Everyone wants to make their lawn lush green and healthy. However, small mistakes can result in negative impacts on your garden. Overdoing Grass Seed is one of them. You can achieve a thriving lawn only after putting in the right amount of Grass Seed. Too much grass seed creates competition between the seedlings for vital resources like water, nutrients, and sunlight.
As a result, the grass seeds struggle to germinate and grow. Also, remember that too much grass is not the key to a lush green lawn. This guide will discuss the facts behind seeding rates and the consequences of planting too many. So, read this article to find the perfect balance for a flourishing lawn.
Can You Over seed Your Lawn
People often overdo Grass Seeds to achieve healthy lawns. As a result, it may create competition between the seedlings and cause most of the seeds to go to waste. Too many grass seeds provide competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight, and also reduce the rate of germination. It may also lead to the poor grass structure.
Grass seeds are not potent and can only grow through the soil if the conditions are suitable. They can survive on loss and prepared soil. The germination rate effect is due to the soil being too heavy and requiring constant watering after sitting on the ground. The watering rate will reduce when the lawns become mature.
Aftercare matters a lot once you plant a new lawn, and regular mowing is vital for lawn maintenance. So overseeding is not a good choice and may lead your lawn to a frustrating environment.
What Happens if You Put Too Much Grass Seed Down
You can drop too many grass seeds if you don’t love your lawn. An excessive number of seeds can harm your garden more than reasonable. Let’s look at some problems your lawn can go through if you put down too many grass seeds in the yards:
1. Reduced Germination
The first issue your lawn may encounter when you put down too many grass seeds is the germination rate of seedlings will reduce. Each grass seed wants access to basic nutritional needs and will struggle. If you over seed your lawn, most seeds may not reach the soil and will not germinate due to the lack of space or other consequences.
The excessive number of seeds leads to germination issues due to the impact of those that don’t compromise for other seeds. Overseeding also causes slower growth and slow-growing lawns and hinders plant establishment. Generally, the standard germination rate of grass seeds is about one or three weeks (It may vary according to the type of grass). However, in the overseeding lawn, it may extend for longer periods.
2. Increased Competition Results in Patchy Lawn
Growing too many seeds at the same time may build up competition among the seeds. They will try to get success from each other to get vital nutrients and resources for their proper germination and growth. Just like other plants, grass also needs some space for its roots in the soil to become stable and established.
Some stronger seeds will take enough vital nutrients like water from the soil, however, weak seeds may fail to compete. This competition has a terrible impact, and you may see a patchy or uneven lawn. After these results, the competition between the seeds remains at their place to get their rights.
3. Improper Grass Structure
After growing too many seeds at a single time, the seeds compete resulting in the the poor physical structure of the grass. That poorly structured grass does not look attractive and can’t survive for a longer time. This happens due to the seed fight for vital essential nutrients to grow well. Many seeds do not survive in this condition. Whereas, those who survive do not grow properly and can have a thin shape. The thin-shaped grass is easily damaged and crushed under harsh weather conditions and footfall.
4. Increased Disease Risk
Overseeding may also increase disease risk. Because it creates a dense layer of seeds and emerging blades of grass inhibiting air circulation by trapping moisture. These conditions may result in fungal diseases. This duo of weak plants and fungus growing increases the risk of disease outbreaks. These diseases can later wipe out an over seeded portion of your lawn.
How Much Grass Seed Do You Need
It is necessary to know the exact amount of seeds for your lawn to avoid overseeding. The amount of required seeds depends on two factors: Grass Seed type and the lawn size. To know the exact quantity first measure your lawn, then check the recommended seeding rate per square. Then multiply your lawn area with the seeding rate. In the end, divide the result by 1000 and you will get the exact seeding amount.
It is also essential to follow the instructions on the grass seed bag. Even if you want to oversee an existing lawn or start a new one, these instructions provide more than enough information. So, pay attention to this vital piece of information too. Most bags tell you how to sow the grass seeds instead of how much you require.
If you want to know the right area of your lawn, just multiply the width and length of your lawn. But don’t add areas like patios, decks, and paths, which may leave you with the entire square foot of the lawn. Generally, you will require 10 to 12 seeds for each square inch of soil. So, if you calculate the right area of your lawn, you can decide the number of grass seeds for a lush, green, healthier, and natural lawn.
Tips to Measure Grass Seeds
Knowing the correct number of seeds for your lawn is a challenge. Grass seeds are light enough and easily float or wash away with air, water, or excessive rain. Most of the grass seeds may not germinate due to unknown reasons. The factors affecting grass seed germination make the estimation more complex, and even professionals run into this problem.
Although considering the correct number of seeds for your garden is an art, the following tips can help you in this scenario:
1. Use A Spreader
Use a spreader to learn how to sprinkle seeds in your soon-to-be lawn. These broadcast spreaders are very innovative and give excellent results without any effort. The machine or device contains spinning blades and spreads seeds to the front and side of the spreader. These machines can spread the seeds more evenly and speedily complete the process. In each pass, they can cover a large area and also save you time.
The broadcast spreader is the best for more extensive lawns, and you can do your work in less than no time without any effort. They are pushing spreaders that are easily used and readily available in home improvement stores for rent. They are not too expensive, you can buy them for about $40 to $50 from any local home improvement store. However, you can rent one from stores to avoid buying one.
2. Read the Label
We don’t usually like to read and skip the instructions, asking who needs them. But in some cases, they prove very helpful, and we can learn through them. This is the case for these seeds. However, reading the instructions will also let you know how many seeds you can spread in how much area. These bags contain a specific number of seeds for a particular area and other information about the seeds.
These instructions provide basic information and ideas for lawn health according to the grass type. Moreover, at the top, you can read about the seeds’ type, purity, and quality. If the variety of seeds is not stated, they are low-quality and may not yield the expected results. These bits of info help you to know everything about the seeds. So please read them carefully!
3. Calculate the Area of Your Lawn
The label on the seed bags will provide you with enough information about seeding your lawn. These bags contain specific square footage for the available seed. However, you should consider the size of the lawn by measuring its length and width. If your lawn is rectangular, multiplying the width and height will give you the square foot area.
4. But What Do You Do if Your Lawn Is Circular
If the area of your lawn is circular, then measure the circle’s width first. Then divide it by two, and get the radius. After this, multiply the radius by pi or 3.14. The remaining number is the area of a circle. After getting the right area in square feet, find the right amount of seeds in the bag and determine how many grass seeds are best for your lawn.
Conclusion
Overseeding is not scary as it can overcome the effects of heat, winter, and other effects on the grass with new germination. However, it is essential to use a perfect number of seeds according to the area of your lawn. Using too many lawn seeds may give you a lower quality of grass due to the competition among the plants. So consider the area and then over seed it. This guide explores all the essential information for you. So, read it completely and become an expert gardener!
FAQs
1. What Is Overseeding and Why Should I Do It?
Overseeding helps to get a thicker turf by spreading grass seed on an existing lawn. Due to weather conditions like drought, winter, pests, and heat, the grass becomes weak and thin. Overseeding provides the fastest, easiest, and most inexpensive way to return a lush, green, healthy lawn.
2. How Much Grass Seed Should I Buy?
You should know the area or size of your lawn that you want to plant. However, if you already know how many square feet you want to seed, go ahead. Knowing the area by looking at your yard is hard, so measure it in square feet. After this, get the seed packages according to need, and you can determine them by the instructions on the seed packages. These packages tell you the need per square foot.
3. I put too many grass seeds, should I remove them?
Overseeding usually results in competition leading to poor grass structure. Using the correct number of seeds according to your lawn’s area is a good idea. Overseeding is also considerable because most seeds blow off with the wind and wash off with water.