A good rule of thumb would be three times per week at 45 minutes to 60 minutes each time. You want to ensure that the soil is getting moist even several inches down under the surface, in order to drive root growth for your new seedlings.
Initially, new grass seed demands consistent moisture to germinate. Fail to meet this need and you risk growing a patchy lawn. Provide too much water, and you may drown or wash away your seedlings. The golden rule of thumb is to keep the topsoil of newly seeded areas moist, not drenched.
Watering after overseeding
Watering is likely one of the most important factors after overseeding. It's important to water a seeded lawn daily to encourage germination. It's best to water in the morning as it will likely not evaporate in the heat of the day or risk disease from watering at night.
Watering is a crucial step in ensuring successful germination after overseeding. Follow our watering guide for overseeding to learn more!
WHAT ABOUT CARE AFTER OVERSEEDING? Depending on conditions and type of seed, new grass seed will begin to emerge in 5-7 days after seeding when moisture and soil temperatures are adequate. An overseeded lawn can be fully established in eight weeks or less.
The goal is to keep the top ½ inch of soil moist for at least two to three weeks. After then, watering may be cut back to once a day or every other day, again depending on weather and watering times.
Quality grass seed labels include guidance on optimal seeding rates to maximize your results. Don't overdo or cut corners. Too much grass seed causes undue competition for resources such as light, water and nutrients, and grass seedlings struggle as a result. Too little seed leaves lawns thin or bare.
Overseeding can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you're looking to achieve. By spreading grass seed over your existing lawn, you can thicken up the thin areas and get your lawn looking terrific again. (This is different from reseeding, which is when you start over and plant a completely new lawn.)
So, in this case, rain after lawn treatment is positive. And before you start thinking that you might not be watering enough after fertilization, we can ease your worries there. Generally, normal rainfall or regularly scheduled irrigation is adequate to ensure your lawn care application.
What Happens If a Day of Watering Grass Seed Is Missed? Missing a day of watering in the critical germination phase can impact the health and growth of your new grass. If the soil dries out, it can halt the germination process or kill the young seedlings.
How long after reseeding or overseeding my lawn should I wait before fertilizing? Your best bet is to fertilize your newly seeded or overseeded lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass directly after seeding. Then, you need to wait 6 to 8 weeks before fertilizing again.
Minimize foot traffic on the overseeded lawn for at least the first two weeks.
Most homeowners won't need to overseed more than once a year. If you have a lawn that stays thick and strong, then you may not need to overseed yearly.
In general, ten minutes of watering per session (morning and evening) will provide enough water to keep the top couple inches of soil moist.
If you notice signs of brown patch or dollar spot or powdery mildew, it may be a sign of overwatering grass. You might even see mushrooms popping up in your lawn.
Whether you're repairing bare spots, overseeding an existing lawn or starting from scratch, you can generally expect grass seedlings to emerge within seven to 21 days when grown under proper conditions. It may take another three to four weeks of growth before grass is long enough to mow.
Is too much rain bad for grass seed? Typically, yes. Heavy rain often leads to soil erosion, which means the top layer of soil is worn down by water. If you seed right before a rainstorm, your fresh grass seed could get washed away through erosion.
If you get enough water into your soil, it may start to cause the grass roots to rot. This also causes fungus to grow, as extreme moisture is the best habitat for funguses. You may notice signs of disease because yellow or brown spots begin to appear all throughout your lawn.
Remember, lawn grass seeds only need to be lightly raked into the soil, or even just scattered directly on the soil surface. Any seeds buried more than the length of the seed will have a hard time germinating successfully.
While grass clippings themselves won't sprout new grass, they can play a significant role in supporting new grass growth and even contribute to natural reseeding under certain conditions.
Even with this heavy watering, overseeding has an average successful germination rate of just 30%. Pro Tip! If your thatch layer is more than a ½-inch thick, dethatch your lawn first to greater exposure of the soil.
Foot traffic and driving a heavy lawn mower across a newly seeded lawn can wreak the fragile new grass. You risk: Compacting the soil and blocking sprouts from popping up. Uprooting seedlings.
Most established grass grows at a rate of 2-6 inches per month, depending on the variety, so grass grown from seed will likely take at least a month to reach 3 inches in height since there is plenty of energy going towards the vegetative and elongation stages of its growth cycle.
Raking is necessary because the seeds need to come in contact with the soil to germinate properly. Grass seed is typically spread on the lawn using a Jonathan Green Deluxe Broadcast Spreader and this does not ensure good contact between seed and soil.