SEEDING YOUR LAWN

We’re quickly approaching the time of year when we can overseed to thicken up our lawns. The best time to overseed your lawn in southeast Michigan is mid-August to near the end of September. Mid-August may sound too early to start seeding, but keep in mind it will take Kentucky bluegrass 2 - 3 weeks to germinate.

Speaking of Kentucky bluegrass, this type of turfgrass is considered the best species for home lawns in southeast Michigan. If you’re going to overseed with Kentucky bluegrass, it’s important to find a grass seed blend that has at least three different cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass. Each cultivar has its strong and weak points, so having more than one cultivar reduces the possibility of your lawn being severely damaged by one particular lawn disease.

Perennial ryegrass is found as a component of most bags of grass seed. This type of grass seed is added because perennial ryegrass germinates quickly, usually in five to seven days. This helps to protect the Kentucky bluegrass after it germinates. One downside of perennial ryegrass is that the seedling is very aggressive. If more than 25% of a Kentucky bluegrass/perennial ryegrass mixture is perennial ryegrass, the established turf will be predominately perennial ryegrass.

Grass seed that is marketed as “shady blend” usually have one or more varieties of fine fescue grass seed in them. Fine fescue is another quick germinating seed. Fine fescues blend well with Kentucky bluegrass and also provide the mixture with some shade tolerance.

The improved turf-type tall fescues have been well received over the last several years for their improved texture and color. These tall fescue hybrids are especially adapted to sandy, drought-prone sites because its extensive root system can avoid short-term drought. Turf-type tall fescue also has good wear tolerance and some tolerance to shade. If you decide to use a turf-type tall fescue be sure to select an improved variety and plant it as at least 70 - 80% of the mixture. This will give your lawn a more uniform appearance once it’s established. DO NOT confuse turf-type tall fescue with varieties such as K-31, which is the coarse-bladed grass that often grows in large clumps.

Once you have overseeded your lawn it’s important to keep the seed moist so it will germinate. After it’s germinated it’s critical to keep the new seedling moist so it won’t dry out. A skipped day of watering could ruin your overseeding project.