How to Water After Overseeding Your Lawn in Tulsa
When it comes to reseeding a stressed fescue lawn, watering is the most important step for homeowners in Tulsa. Even with the best grass seed, healthy soil, and perfect timing, skipping proper watering will hinder your fescue overseeding results. Green Group Oklahoma has you covered! Whether you schedule your overseeding with us or choose the DIY route, we’ve outlined the proper watering guidelines that will help your new lawn thrive.
How Much Should I Water After Overseeding my Lawn?
For cool-season grasses like fescue, seeding your lawn at the best time of year is the first piece of the puzzle. For homeowners in Tulsa, the best time to seed normally stretches from mid-September to mid-October. Early fall gives the grass seed enough time for healthy germination before the weather gets too cold. The second piece of the puzzle is how you water your lawn after overseeding! When watering a newly seeded fescue lawn, it’s most important to not let the seed dry out. The goal is to keep the soil moist without flooding your grass seed. After overseeding, we recommend starting out watering three times daily in light, 15-minute watering sessions. Light watering is best to not waterlog the seed. Make sure the seed bed stays moist for the first week and a half. It’s also important to monitor the rainfall in your area and adjust your schedule accordingly.
How Often Should I Water After Overseeding?
With the right watering practices, you should expect to see new seedlings sprouts popping up after the first 10-14 days. Once you see that growth, you can start cutting back on how often you water the lawn. You can reduce your watering to once a day but for a longer duration. Longer watering sessions allow the water to soak deeper into the soil. Watering in longer sessions encourages stronger root systems and stimulates healthy root growth. After a few more weeks, you can resume a more regular watering schedule, increasing the duration to up to 30 minutes per session for better soil saturation.
How Soon Can I Mow After Fescue Overseeding?
Once your new lawn has reached a height of 3-4 inches, you should be ready to mow for the first time. Make sure to handle the new grass with care and follow the normal recommended mowing height. Before mowing, make sure to sharpen your mower blades to avoid tears or stress on the grass blades. Bag your grass clippings to prevent debris, leaves, or thatch from building up on the lawn and blocking sunlight and water from reaching the soil.
Additional Aftercare Tips for Fall Overseeding
Leaves: Keep leaves off the lawn. A small number of leaves can actually keep your seed in place in the early days of your lawn seeding, but a heavy layer will block important nutrients the seed will need in order to grow.
Weed Control: Avoid any weed control on your lawn before and after your overseeding. Once the seed is fully established and growing, weed control can be used to address active weeds. Skip applying any fall pre-emergent herbicides when planning to overseed. Pre-emergents are built to prevent germination in the soil which would ruin your chances at great results, regardless of your watering habits.
Local, Trusted Overseeding for Fescue Lawns in Tulsa
We can’t stress the importance of proper watering after overseeding enough! Tall fescue lawns require the right watering to grow and thrive. Make sure your sprinkler systems are working properly so you don’t run into any obstacles for your new lawn. Homeowners with cool-season lawns looking to overseed this fall can rely on the team at Green Group Oklahoma for professional, high-quality fescue aeration and overseeding in Tulsa. At Green Group Oklahoma, we are committed to providing you with advice, tips, and guidance to ensure your fescue seed grows into a healthy lawn. Our lawn services extend to various warm-season grass types, including Zoysia and Bermuda, and include weed control, fertilization, lawn aeration, overseeding, and more. We have years of experience serving homeowners in Tulsa, Bixby, Sand Springs, and surrounding areas. Contact us today to get on schedule for fescue overseeding!