Transform Your Lackluster Lawn with Frost Seeding
Are you frustrated that your shady lawn areas have ugly bare spots compared to the sunny areas? You may have areas of your lawn that refuse to develop into a lush lawn.
Frost seeding can solve your problem by giving you a head start on early spring green-up.
What Is Frost Seeding?
Frost seeding is similar to overseeding your lawn but doesn’t require aeration. It is done in late winter or early spring, resulting in a green, lush lawn.
Frost seeding uses the freeze-thaw cycles of winter, which naturally open the soil during warmer temperatures when the ground thaws. Grass seed goes deep into the soil for improved germination.
The ground freezes and closes the soil when temperatures drop back into the low 30s. Winter storms with rain, snow, and sleet adequately water the seeds during their winter sleep.
Homeowners, especially those with grass that’s hard to grow in the shade, find that frost seeding their lawns in late winter or early spring improves their lawns’ color, thickness, and vibrancy.
Your local lawn care service will overseed your lawn in the winter. To prepare for frost seeding, your lawn care team will recommend mowing your turf down to 2”, enabling the seed to reach the soil.
When your lawn technician visits your property, they’ll use a hand rake to loosen the soil.
Then, they will spread the seed at the recommended rate and lightly rake it into the ground. Your technician might also use a slice seeder that will create slits in the soil to give the seed an improved seed-to-soil ratio.
You Can Have a Green Lawn By Spring with Frost Seeding
Do you dream of a lush, vibrant lawn where you sink your feet into the turf? Your dream can become reality with frost seeding.
You’ll be proud of your dense lawn with no bare patches when you give it a headstart by overseeding it in the winter because the grass seed has time to establish itself with the freeze/thaw cycles of south-central Pennsylvania winters.
Winter’s Harsh Weather Stresses Your PA Lawn
Wind, severe frosts/thaws, and ice damage your south-central PA lawn, making more work and expense for you come spring.
Yet, frost seeding your grass combats harsh winter weather using the freeze/thaw cycles to your advantage. After planting grass seeds, they will stay in their hard casing until a significant thaw in early spring.
Plus, the freeze-thaw cycles allow the seed to penetrate the soil deeply. Rain and snow naturally water your lawn, while freezing hardens and covers the grass seed. Finally, snow acts like insulation, protecting the grass seed from winter damage.
Early spring can also be tricky with freeze/thaw cycles. The grass seeds are still protected until the soil consistently warms up in spring, when young turf seedlings start showing up in your lawn’s bare spots.
These seedlings may take a few months to establish, so you must be patient while waiting for your dense turfgrass to grow.
Schedule Frost Seeding Now for a Vibrant, Thriving Spring Lawn
Now is the ideal time to schedule your frost seeding appointment with Tomlinson Bomberger and ensure a healthy, dense lawn next spring.
Source:
Extension.UMN.edu, Dormant Seeding Your Lawn.
