i should have never done this overseed technique. Im thinking i may go buy 50lbs more seed and just spread it and dont do anything else defferent. Just spread, mow, water and spoon feed fert. No more plugging and scalping and lettn it grow untuched for extended periods.
> 
> I put down 9lbs (1/4lb per 1000) today of urea. I couldn't resist even though i put down that scream n green on Thursday which is a slower release. I almost did milo too. Idk just looking for something to give my my nice thick dark green lawn back.


Give it another week and you will be surprised. Don't throw any more fert down!


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