Can you Overseed by Hand? + [Best Overseeding Practices]

Does your lawn look like it has been grazing all sorts of wild animals due to its many patches? You have taken good care of it by watering and applying fertilizers, however, the results are not as pleasing as you would wish. Moreover, you have created boundaries all over your lawn to restrict foot traffic and also, closed in all your pets and things are still not working out despite your efforts.

Could it be the grass or the soil is not suitable for grass growing? You are just not sure anymore whether you have all the questions answered right. Moreover, your lawn is now filled with partly sandy patches. Nevertheless, what should you do to change everything? To achieve a better lawn you will need a new tactic that is known as overseeding. In this article, you will understand whether you can overseed your lawn by hand, why overseeding is of great significance, the various methods used when overseeding and much more. 

Also Check: Should I Bag My Grass Clippings After Overseeding?

Can You Overseed By Hand?

Overseeding can be practiced in various ways. One of them is overseeding by hand. Although you can overseed easily done by hands, the process may be tiresome when being practiced on a big lawn. As you read below, you will get to understand how overseeding is done by hand.

What is Overseeding? 

Over seeding is the act of adding grass seeds to your lawn without cultivating the land. Overseeding has various advantages to your lawn with the first being to add more grass, and also strengthen the already existing grass. It also makes your lawn grass thicker and healthier as it grows. 

Why Should You Overseed? 

As stated earlier, over seeding has various advantages to your lawn and the already existing grass. It is a great idea especially for people whose lawns are suffering from lawn diseases, attack by pests, or there is drought in their area. Over seeding also comes in handy if you plant grass on your lawn and it takes a few months and dries up. 

On the other hand, overseeding your lawn now and then with improved grass will boost the reproduction of the older grass. By adding a new, fresh, and improved type of grass, there will be obvious change on your lawn after some time. Moreover, the new improved grass will thicken your turf grass and will be less prone to pest and diseases attacks. Therefore, why wait until it’s too late to repair the damage, whereas, you can improve your lawn frequently and with less effort. 

How to Overseed by Hand

Over seeding is a simple technique that does not require the use of any expensive equipment. Also, you will not be there the whole day doing it as long as you are passionate about owning a lawn and some green grass on it. Instead of hiring a company to come and over seed your lawn, what about, doing it on your own as a part-time activity when you are not working? It does not require much effort and I will explain it to you step by step. Moreover, you will learn to do it the fun way, by hand. Is it true that over seeding can be done by hand? Yes, it can, and below is the technique used to make sure you do not miss a spot.

Over seeding Guide 

When working with a small lawn, over seeding by hand is simple, fun, and less tiresome. You will not need to look for a fertilizer spreader to use when doing it. When overseeding any lawn by hand, firstly, you should split the seeds you want to use into two halves. The first half should be used by broadcasting it all over the area being applied. The best way is to choose a specific direction to move about in sequence. Then take the second half of the seeds and spread them at a right angle from the first direction you walked in. When overseeding in this manner, you will have a better chance of covering the whole ground with new seeds. Sounds fun doing it on your own, right? 

Apart from overseeing using your hands, there are other methods to use that you may find helpful especially if you have a large lawn. The use of small handheld rotary spreaders is also efficient for small and large lawns in case you are opting to use another method apart from the hand over seeding method. They are cheaper and precise as compared to using your hands and this is why they are preferred for larger areas. 

Drop readers is the other option which works by being pulled around as they drop the seeds to the ground as you move along. As you walk with the drop spreader on a straight line, you are sure not to miss a spot. Nonetheless, the rotary spreaders are more efficient to use in very large lawns. This is because the user can choose from the various sizes they want to use depending on the number of seed bags they want to spread on the lawn. Moreover, the rotary spreaders are more durable and do not require many repair techniques. 

Over seeding Techniques

Over seeding has various techniques, and its effectiveness can be told on any lawn. It is important to note that by overseeding, you provide a minimum or no room at all for weeds on your lawn. This is because grass will always grow throughout the year, and also, it will use up all the space on the lawn. Thus, not only will you have the best green grass, but also the cleanest lawn free of weeds. Below are some of the techniques used when overseeding. 

Aeration 

Aeration is the process of creating holes in the lawn to allow much better water drainage, air circulation and nutrient penetration into the soil. It is mostly done where the grass is thinnest because that’s the point where the soil may be more compacted together. After performing aeration on your lawn, your grass will be able to grow stronger and for longer periods. Moreover, when you aerate your lawn and then over seed it, there is an enormous change to the way your grass grows. 

Mow Short 

Grass mowing is a technique that is not for everyone. However, some people pretend to know it only for them to mow the wrong way and leave patches on the lawn. These patches, sooner or later turn to be sand because the grass growth was interrupted and can no longer grow well. You should consider mowing to a standard size or look for a professional to do the work. 

However, when you mow with the intention of over seeding, the mowing should be as low as your mower can go. This is to improve the chances of your seeds getting to the ground unlike leaving them on top of grass. Also, after mowing, make sure to collect all the grass clippings or use a rake to do so.

Clean the Lawn 

Cleaning the lawn before over seeding is very important. This technique makes sure that you have removed all grass clippings, small stones, or dead weeds that may be on the lawn. Regardless, the lawn should be as clean as possible to increase the possibility of the seeds establishing themselves on the ground. 

Mulching 

After over seeding, you may opt to mulch your lawn especially the parts where you have carried out over seeding. The application of mulch will help the seed with a good place to establish itself. Also, there will not be any chance of birds feeding your seeds after over seeding. Additionally, you can use a weighted roller to help push the seeds closer to the ground. Unlike leaving them unattended, they might not germinate or they might be fed on by birds. 

FAQ About Over seeding by Hand

How do you over seed without a spreader? 

For small lawns, over seeding does not necessarily need a spreader or any special equipment. You may opt to use your hands to over seed. The use of hands is pretty simple as explained earlier, and more fun than using a spreader. 

Does overseeding work? 

Yes, do not be in doubt as over seeding works just fine in any lawn or garden as long as the steps are followed to the latter. Moreover, the technique saves you time and money when practiced frequently. As a gardener, you are sure to achieve results as soon as possible after overseeding. 

After overseeding, what should I do to maximize my chances of a better result? 

Unlike many people who leave their lawns unattended, there is a better way to maximize your results. That is, you can apply mulch on your lawn after over seeding or you can use a weighted roller. Both techniques are efficient and boost your odds for a better result. Besides, they aid success by pushing the seeds closer to the ground where they will find refuge and ease of growth. They also place the seeds into places where they will have sufficient levels of moisture which is vital to their growth. 

Conclusion 

Over seeding by hand is an amazing craft, however, it bears its various challenges. The main challenge being it can’t be the best to use on a very large lawn. Moreover, it requires extra patience to finish. Nonetheless, it is an exceptional method to use for small lawns and also, fun unlike the use of machinery to over seed.