Why Late Summer and Early Fall are Perfect Times to Overseed

Why Late Summer and Early Fall are Perfect Times to Overseed

We have been getting quite a bit of quote requests for grass seed the past few weeks. The suspected reason for this is that our customers are preparing for late summer and early fall overseeding. Spring, late summer, and early fall are optimal times to overseed. Overseeding is the process of covering dead and bare spots on the lawn with grass seed. If the germination goes well, your new grass will be growing in thick and beautiful in no time. Our article this week will focus on why late summer and early fall are perfect times to overseed.

There are several reasons why late summer and early fall are perfect times to overseed. From cooler weather to less competition from weeds, you’ll want to start planning your overseeding now. Valley Green has several species of cool-season grasses to choose from. You can check out our selection here. We also offer several custom grass seed blends to suit your individual growing conditions.

Why Late Summer and Early Fall are Perfect Times to Overseed

Cool-season grasses grow the best in cooler weather.
If you’re planning on planting cool-season grasses, late summer and early fall is a great time to do so. When temperatures trend downward as they often do in late summer and early, cool season grass grows and thrives. The young grass will have two to three months to become established before the really cold weather hits. Root growth often stops in winter but when spring rolls around, the new grass still has two to three months to become established before summer heats rolls in.

There are less weeds to compete against in late summer and early fall.
Summer weeds such as crabgrass, foxtails, plantain, and Creeping Charlie can easily overtake new grass seedlings and choke them out before they can grow. Fortunately, these weeds have less of a hold when the weather cools down. Weeds can absorb the nutrients that are needed for the grass to flourish so if there are still weeds around when you want to start your overseeding, you may want to pull them or use an herbicide to get rid of them. Just keep in mind that you should apply the herbicide seven to fourteen days before planting the grass seed.

Soil conditions are great for planting grass in late summer and early fall.
Soil has cooled down in late summer but warm enough to grow grass vigorously. The semi warm soil encourages seed germination, and the cooler weather keeps the soil moist. One important thing to remember before starting the overseeding is to practice fall aeration. Aeration alleviates the problem of compacted soil. You should also dethatch the soil to make sure your newly planted seed has good contact with the soil.

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