Re-seeding a lawn

Charlie_R

Hello. I have a large area of lawn that mostly looks like the picture below.

I've got a couple of large bags to seed, however I am quite nervous to dig up the lawn for reseeding so I just wanted to check that I have the process right:

1. Dig up / turn over the existing area by hand

2. Scatter seed evenly by hand across

3. Press seed in with a roller (or stepping with a plank on rope)

I also understand it's a bit late in the year to sow grass seed, but that it should still germinate. With how wet the ground currently is, I'm hoping a hoe and a rake will do a lot of the digging up.

Does that seem a sound process?

Fairygirl

Hi @charlierhwebb. It will depend whereabouts you are as to whether the seed will germinate well. In milder, drier parts of the country it might be ok. In colder, wetter parts it'll tend to rot. It's a pity we weren't still in September, as that's usually a better time of year!
The ground would need a bit of prep - removing as much of the weedy stuff as possible, then raking over and filling the dips and holes with some topsoil, firming, and raking lightly again before seeding. It also depends on how bothered you are about 'perfection'.
It can be a never ending job trying to achieve a bowling green, but a nice green area of grass, with a few imperfections, is easier. 
You might find it easier to do the prep just now, then let the ground settle over winter - you'll probably need a top up of soil anyway at that point- then seed in spring. 

Charlie_R

Fairygirl said:

Hi @charlierhwebb. It will depend whereabouts you are as to whether the seed will germinate well. In milder, drier parts of the country it might be ok. In colder, wetter parts it'll tend to rot. It's a pity we weren't still in September, as that's usually a better time of year!
The ground would need a bit of prep - removing as much of the weedy stuff as possible, then raking over and filling the dips and holes with some topsoil, firming, and raking lightly again before seeding. It also depends on how bothered you are about 'perfection'.
It can be a never ending job trying to achieve a bowling green, but a nice green area of grass, with a few imperfections, is easier. 
You might find it easier to do the prep just now, then let the ground settle over winter - you'll probably need a top up of soil anyway at that point- then seed in spring. 

Hello. Thanks for the helpful info. This area (North West) is especially wet at the moment, and it's all in an effort for an event in early December, so it seems seeding might not be the right option.

Do you know if turfing could take well at this time of year? I understand that the prep the same, maybe minus the topsoil? I also understand the costs are higher.

Fairygirl

What kind of event are you planning?
The problem is that, even though you could probably have turf laid, it shouldn't then be used for quite a while, so if there's going to be a lot of footfall etc, it would damage  it,  and would need re done or re sown etc in spring. Normally, newly laid turf shouldn't have much footfall for several months, other than the odd trim if needed, to ensure it beds in and roots properly, and can then withstand some traffic. 
It would probably be better to just have your event on the existing grass and then attend to the rejuvenation in spring 

JennyJ

I agree, it's late to be seeding or even turfing a new lawn now, and if there are going to be people walking on the grass in December when it's pretty likely to be wet where you are, it will suffer and most likely end up muddy, so best left as it is and then re-do it in the spring.

Charlie_R

Thanks for the advice guys.

The event wouldn't actually involve any footfall on the area to be re-seeded or re-turfed, it just needs to be looking fresh. So I may try and get some turf down, depending on the advice of where I buy the turf.

j.chapman-12UKYoN_n6

Hi @Charliehwebb

I think you're on a good track here already.

If you're using a ryegrass dominated mix (70% rye, 30% creeping red fescue) then many of these modern mixes will germinate with the soil temperature as low as 5c. In the Midlands, we're in the low teens at the moment, and would expect to hold in double figures for November with very little frost on the horizon.

If you get the opportunity, I would push on and get this done now, if you don't mind it being an imperfect job. At least we have the rainfall to work with now, whereas spring is often dry and cold. 

Turf is another route, but be wary that large areas of the newly turfed lawn could look very good then, and highlight the moderate areas and you may want to work on those! 

You could look to hire a mechanical aerator and complete a couple of passes of the whole lawn area, before further roughing up and seeding the worst areas. 

Even if it drops colder and there's further work needed in the spring, it will lessen the load for sure. 

This webpage might be of further help:

https://kingsburylawncare.co.uk/lawn-overseeding

Fairygirl

You wouldn't be Jack Chapman - the owner/director of the company in your link, by any chance @j.chapman-12UKYoN_n6 - would you?
If so - you have to pay for your adverts on this site. All info is at the bottom of the page 

CatDouch

Hi @charlierhwebb I had to reseed a strip of our lawn last week as we’d had a patio built and there was a strip of earth left next to it.  I bought a box of grass seed from the garden centre that said it would germinate in low temperatures, I did it last Monday and little shoots are already beginning to show so hopefully it would work for you too.

j.chapman-12UKYoN_n6

I would be @Fairygirl - swift work!

No attempt to hide nor one to advertise to be honest (we only work locally), just here to help. Please feel free to pull my previous post or this one down if it's not adding value to the discussion. 

Fairygirl

If you aren't needing to be on the turf itself for your event @charlierhwebb, and you think you can prep the area well enough to turf or seed, then it might be ok.
I'm still not sure seed would be successful unless you can get the prep done properly within the next few days, but if you get the right thing, as @CDouch describes, you might be lucky. Turf would be easier, but your budget will also play a part