seeding your own lawn ?

[The Webbers / Hilltop Cycle]

Here in Iowa i, it is going to be winter sometime soo. Has anyone ever just
put seed on the ground before winter and let is soak down into the ground
over winter ? Any success ? I am new at this lawn seeding process and how I
need to do it ? How do I have to prepare the ground to be successful ? I
have a large yard and can't pay a professional to do it.
Thanks,
Raz

[Brigitte]

"The Webbers / Hilltop Cycle" <dswebber@netins.net> wrote in message
news:dk2ps7$tfr$1@news.netins.net...
> Here in Iowa i, it is going to be winter sometime soo. Has anyone ever
just
> put seed on the ground before winter and let is soak down into the ground
> over winter ? Any success ? I am new at this lawn seeding process and how
I
> need to do it ? How do I have to prepare the ground to be successful ? I
> have a large yard and can't pay a professional to do it.
> Thanks,
> Raz

Hi Raz,
I'm in Nebraska and would like to seed my lawn in the same way you describe.
I'm a nurse, and work rotating shifts and would like to overseed my lawn,
but don't have a lot of time to do it. I'd like to be able to rake up my
leaves and put down seed and hope that it comes up in the spring. I just
don't have a lot of time to spend on prep, but my lawn is getting sparse,
and a lot of weeds are allowed to come in.

Hoping someone can chime in and tell us if this is possible.

Thanks,
Brigitte
>
>

[The Webbers / Hilltop Cycle]

"Brigitte" <bas3@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
news:WC79f.12472$8K4.2097@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>
> "The Webbers / Hilltop Cycle" <dswebber@netins.net> wrote in message
> news:dk2ps7$tfr$1@news.netins.net...
>> Here in Iowa i, it is going to be winter sometime soo. Has anyone ever
> just
>> put seed on the ground before winter and let is soak down into the ground
>> over winter ? Any success ? I am new at this lawn seeding process and how
> I
>> need to do it ? How do I have to prepare the ground to be successful ? I
>> have a large yard and can't pay a professional to do it.
>> Thanks,
>> Raz
>
> Hi Raz,
> I'm in Nebraska and would like to seed my lawn in the same way you
> describe.
> I'm a nurse, and work rotating shifts and would like to overseed my lawn,
> but don't have a lot of time to do it. I'd like to be able to rake up my
> leaves and put down seed and hope that it comes up in the spring. I just
> don't have a lot of time to spend on prep, but my lawn is getting sparse,
> and a lot of weeds are allowed to come in.
>
> Hoping someone can chime in and tell us if this is possible.
>
> Thanks,
> Brigitte
>>
>>
>
>Brigitte,
Sounds about like our family, my lawn is only 2 years old and in rural Iowa
so I have been fighting weeds and thistles.
I also hope someone can tell us if this will work.
Raz

[Bob]

Its getting late in the season but if you mow your lawn very short and
aerate you'll have better results.

Bob


"The Webbers / Hilltop Cycle" <dswebber@netins.net> wrote in message
news:dk3fgg$ehs$1@news.netins.net...
>
> "Brigitte" <bas3@rocketmail.com> wrote in message
> news:WC79f.12472$8K4.2097@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com...
>>
>> "The Webbers / Hilltop Cycle" <dswebber@netins.net> wrote in message
>> news:dk2ps7$tfr$1@news.netins.net...
>>> Here in Iowa i, it is going to be winter sometime soo. Has anyone ever
>> just
>>> put seed on the ground before winter and let is soak down into the
>>> ground
>>> over winter ? Any success ? I am new at this lawn seeding process and
>>> how
>> I
>>> need to do it ? How do I have to prepare the ground to be successful ? I
>>> have a large yard and can't pay a professional to do it.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Raz
>>
>> Hi Raz,
>> I'm in Nebraska and would like to seed my lawn in the same way you
>> describe.
>> I'm a nurse, and work rotating shifts and would like to overseed my lawn,
>> but don't have a lot of time to do it. I'd like to be able to rake up my
>> leaves and put down seed and hope that it comes up in the spring. I just
>> don't have a lot of time to spend on prep, but my lawn is getting sparse,
>> and a lot of weeds are allowed to come in.
>>
>> Hoping someone can chime in and tell us if this is possible.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Brigitte
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Brigitte,
> Sounds about like our family, my lawn is only 2 years old and in rural
> Iowa so I have been fighting weeds and thistles.
> I also hope someone can tell us if this will work.
> Raz
>
>

[Tom J]

"Bob" <bobdawn1@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:Cnc9f.7700$bD.7542@trndny01...
> Its getting late in the season but if you mow your lawn very short
> and aerate you'll have better results.
>

Something else to check in your area. If the farmers already have
winter wheat out of the ground, it's too late to sow seed. If you see
them still drilling in seed, plat the grass now - not next week!!
Tom J

[trader4@optonline.net]

In Iowa and Nebraska it's too late to sow grass seed now. The only
possible exception would be to use a fast germinating variety like an
annual rye grass to give quick cover if you had bare soil. But the
question posed is for overseeding an existing lawn and now is too late
for success. Seed sown now will start to germinate and not have enough
time to get established before winter and most of it will likely die.

The best time to overseed is Sept or early Oct. The next best time is
early Spring, so at this point, I would plan on doing it in the Spring.
And the best way is to rent a slice seeder, which you can do for abot
$45 for a half day and transport in an SUV. That puts the seed into
the soil in grooves that it cuts and will give excellent germination
with minimal work. In the meantime, get the soil tested and adjust the
PH, if needed. Figure out what kind of quality grass you will be using
and how you will keep it moist for several weeks while it germintates.

[KCnRichmond]

Wait until it snows. Works great.



"The Webbers / Hilltop Cycle" <dswebber@netins.net> wrote in message
news:dk2ps7$tfr$1@news.netins.net...
> Here in Iowa i, it is going to be winter sometime soo. Has anyone ever
> just put seed on the ground before winter and let is soak down into the
> ground over winter ? Any success ? I am new at this lawn seeding process
> and how I need to do it ? How do I have to prepare the ground to be
> successful ? I have a large yard and can't pay a professional to do it.
> Thanks,
> Raz
>
>

[Muvin Gruvin]

in the Pacific Northewest we too have to reseed early fall or early
spring. Seed will only rot if it doesn't have time to germinate and
establish itself.
Come early spring you can rent an aerator....(takes plugs out of the
lawn)....okay so it will look like FiFi did her business all over the
place for awhile. You can leave the plugs where they fall. Then dress
with topsoil & reseed.