Overseeding, simple as spread it and forget it?

[Diggin It]

My 'lawn' is a bunch of green stuff growing on an inch or so of dirt on top of a gravel hill Never did very well. Last couple of years, I've been letting it grow, cutting it high and letting the clippings lay to hopefully decay into more dirt. I also put some clover seed down a few years ago to do whatever it does for soil. Seems to have worked fairly well. Green stuff is greener and more lush than I recall.

But I'm thinking of overseeding this fall. Not really sure what to get and don't want to till or otherwise disturb whatever root system there is. A little reading says spread it, roll the lawn a bit to pack it down and let it go.

Thoughts?

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Slit seed?

 

[MossRoad]

When I over seed our lawn I usually cut it a bit shorter than normal, run a plug aerator over it a few times, run a dethatcher over it a few times to break up the plugs and remove the dead grass and make nice scratch marks in the soil, then spread the seed. At this point, some people would roll the lawn to make good seed contact with the soil. I don't have a roller, so I run the dethatcher rake over it again in the opposite direction a couple times then water it thoroughly. That tends to get the seed into good contact for us.

 

[Diggin It]

No dethatcher, but I have a landscape rake for the tractor. Trying to avoid using that there though due to weight and potential compaction.

 

[Yander]

I would use the landscape rake and try and scratch up some soil and then overseed and then drag it with a piece of chain link fence and if you have someone that would loan you an empty roller or buy a used one that really does make a difference.

Or, Just go overseed in in early early spring when it is wet and or calling for rain and it will likely grow. I know in Ohio that works as I've accidentally done it, well one of my kids did with the seeder I left in the garage with grass seed in it. I noticed a pretty nice strip of grass the width of the seeder and one of my boys had done it.

Or rent a slit seeder as was mentioned.

 

[airbiscuit]

If it's greener and more lush than ever, that's a good sign. Decent suggestions about overseeding.

Here is what will also help.
Get a soil test (edited)

Fertilizer (high in nitrogen)
Lime (even more important than fertilizer - in our neck of the woods - especially in gravel)
WATER

 

[Hay Dude]

My 'lawn' is a bunch of green stuff growing on an inch or so of dirt on top of a gravel hill Never did very well. Last couple of years, I've been letting it grow, cutting it high and letting the clippings lay to hopefully decay into more dirt. I also put some clover seed down a few years ago to do whatever it does for soil. Seems to have worked fairly well. Green stuff is greener and more lush than I recall.

But I'm thinking of overseeding this fall. Not really sure what to get and don't want to till or otherwise disturb whatever root system there is. A little reading says spread it, roll the lawn a bit to pack it down and let it go.

Thoughts?

That’s what we call bird seed

 

[jyoutz]

If it's greener and more lush than ever, that's a good sign. Decent suggestions about overseeding.

Here is what will also help.

Fertilizer (high in nitrogen)
Lime (even more important than fertilizer - especially in gravel)
WATER

It depends on where the OP is located and what the current soil ph is. Lime will make soil more alkaline, which is great for acid soil in the eastern U.S. In western soils that are typically alkaline, we use sulfur (acid) to lower soil alkalinity.

 

[D&D]

My 'lawn' is a bunch of green stuff growing on an inch or so of dirt on top of a gravel hill Never did very well. Last couple of years, I've been letting it grow, cutting it high and letting the clippings lay to hopefully decay into more dirt. I also put some clover seed down a few years ago to do whatever it does for soil. Seems to have worked fairly well. Green stuff is greener and more lush than I recall.

But I'm thinking of overseeding this fall. Not really sure what to get and don't want to till or otherwise disturb whatever root system there is. A little reading says spread it, roll the lawn a bit to pack it down and let it go.

Thoughts?

Depending on yard size, you can rent a walk behind over seeder (some call slit seeder) or one for tractor

 

[Diggin It]

Second point about raking and/or rolling (after trying to ensure soil contact) is to deter birds.

I've also spread grass clippings over small areas, but for a whole lawn, I've considered spreading seedwhile the grass is longer, rolling, then mowing. That would spread clippings more evenly hopefully without disturbing seed too much.