Consider Dormant Seeding in the Johnson County area.
If you are in Overland Park, Olathe, or anywhere else in the Johnson County area, late August through September is without question the best time of year to seed most lawns in this area. Even so, there are times and places where early fall seeding is not practical. For these situations the next best window of opportunity is late November thru December using a practice known as “dormant seeding”. Using this method, grass seed is broadcast at a time when the soil is so cold that the seed will neither germinate nor rot on the ground before spring. Through repeated cycles of freezing and thawing, melting snow and rain events the seed merges with the surface of the soil where it can easily absorb moisture in the spring.
Dormant seeding is useful:
a) where twice-per-day watering in the early fall is not practical,
b) in heavily shaded areas where leaf cleanup makes seedling establishment difficult, and
c) in situations where the window of opportunity for seeding in early fall was missed. Dormant seeding, though useful in a variety of situations, comes with its own set of risks and benefits that the homeowner should understand.
Benefits and Advantages of Dormant Seeding
Dramatic cost and labor savings can be realized with dormant seeding compared to early fall seeding or spring seeding. Soil preparation such as verticutting and core aeration is not necessary unless a thatch layer exists that would prevent seed-to-soil contact or unless you are unable to supplement natural rainfall on a weekly basis. Fall leaf cleanup is much less problematic without tender seedlings and daily watering to contend with. Spring soils are more likely to be naturally wet so less water and labor is usually required. Seed that has been repeatedly frozen and thawed in moist soil over the winter is primed for early germination as soil temperatures begin to rise.
Disadvantages and Limitations of Dormant Seeding
Compared to late-August or September planted lawns, dormant seeded lawns develop very slowly in the cold spring soil and have much less time to develop prior to the onset summer stress. This can be especially problematic in sunny areas that are highly stressed each summer. In these areas early spring watering, or providential rains, are necessary to achieve early development. In situations where the providence of natural rainfall is required to establish a new lawn, dormant seeding comes with a lower cost to benefit ratio than early fall seeding but, either way, both practice are a risk that the lawn owner must assume.
Summary and Important Notes
Although dormant seeding is a distant second choice for most lawns compared to early fall seeding the practice can be very useful if properly applied.
Thinking of waiting until spring to seed those bare spots? Don’t! Spring seeded lawns rarely survive the summer months and usually result in severe weed problems for the rest of the year.
ALWAYS CALL BEFORE PUTTING SEED ON YOUR LAWN SO WE CAN PROVIDE PROPER CARE.Call us before seeding your Overland Park, Olathe, or other Johnson County, KS home.
(913) 782-8315
