Should You Overseed New Sod? [And When To Do This]

Caring for your lawn can take fourth dimension and plenty of endeavor . hypothesize you have young sod you lately lay down , and you ’re wondering if you need to overseed . Will spreading new seed on your fresh sod make a positive conflict ? What does overseeding do ?

Luckily , we ’ve researched this question extensively and have the solution below .

If you recently laid down sod and want to overseed , this can sometimes be helpful . For model , if your unexampled bugger is already tenuous in some section or dying , overseeding can help fill it out and amend its overall face .

However , if your new sodomist looks healthy and does n’t have thinning or dead sections , there ’s not much need to add more seed to the soil .

As we set forth this clause , we will cover all things bugger and talk over whether you should overseed on new grass . If your lawn needs a bit of TLC , you have n’t laid down sod before , or you need other tips and tricks : we ’re here to assist . With that said , let ’s plunk right into this topic !

Do You Need To Overseed New Sod?

Not always . Gardeners choose to overseed new sod primarily to fill in dapple that might be tenuous or dying . Since your sod is in all likelihood still adjusting to the new dirt , throwing more seeds onto it wo n’t always be necessary or helpful .

As we said , the best time for this is if your lawn becomespatchy . Most new sod will be full and immature , as it ’s fundamentally square of pre - grown grass .

Therefore , we do n’t see the item in overseeding a healthy lawn ( sodomite or not ) . You also require to commemorate that too many seeds fight for nutrient in the earth can make unwanted contention .

When this happens , sections of once - healthy lawn can die off , leaving bare filth behind . So , unless your fresh sod is having trouble develop , we do n’t recommend overseeding right off .

Sometimes it ’s beneficial to let your superoxide dismutase have a moment to settle in , even if that means less - full sections .

What Can I Put On My New Sod To Make It Grow?

One of the upright thing you may do for Modern sodomist is to add a deadening - release atomic number 7 fertiliser . However , experts recommend waiting until your new sod has been laid forsix weeksbefore fertilizing .

A welfare of using fertilizer on newer sward is that it ’s pack with nutrients . Since turf is transplanted grass , it can sometimes lack certain nutrients it would have had if you grew it from germ .

Therefore , apply a deadening - release nitrogen production to the ground can help even things out . Sod , although beautiful and sluttish to set up , can be tricky .

Sometimes , your new smoke will not reply well to the unexampled solid ground , which can be frustrating . As we cite , you want to give your new sod time to settle and set .

After six weeks , apply fertilizer and treat the sess as you normally would .

The last thing your raw sod needs is an excessive amount of product or fast-growing mowing / seeding .

When Should You Overseed Sod?

When it comes to the right time for overseeding sod , we advocate waitress until the fall . Most experts will suggest a recent summertime orearly - mid falloverseeding , although in most mood : fall weather is best .

We say this because turf respond advantageously to come as the atmospheric condition cools down . Furthermore , your forage seedling will savour the coolheaded temperatures and should be able to make their way into the soil .

The one thing you want to avoid when overseeding sod is waitress until it ’s too hot or too insensate . render and have your atmospheric condition conditions as moderate as possible when you do this .

According toRyan Turf , the early fall provides your new seeds with optimum germination and growth .

As long as you give your sward and seeds fertilizer , water , and moderate temperature in good order as you oversee , everything should be capable to settle in before the cold-blooded winter .

You also need to factor out in that many types of weed go into dormancy as December hitting . As the temperatures drop to freezing levels , your lawn will turn brownish and wo n’t be develop until the spring .

What Does Overseeding Do?

For anyone confused about what overseeding is , think of this as plant grass seminal fluid directly into existing turfwithouttearing it up or messing with it .

Overseeding is when you use a broadcaster to distribute X amount of seeded player over a lawn . You will typically see this happen in the fall or later summertime . When overseeding , you advance unexampled blades of supergrass to issue from the ground as the weather condition meliorate .

Therefore , some gardener will wait to do this until leaping , although it ’s best to permit your young seedlings finalise in the fall and go torpid through winter .

For representative , if your sod is dying in sure part and you want to doctor it without a mess : overseeding is your best choice . Doing this wo n’t vex the grass and will fill out the problematic section(s ) .

So , we recommend overseeding if you do n’t want to necessarily rip out your dead or wan green goddess but still require to get it . Penningtonrecommends overseeding 45 days before the first frost of winter / fall , so keep that in mind .

Can I Overseed On Dead Sod?

Yes ! One trick to getting your lawn back to farm full and light-green is overseeding . As we said before , applying new grass seeds to an insalubrious lawn can help alter its appearance and growing pattern .

Many lawn expertsrecommenddoing this rather than tear up the idle grass , as it ’s less trespassing . Sometimes , smoke ca n’t keep develop as usual .

You want to add up a just mixture for your climate or habituate the same type but spread it thicker over the sod . Remember , sod can take a few week to settle in , so do n’t find the need to have it count utter immediately .

For example , if you laid down sod intend for a warm clime but are in Michigan or Wisconsin , we advocate overseeding with cool - weather grass this second time .

Not all locoweed can farm everywhere you need it to . Sod , like regular turf , ca n’t withstand sealed clime depending on its eccentric , mean you need to research before purchasing .

Again , try and supervise with the new grass in the early fall or late summer , rough 45 day before the first frost of the year .

Can You Bring Back Dead Sod?

Unfortunately , there is n’t normally a way to vivify dead sod . However , you may bring your lawn back to being lucullan and green by replace your sod or overseeding .

In general , the sward will expire if it grow in the wrong mood or is harass by disease . Some landscape painting professional urge snap up your dying or dead sod andreplacingit once the atmospheric condition is fond .

On the other hand , other landscapers choose to supervise the dead turf and let the fresh blades of grass take over the dimension . Therefore , there are a couple of way to care this .

One thing to think back is that once sod dies completely : it wo n’t ever come back . Of of course , grass will typically go through winter dormancy , so do n’t panic if your lawn turns chocolate-brown through that catamenia .

You only want to worry about your sod if it ’s mid - spring and the ground is still brown and patchy . That will point something exit haywire , and you need to overseed . Grass does n’t be evermore .

What Is The Best Way To Install New Sod?

If the time hail to lay down unexampled sod , you want to gather the adopt material :

Once you have everything ready for the installation :

After you finish these ten steps , water your fresh sod and apply a lawn appetiser if need !

Installing Sod Tutorial

Here ’s a video showing the above steps fromThe Home Depot’sofficial YouTube channel . This integral appendage should n’t be too challenging , and if you require any of the equipment we listed , The Home Depot rents a lot of it out .

To Wrap It All Up

Whether you take to lay down fresh turf or already have , it ’s always good to plan on overseeding . We witness that you do n’t ask to overseed healthy , growing sod , although this can be essential for bushed sections or patchiness .

broadly speaking , overseeding is only necessary if there ’s an issue with your existing sod / lawn . Therefore , do n’t feel required to position invigorated germ down right after instal your new turf .

Sod needs time to adapt to its new plate , so apply a lawn fledgling and fertilize after around six weeks .

And while we have your attention , check out these helpful related garden posts below !

How Long After Tilling Can You Lay Sod Or Plant Grass ?

How To make A Lawn With Kentucky Blue Grass Sod

Can Grass develop In Clay Soil ? [ Inc. The Best Kinds To practice ]