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Each month, receive tips on the top jobs needed in your garden as well as a wealth of information on a range of gardening topics. From sowing seeds to picking fruit, each month get access to information on the care and maintenance of your flowerbeds, vegetable plot and lawn. As with your own gardening diary, the journal is split into separate sections, each covering a different area of garden care.

Wednesday 1 October 2014

Lawn Care Guide – October

Overseeding the lawn


The benefits of scarifying and aerating were looked at last month. What this can also reveal is where there are some weaknesses in the lawn which develop over time from compaction, fertilising, shade from trees, the build up of thatch and general wear and tear. Some or all of these may lead to bare patches on the lawn and October is a good time to overseed the lawn before the frosts come.


Heavy scarification is a benefit, as is aerating and spiking, to prepare the lawn for overseeding. By overseeding we simply mean the application of grass seed to the lawn to root between the existing grass. You may say, well the grass grows back to fill in patchy areas. Sideways growth is not always good for the lawn and it encourages more dominant grass to take a hold.

By overseeding you are promoting a more even lawn in terms of growth and colour, filling bare patches with vigorous new growth and ensuring a thicker, more uniform lawn. The best way to spread the seed, which you can bulk buy through your garden centre or online, is to use a spreader. This could be one you buy, hire or attach to your garden tractor for large areas. This way you will have control over the spreading rate.

Broadcast the seed on a dry day when there is no breeze or seed can drift into borders. Work in two directions, like striping the lawn, so you don’t miss any areas. You can rake the seed in or rake/harrow over large areas using your ride-on. Then it’s good to apply a top dressing to aid the seed growth and help protect it from the birds.  



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