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Over seeding into an existing lawn is a difficult task. The new seedlings have to compete with the established grasses and they will need all the help they can get to ensure they establish. However there are some factors that can determine how successful you are.

• Soil Compaction – Any soil or rootzone that suffers from compaction will have a detrimental effect on any over seeding program as it will be difficult to get the new seedlings to establish. A compacted soil suffers from lack of oxygen, drainage problems and will impede root development, all to the detriment of your over seeding program. Compaction also encourages shallow rooting weed grasses such as Annual Meadow Grass.
• Excessive Thatch – Thatch is the build up of organic matter between the grass sward and the soil or rootzone. A lawn that has too much thatch will see your over seeding program suffer. The ideal sowing depth is usually below the thatch layer with the seed just coming into contact with the rootzone. This is difficult to achieve if your lawn has excessive thatch. If the seed is sown in the thatch layer it may well germinate but it will be difficult for it to establish successfully.
• Soil Temperature – One of the most important factors that will determine if your over seeding program is successful is the soil temperature. This is the main reason many people favour the late summer over the spring for over seeding, as the soil is warmer in late summer. That said, there is no problem with over seeding during the spring, however results may not always be that great. This year we have had a very cold spring with overnight frosts, which haven’t been great for over seeding with reports of some inconsistent results.
• Irrigation and watering – Another factor on your program is the use of water. All new seed need water to germinate and establish successfully. However getting the balance right is important, apply enough to keep the soil moist, not too wet or too dry.
• Mechanical operations prior to over seeding – Operations such as aeration or scarification and raking can be be beneficial in helping seed to germinate and establish successfully. These operations help create a seed bed where the seed comes into contact with the rootzone which will help with both germination and establishment of the seed.
  

So the cold winter months are coming to and end and thankfully we are experiencing some warmer weather conditions as spring quickly approaches. We can finally get out into the garden as things start to show signs of life, leaves are coming out on trees, daffodils flowering, soon the garden will be transformed with all the different colours.

However the lawn is not looking too healthy, moss has invaded and the grass is looking thin and weak. This is an all to common sight on lawns through out the country. As we are now starting to get some growth this is the ideal time to implement our spring lawn care program and remove the moss from the lawn.

However before we can remove the moss from our lawn it will need treating with a moss killer. There are many products available for this task, many containing ferrous sulphate (sulphate of iron) which kills the moss. These products are available in either granular or liquid formulations and many of these products also contain an additional feed or tonic to help speed up recovery after moss removal has taken place.

Which ever product you choose, follow the manufacturers recommendations when you apply it to avoid any problems or damage to the lawn. After application many lawns will turn a dark colour (this is normal). After 10 – 14 days the moss should have been killed and you can then go ahead and remove the moss from your lawn.

The removal process involves raking the moss out of the lawn and can be carried out with either a basic spring tine rake or a powered scarifier. For smaller lawns a spring tine rake will suffice, but for larger areas a powered scarifier would be quicker and easier saving a lot of back breaking work.

Buying a lawn mower can be an expensive exercise so choosing a suitable one for your lawn is an important decision. There are two main types of mower available, these are rotary and cylinder mowers.

Rotary mowers are generally the cheaper mower and are less complicated than cylinder mowers. Rotary mowers are ideal for all types of lawn except fine turf luxury lawns. These mowers cut the grass by means of a blade or blades that runs parallel with the lawn and spins very quickly cutting the grass as the mower travels. They can be powered by electric and petrol, they can be walk behind or ride on. The only downside to these mowers is that they don’t leave as good a quality finish as a cylinder mower.

The other type of mower is a cylinder mower. If you have a luxury lawn that is mown very short, this type of mower is essential. Like rotary mowers they can be powered by electric and petrol and in some cases push mowers requiring only man power are still available. Again they are available in both walk behind and ride on. These type of mowers are more complex than rotary mowers. It is important not to let your lawn get out of hand with this type of mower as they don’t cope well with overgrown lawns.

Other things to consider when buying a mower is the power source, an electric cable following you when you cut especially if you have many tight areas can be a nuisance.

The size of lawn, especially if you have a large lawn is something to think about as you may want to opt for a ride on mower to save time unless you enjoy the exercise.