Your lawn can become thin and patchy for many reasons including shade, heavy traffic, drought, insects, and disease. To rejuvenate and thicken your lawn, overseed in spring and early fall.
- Start by cutting the lawn shorter than usual and rake the area thoroughly.
- Prepare the area for repair by first raking it clean and roughen up the soil surface with a rake.
- Put down a root-promoting soil mix like Fafard Viva Lawn®.
- In the area to be seeded spread Viva Lawn Repair.
- Spread the seed by using a hand spreader. Use 20% more grass seed than you need to ensure proper coverage and to account for birds eating the seed. For larger areas or for overseeding the entire lawn, use a rotary spreader.
- Rake in seed lightly with a grass rake and tamp gently.
- Rope off the seeded area to avoid disturbance to the seedbed.
- Water well and keep moist for the next 4-5 weeks. The bluegrass content in the Parkwood® mixtures takes approx 3-4 weeks to germinate.
- For even thicker turf, seed again in September when the days are still warm and the evenings cool.
- You can safely mow your newly seeded lawn when it’s 5 cm – 6 cm (2” – 2.5”) high.