How to re-seed a lawn, how to top-dress a lawn
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When to seed and why to top-dress your lawn can be confusing
What are the 3 reasons for carrying out these lawn maintenance tasks?
- Over-seeding or re-seeding an existing lawn helps to combat bald patches
- Top-dressing helps with lawn condition and creates a good seedbed
- New grass seed becomes new grass plants which bring a poor lawn back to life
Seems pretty obvious doesn’t it?
But perhaps you’re thinking;
When should I top-dress my lawn?
How do I re-seed a lawn?
When should I sow lawn grass seed?
Why isn’t my lawn seed germinating?
How often should I water grass seed?
When should I re-seed or over-seed my lawn?
Successful lawn re-seeding follows these basic rules
- Soil conditions must be right for grass seed to germinate – warm and wet
- Early or late in the growing season is the best time to over-seed or re-seed a lawn
- New grass plants need the right nutrition to thrive
- Seed needs moisture once you have sown it. If it dries it dies!

Patch seeding will fill in bare lawn areas
Top-dressing is usually done at the same time of year as seeding
Here’s the good news
Most poor condition lawns can be renovated with top-dressing followed by re-seeding or over-seeding!
So why is your lawn seed not germinating?
3 reasons your lawn seed is not germinating:
- Soil temperature it too low for germination
- The soil has been allowed to dry out
- Lawn seed has died
Follow this guide to re-seeding or over-seeding a lawn
- Prepare the soil so the seed can germinate
- Choose the right lawn seed for your lawn
If it dries it dies – keep new seed moist
conditions
- Buy seed from a good lawn seed supplier
- Sow lawn seed at the right time of year
- Use the right amount, too much is bad too!
- Water and feed newly germinated lawn seed
The truth of the matter is
Most lawns don’t need re-turfing, just the right care and attention to improve what’s already there
It’s easier and cheaper to ask a lawn care professional to improve your existing lawn than it is to re-turf!