Grass Seeding

In Kentucky, spring is the best time of the year to reseed your grass. We had a severe drought a two summers ago followed by a very hard winter for us. It did a number on our backyard grass. First of all, our backyard gets lots of foot traffic all year round. This makes it hard on keeping grass looking good. Each spring I reseed areas that are bare or sparse in the yard but have had a much larger task of it the past two springs. Mary and I seeded grass yesterday before the forecasted rains started last night and today.

I use a simple method. First, I take a heavy garden rake and scratch up the soil. Next, I spread seed down on the soil. I, then, take the rake and scratch it into the soil some. Next, I spread a light layer of straw over it to protect it from the many birds in our area. This also has the added benefit of reminding family members not to walk across this area until the grass is established. I will then keep it moist until the grass pops through the straw. At that point, I gently rake the straw off the grass and let it grow at its own pace.

This method has worked well in keeping our lawn in decent shape over the years. I found out through a county extension class that spring is the best time of year here to do this. This has made this take more successful over the years. Looking at your county extension agency site or calling them may be a good way to figure out what is the best time of year for you to do this job around your yard. Happy planting!