Top 10 Reasons to Skip Overseeding This Year

Thinking of not overseeding this year?  Here are 10 good reasons not to!

10. Save time - No need to scalp the lawn, prepare the seed bed, seed, water and mow.

9. Save water and water quality - Getting ryegrass seed to germinate takes a lot of water. Spikes in water usage are always noticeable in Oct./Nov. Once established, ryegrass needs water every 3-7 days. Dormant Bermuda only needs water once a month.  Less fertilizers and pesticides will be needed. Much of our water pollution comes from runoff of these products from residential landscapes.

8. Save money - Cost of seed, water, gasoline for mowing….

7. Save landfill space - Scalping Bermuda creates a great deal of waste for the landfills, then ryegrass clippings to take to the landfill all winter and spring.

6. Save the air - 2 and 4-cycle lawnmower and blower engines contribute greatly to air pollution problems. Compared to a car, an average lawn mower emits 11 times the amount of hydrocarbons: a weed eater, 21 times; and a leaf blower, 34 times as much. Cough! Cough! Wheeze… anyone up for a little yard work?

5. Decrease noise pollution - There’s nothing like the whir of your neighbors lawn mower while you’re trying to read the Sunday paper on your patio.

4. Let the Bermuda get some rest - Overseeding with ryegrass prevents Bermuda grass from completing its life cycle of storing energy prior to its winter dormancy. When the weather begins to heat up in springtime, the Bermuda grass, lacking in energy, has difficulty reestablishing itself.

3. Save frustration - Seed germination problems, fertilizer problems, disease problems, irrigation problems….

2. Set an example - We do live in a desert and water is our most precious resource.

…and the number one reason not to plant a winter lawn…

1. Because you don’t have to - There are no federal, state or city laws requiring winter lawns.

Okay, okay, you say you have to overseed because 1. your spouse will divorce you if you don’t, 2. your homeowner's association says you have to or 3. you just LOVE green grass. Here are some tips to help you be more environmentally friendly:

Overseed selectively - Only overseed if it is extremely important for aesthetics or functional use.

Don’t seed too early - Seed mid-October to mid-November for best results. When you seed too early, it is more stressful on Bermuda grass and warm temperatures (>90 F) cause more disease problems for the ryegrass.