Any of you guys have experience seeding grass in the fall? I've got some patchy grass in my backyard and I want grass to grow in those areas, but I don't want to go as far as laying new sod. Can I throw down some top soil, seed, and water in early fall? Or should I wait till next spring. Also, is laying top soil the best way to level out a couple of low spots in my grass?
Lawn Care Questions
- Thread starter dutchman
- Start date
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
Fall is the best time to grow new grass it's not too hot. I like to use topsoil with some nutria-mulch mixed in, keep it wet and it will come up just fine.
Spork
Tin Foil Hat Equipped
- Location
- Saratoga Springs, UT
Fall is the time if you're doing seed. When I put in my yard I did half in the spring and the other half in the fall and the following year the fall side was as just as good as the spring side (maybe better).
I'm actually getting ready to seed my backyard in a couple of weeks, so this would be good to know.
UNSTUCK
But stuck more often.
By back yard is full of ankle twisting low spots. They all have grass already in them. Can I just dump soil in the low spot to bring it up and let the grass underneath grow up through it? Or will that grass need to be killed and then seed put in with the new soil?
I was also wondering about using one of those super heavy rollers towed behind a lawn tractor to try to smooth out the yard. Do they work for that? I know I risk breaking my sprinklers, but though it might work good. Like if I got the ground pretty wet, then rolled it would it smooth out the low spots?
I was also wondering about using one of those super heavy rollers towed behind a lawn tractor to try to smooth out the yard. Do they work for that? I know I risk breaking my sprinklers, but though it might work good. Like if I got the ground pretty wet, then rolled it would it smooth out the low spots?
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
I mentioned earlier nutrimulch I mix it in with the top soil so no further fertilization is needed. If the forecast is looking like it will be hot for a while, I will still use straw to cover the area after planting to keep some moisture in the ground all the time, it also helps to keep the birds from getting your seed. The biggest thing is to buy quality seed and keep it wet. I've had luck with low spots by filling them in, usually the grass will come up through, but I always sprinkle some seed on anyway. Rollers can either help, or make the problem worse, and they always compact the soil and make it hard. I've used them in the past with mixed results.
I've got the same problem.
Good to know. When do you think is too late to seed? Middle/end of September?
R
rockdog
Guest
Don't over think it. Go to ifa and buy some bulk seed. They have stuff that is a good mix for utah. Walk out to bare patches and throw the seed out with your hands(no kidding!) water it and watch it grow. I seeded my whole 3/4 acre lot this way. Thickest lawn in the hood.
Spork
Tin Foil Hat Equipped
- Location
- Saratoga Springs, UT
I think I put down some peat moss with mine to help hold moisture. I don't remember putting down fertilizer if I did it was a general fertilizer not something like weed and feed.
Skylinerider
Wandering the desert
- Location
- Ephraim
IFA is where I get almost everything for my lawn. I love their 4 step fertilizer program, and their seed is quality.
Spork
Tin Foil Hat Equipped
- Location
- Saratoga Springs, UT
I think when you are getting frost it's too late. You don't want 100 degree days highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s is ideal. I wouldn't hesitate to put seed down in September.
I threw some seed down 2 weeks ago in dead spots I had from my dogs. The only reason why fall is a 'better' time to seed is because the temps are cooler. The important thing is that the seed doesn't dry out before it has time to germinate. With all the rain we have had lately the seed is growing basically on its own. I initially seeded in the spring a few weeks ago and had to water several times a day to keep the seed moist.
You will probably want to put something on top of the seed after throwing it down. This will keep the seed from blowing away and hopefully that stuff will help maintain the moisture. Originally I put dump mulch on top. A few weeks ago I just bagged my grass and threw some of that on top of the seed. It doesn't really matter what it is as long as it'll help keep moisture.
If you are going to seed a whole area from scratch you need to understand that you really shouldn't be on that area until its established. Like totally keep off of it until its almost time to mow. If you do this too late in the fall that period will extend over the winter. I would err on the seed early side of that calendar and understand you may need to water more in the beginning to combat higher daytime temps.
Fertilizer. If you are going to put some down it needs to be "new lawn" fertilizer. Weed and feed will kill the seed. On the bags of that stuff I believe it says don't put it down until after you have mowed twice. This is basically making it so the grass has established enough that it won't kill it off. The big box stores have fertilizer for new lawns. That is what I used when I seeded my whole back yard.
Low spots. This kind of depends on what kind of spots they are. If its like a whole area is low and water pools there you can add layers of top soil or sand over time to bring up the level of lawn. If its like you slogged around out there in the mud and left holes about the size of your foot a lawn roller will work. For this you will want to do it when the lawn is super wet. I had one area in front that I rolled after a really big rain storm a couple years ago. I rented the roller from the South Fork hardware store and filled it up with water for the weight. It did seem to help.
You will probably want to put something on top of the seed after throwing it down. This will keep the seed from blowing away and hopefully that stuff will help maintain the moisture. Originally I put dump mulch on top. A few weeks ago I just bagged my grass and threw some of that on top of the seed. It doesn't really matter what it is as long as it'll help keep moisture.
If you are going to seed a whole area from scratch you need to understand that you really shouldn't be on that area until its established. Like totally keep off of it until its almost time to mow. If you do this too late in the fall that period will extend over the winter. I would err on the seed early side of that calendar and understand you may need to water more in the beginning to combat higher daytime temps.
Fertilizer. If you are going to put some down it needs to be "new lawn" fertilizer. Weed and feed will kill the seed. On the bags of that stuff I believe it says don't put it down until after you have mowed twice. This is basically making it so the grass has established enough that it won't kill it off. The big box stores have fertilizer for new lawns. That is what I used when I seeded my whole back yard.
Low spots. This kind of depends on what kind of spots they are. If its like a whole area is low and water pools there you can add layers of top soil or sand over time to bring up the level of lawn. If its like you slogged around out there in the mud and left holes about the size of your foot a lawn roller will work. For this you will want to do it when the lawn is super wet. I had one area in front that I rolled after a really big rain storm a couple years ago. I rented the roller from the South Fork hardware store and filled it up with water for the weight. It did seem to help.
UNSTUCK
But stuck more often.
My low spots are mostly from where they didn't back fill the sprinkler system enough. I have two low lines that go across my yard, as well as some other spots.
Is there a technique to rolling? Back and forth over a low spot to try to blend it in or just go over the whole yard like I was mowing, maybe a few times?
Is there a technique to rolling? Back and forth over a low spot to try to blend it in or just go over the whole yard like I was mowing, maybe a few times?
When I rolled, the main area was a smallish size triangle. I just rolled the whole thing a bunch of times from different directions to blend it. If the spots are really obvious from the sprinkler install I'd probably just add layers of soil maybe a shovel full at a time over a month or so. That should be enough that it won't cover up and hurt the grass but over time it'll fill in. If the other spots are only in specific areas of the yard I'd probably just spend most of my time working that general area. For rolling to work well though its got to be super wet.
With my dogs I always have a bunch of bare spots in the spring and often again by this time of year. I'm way more lazy about it than you guys though, I usually take a rake to the bare or dead areas to scratch up the dirt a bit then toss down a bunch of seed. That's it, no top soil, no moss or straw, nothing. The only time I fertilize my yard is if I start seeing a bunch of weeds, then I weed and feed it. So far this has been working out just fine, the bare patches fill in and I'm good to go until the dogs make a new bare spot.
This is what my lawn looked like after seeding it before I let my dogs on it. They did quiet a number on it and dropping seed on the dead spots didn't do any good. Its been a couple years since this picture and I put some ranch rail around the back concrete pad with pea gravel off to the side to help out the grass. It has worked well and I don't have any new dead spots. I'm just working on rehabbing the old ones now. I think the PH has had enough time to dissipate now which has helped the seed to grow. I haven't mowed for nearly two weeks (went out of town for work on my regular mow night) and with all the rain my lawn looks fantastic right now other than being about 13" long.
These next ones are from May of last year right after I installed the ranch rail.
Here is my front yard. When we moved in the house had been vacant for 6 months as a foreclosure. There wasn't much of a front lawn as it was mostly weeds. I put a kill everything spray down twice then seeded a week later. It has come through really well and we are super happy with the seed blend we used. Its the athletic blend from Steve Regan off of 5th west and about 4300 south in Murray. We used the same seed on the back lawn when we did that.
These next ones are from May of last year right after I installed the ranch rail.
Here is my front yard. When we moved in the house had been vacant for 6 months as a foreclosure. There wasn't much of a front lawn as it was mostly weeds. I put a kill everything spray down twice then seeded a week later. It has come through really well and we are super happy with the seed blend we used. Its the athletic blend from Steve Regan off of 5th west and about 4300 south in Murray. We used the same seed on the back lawn when we did that.
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