# Power Rake or Overseeder? Both?



## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

Trying to decided if i want to get a power rake first to dethatch my lawn or if i should just get a Overseeder to put down some seed as i got a decent amount of bare spots.

Is a dedicated power rake gonna do a better job vs a Overseeder? Or would it be better to power rake and then come back a few days or a week later then Overseed, or does waiting give weeds a better chance to pop out unless i use a Pre emergent?

Another thing i was curious about is if i use only a Overseeder and the thatch it rips out would i just leave it or rake it out afterwards and does that not disturb the seed or do you wait?

Rental costs aren't really a issue as i get really good deals from the rental yards.

Sorry for the noob questions just trying to wrap my head around this all and dominate the yard game.


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

I would just use the power rake to do both. Rake the thatch out. Use the rake to prepare the seed bed by roughing it up really well and then dump the seed down with a broadcast or drop spreader.


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## mtroberts20 (Apr 13, 2018)

Ballistic said:


> Is a dedicated power rake gonna do a better job vs a Overseeder? Or would it be better to power rake and then come back a few days or a week later then Overseed, or does waiting give weeds a better chance to pop out unless i use a Pre emergent?


Be aware that many pre emergents will also affect the grass seed you are overseeding with.


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

wardconnor said:


> I would just use the power rake to do both. Rake the thatch out. Use the rake to prepare the seed bed by roughing it up really well and then dump the seed down with a broadcast or drop spreader.


This way sounds pretty good and will probably do it this way, Now to just figure out what seed i wanna use.

Thanks!


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

mtroberts20 said:


> Ballistic said:
> 
> 
> > Is a dedicated power rake gonna do a better job vs a Overseeder? Or would it be better to power rake and then come back a few days or a week later then Overseed, or does waiting give weeds a better chance to pop out unless i use a Pre emergent?
> ...


yeah.... no pre-emergent before or after. If you have already put down pre emergent do not put down seed.


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

wardconnor said:


> mtroberts20 said:
> 
> 
> > Ballistic said:
> ...


Would Herbicide's still be fine?

Thinking about spraying some Tenacity or some Ortho Weed B Gon Plus Crabgrass Control got a little bit of crabgrass scattered around the yard.

Or just wait a while until the lawn has seeded/recovered?


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

Tenacity yes. The other... I wouldn't.


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## eis517 (May 23, 2018)

Hi,
I live in Toronto, Canada. My grass is pretty shot in a few areas and I want to overseed. Can I just rent an over-seeder from Home Depot ( https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/tool-and-vehicle-rental/p.overseeder.08810.html)and do everything in one shot (dethatching and putting seed down) or do I need to do it separately. Any idea on a fail-proof way to do this? I am not very handy and don't want to screw this up.

Also, when would I put down fertilizer?

This is my first post, so thank you for all your help


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

eis517 said:


> Hi,
> I live in Toronto, Canada. My grass is pretty shot in a few areas and I want to overseed. Can I just rent an over-seeder from Home Depot ( https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/tool-and-vehicle-rental/p.overseeder.08810.html)and do everything in one shot (dethatching and putting seed down) or do I need to do it separately. Any idea on a fail-proof way to do this? I am not very handy and don't want to screw this up.
> 
> Also, when would I put down fertilizer?
> ...


Thats where i was at, i still haven't gotten around to detaching and seeding yet, just now finally got my sprinkler pipes and zones working.

I was worried about it pulling all the thatch out and then dropping the seed in with the over seeder, because then you got all the thatch on the lawn and i did not want to disturbed the seedbed. After talking with Connor above im planning on just renting the cheaper Power Rake (dethatcher) get all the thatch out and off the lawn, and then use a drop seeder or maybe a spreader. I thought about borrowing a landscapers roller to roll the lawn after i over seed, not sure if that's necessary or not.

Also just found some SRO Champion GQ seed about an hour away for 70 bucks/50lbs bag.


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## eis517 (May 23, 2018)

Thanks for that. Will you put fertilizer down as well or just the seeds, rake them into the dirt and water?


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

Why not rent the overseeding and run it a few times without loading it up with seed. Pickup all the thatch and then run it one last time with seed.


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## eis517 (May 23, 2018)

Can I leave the thatch on the ground? Wont it block water/sunlight? Also, do I fertilize?


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

I think you would want to put down a starter fertilizer, maybe someone else will chime in.


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