How to Slit Seed a Lawn

Mow your lawn to it's lowest healthy length prior to slit seeding it.

Overseeding a lawn is one way to rejuvenate a patchy or dead lawn. If you live in a transition zone where warm-season grasses go dormant for the winter, slit-seeding a lawn will help you to plant cool season grass seed for winter color. The easiest way to overseed a lawn is by using a slit seeder. A slit seeder creates gouges in the turf so that grass seed can come into contact with the soil. Seed does not germinate and grow if it cannot touch the soil.

Things You'll Need

• Lawn mower Slit seeder Grass seed Sprinkler Garden hose

Instructions

1. Prepare your lawn for seeding in early fall or spring so that the grass you are seeding has time to become established before winter cold or summer heat.

2. Mow the lawn to the lowest safe level for your grass variety. With most grass types, this is typically 1 to 1 1/2 inches. This will allow sunlight to reach the grass seed and help it to germinate.

3. Obtain a slit seeder from a garden center. You can typically rent machines such as this for one-time use. A slit seeder gouges out shallow furrows in your grass and topsoil to allow grass seed the chance to reach the soil so that it can sprout and then places the seed directly into the furrows.

4. Divide your grass seed in half. Place half of it in the slit seeder.

5. Place your slit seeder at one end of your lawn and slowly push it over the lawn in a grid pattern until you have completely seeded your lawn. A vertical mower operates similarly to a lawn mower in that it has a pull-rope start and similar choke, throttle and speed levers. Make a second pass with your second half of the seed. Vary the grid pattern by 90 degrees.

6. Water your lawn to germinate the seed and promote its growth. Keep your grass mowed to the shorter length until the newly seeded grass reaches this height. Then lift the decking of your lawn mower and allow the grass to grow back to its tallest healthy length. Most grasses thrive best when they’re mowed at 2 to 2 1/2 inches.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension: Lawn Renovation
• Iowa State Universtiy Extension: Overseeding Lawns
• University of Wisconson Extension: Autumn Lawn Care Tips

Resources

• NC State University Extension: Renovating an Existing Lawn