Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Fall lawn seeding and care
2021 for Minnesota has meant drought. While we’ve had some glorious rain, we are still in a drought and our lawns, plants and trees & shrubs have suffered. That said, now is the time to seed your lawn (if it needs it). Many lawns have gone dormant so, before you start raking up that brown stuff, be sure grass is truly dead. If there’s been some greening up, it’s not dead. Still brown? It’s dead.
Okay, so let’s say you DO have areas you need to reseed. Let’s get to it.
Buy the appropriate seed for sun/shade conditions. Quick tip: Fine fescues are best for drought conditions. If you have clay or sandy soil, amend it with compost or a soil builder. Check out this video from Emily, the Lawn Expert at Gertens:
Rake the area to allow the best seed to soil contact and remember that little root needs to be able to grow downward. Before seeding, put down a “Late Summer” organic fertilizer, something that won’t burn. Follow directions on the seed package for the amount to spread. Using more seed than directed doesn’t mean you’ll get better results. Too much seed leads to competition that weakens the seed germination. More on Lawn Seeding Essentials.
Lay seed in a grid pattern for best coverage. Next, lay down a biodegradable mulch, especially important this year. Greenview Seed Success is a great option, it also has a some organic fertilizer in it.
With our drought, use that sprinkler a minimum of three times a day for 15 minutes at a time till germination. Stay off the area. Different types of seed have different germination rates, so be sure to read all the information on the package. Talk to the people where you’re buying the seed. Here is more information on the Success of Fall Lawn Seeding from the University of MN Ext.
