Overseeding each year will thicken your lawn with new grass to establish a strong, healthy lawn. However, people tend to think that the best season to overseed is spring. While cool-season grasses found in Oregon do thrive during this season, it’s actually a bad idea to overseed at this time. For one, weeds start germinating in the spring, making it harder for new seeds to develop while they compete for nutrients. Then you need to also consider that summer is right around the corner—a season new seeds will struggle in. With these challenges in mind, you may wonder when’s the best time to overseed. Well, the answer is that you should overseed in the fall. Continue reading to learn why overseeding in the spring is a waste of money, and why fall is considered the optimal time to overseed your lawn.

Hold off on overseeding in spring because weeds are germinating at this time.

Crabgrass weed growing through soil in Orient, OR.

Spring is considered the season of growth, but not only for your grass and plants—spring is when you’ll see many weeds growing too. When you overseed in the spring, you’re putting those grass seeds in direct competition with developing weeds. Many weeds will steal nutrients away from your grass seeds, leaving them with insufficient nutrients and hindering their development. Even if you think ahead and use pre-emergent weed control to stop weeds from appearing, the pre-emergent treatment will block your new grass seeds from growing as well. The problem is that a weed control treatment won’t be able to distinguish between weed seeds and grass seeds, so it will hinder both from developing. Either way, you should hold off on overseeding in spring because you’ll end up having to do it again later in the year thanks to weeds germinating during this time.

Your new grass seeds won't do well in the summer.

While the temperatures in spring are perfect for new grass to grow, unfortunately, summer is just right around the corner. Any new grass seeds planted in your soil this spring won’t do well in the heat of the summer season. By the time summer begins, your new seeds will not have strong root systems in your soil, meaning it’ll be harder for them to withstand the summer heat. If you want to give your new grass seeds the best shot at successfully growing, then you'll want to wait until after summer has passed before you overseed your lawn.

When is the best time to overseed your lawn?

Aerated lawn in Happy Valley, OR.

Fall is considered the best time to overseed your lawn. In the fall, you have fewer weeds to worry about when overseeding, meaning your grass seeds won't have to compete with weeds for the nutrients they need to grow. The fall also has the ideal temperatures for cool-season grass to grow and develop. And there’s enough time for the seeds to establish a strong root system in your soil before winter hits. This will help your grass survive the colder temperatures when it falls into winter dormancy.

Pair overseeding with core aeration for the best results. Core aeration will help your grass seeds easily establish themselves in your soil!

Want to establish a strong lawn? Call us to schedule our overseeding service this fall!

Overseeding is a fantastic service then can lead to a strong and healthy lawn when done in the fall. At J&C Lawn Care, we perform this service during September and October when the temperatures are perfect for new grass seeds to grow and establish deep roots in your soil. We service properties in Gresham, OR, and surrounding cities like Happy Valley and Troutdale. Call us today at (971) 284-2035 to schedule our overseeding service this fall!