Lawns go through a lot of stress during winter and can develop bald patches that look unsightly.
While lawns go dormant during winter, it doesn’t mean gardeners should forget about them.
For those struggling with bare patches in their lawns or their grass needs a boost, the gardening pros at Boston Seeds have recommended one task to carry out now.
They claimed that you’ll have “luscious green grass” by spring if you dormant seed your lawn, also known as cold seeding.
Dormant seeding is the process of sowing seed at a time of year when soil temperatures are not optimal for germination.
So why would you sow seeds that aren’t going to germinate? The idea is that your dormant seed will grow in early spring, as temperatures rise.
As the name suggests, grass seed will lie dormant when the conditions for germination are not met.
The grass seed won’t die if it freezes, it will simply wait until the conditions it needs are right. If soil temperatures are below nine degrees most grass seed won’t be able to grow.
The experts claimed: “Dormant seeding can be very effective, but there are some dangers to look out for. If you overseed in winter, you’ll need to keep a close eye on the weather.
“Colder temperatures are best, as grass seed won’t die if it freezes. The real concern is the weather that’s unseasonably warm.
“High temperatures may warm the soil enough to allow seedlings to germinate. When cold, winter weather and harsh conditions return, seedlings may struggle to survive.”
Grass will grow in bare patches as soon as the conditions are right which can help to protect from weed growth in these areas.
If the seedlings don’t shoot during the winter, dormant seeding will work well and reward you in spring.
What’s more, winter seeding is more in line with natural processes. Spring seeding is an artificial process that doesn’t allow a dormant period.
