May Lawn Maintenance: Overseeding

According to the City of Ottawa's Monthly Maintenance Schedule, May is the most important month in the lawn care calendar because it involves preparing for the long summer season ahead. Fail to prepare properly, and your lawn could end up looking wilted and tired. Luckily, the residential irrigation system specialists at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa are here to help with all your maintenance needs, including the ever important overseeding application. Properly overseeding your lawn in May will help ensure that your grass looks lush and healthy for the remainder of the summer season.

Tips for successful overseeding
Spring is the best time for lawn overseeding. The following tips from the expert residential sprinkler system installers at Nutri-Lawn will help ensure that your overseeding application takes hold quickly and helps refresh the look of your lawn as soon as possible.

• Perform a core areation. Core aeration helps oxygenate your soil. Oxygen will help the new grass seed grow faster and more robust.
• Top-dress your yard with Nutri-Lawn Ottawa's nutrient rich Organics Plus Topdressing blend. This will help incorporate organic matter into your soil, which will provide your grass seed with the vitamins and minerals it needs to grow quickly.
• Have your technician turn on your residential sprinkler system. The residential irrigation system specialists at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa recommend keeping the lawn moist a day after top-dressing and before adding your grass seed. This helps ensure that your grass seed germinates quickly and produces strong, healthy sprouts.

Know which grass seed to purchase. Nutri-Lawn uses “Ottawa Blend” seed. 
Applying the wrong type of grass seed during your overseeding treatment can be devastating. So, before you grab a bag at your local lawn care centre, do a little research. Most lawns in Ottawa are composed of a mix of sunny areas, shady spots, and rough patches. Thus, it's critical that you purchase a grass seed that takes all of these areas into consideration. The residential sprinkler system installers at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa highly recommend opting for a grass blend when overseeding an Ottawa lawn. This blend should include a mix of rye grass, Kentucky blue grass, and fescue. The fescue seeds will thrive in shady areas of your yard, while the Kentucky blue grass can withstand the harsh rays of direct sunlight. If your lawn suffers from poor soil conditions, the rye grass in the blend will germinate quickly and help fill in the naked patches.

Pay close attention to your lawn following an overseeding treatment
Once you've successfully completed your overseeding treatment, you'll need to take extra precautions to ensure that the seeds take hold and thrive. The residential irrigation system specialists from Nutri-Lawn recommend taking the following precautions with your freshly seeded property:

• Protect your lawn from foot traffic and stay clear of the newly seeded areas.
• Water the lawn regularly. Make sure your residential sprinkler system is set to water your lawn periodically throughout the day. The seeds should just barely have enough time to dry between waterings.  Remember, if they dry, they die.
• Once the seeds have been germinated, switch your residential sprinkler system settings to water less frequently but for longer periods of time.

Overseeding appointments are already booking up fast at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa, so don't delay! Book your appointment with one of our residential sprinkler system and lawn care specialists today by
calling 613-699-0768.