If you're planning on overseeding your lawn in Iowa, you'll want to use grass seeds that will do well and give you the lush lawn you've envisioned for your property. The best type of seeds to use for your lawn is a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Kentucky bluegrass has a rich, blue-green color and develops a strong root system that can heal itself, while perennial ryegrass grows fast for some quick color for your turf. The best time to overseed your lawn with these cool-season seeds is in the fall when conditions are ideal for their growth. You also want to ensure they receive proper support after sowing, which means no lawn traffic for the first 2 to 3 weeks, proper watering, and applying a high-quality starter fertilizer right after they were spread on your lawn.

The best type of seeds to use for overseeding is a Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass blend.

When overseeding your lawn in Iowa, make sure you use a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye seeds. This is the best blend for your lawn because both of these grass types are high-quality and will create a beautiful and lush lawn! Here are some of the top features of these grass types:

  • Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season grass that boasts a gorgeous blue-green color and produces a lush carpet of grass that feels great on the feet. This type of grass has a strong root system that consists of rhizomes that allow the lawn to heal itself. When your lawn has disease or insect damage, the rhizomes will sprout new growth to fill the affected spots. Because of its ability to heal, Kentucky bluegrass is equipped to tolerate cold temperatures, diseases, and wear and tear.
  • Perennial ryegrass is another cool-season grass that grows fast and is generally low-maintenance. It can sprout and grow quickly, making it a great partner for Kentucky bluegrass because it can protect and provide shade for other germinating seeds. This also means perennial rye is a reliable seed choice if you want quick color for your turf!

When should you overseed your lawn?

If you're planning to overseed your lawn in Iowa with a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye, make sure you do it in the fall. That's because these seeds are cool-season grass types, which means they thrive in the fall when the weather gets cooler. Sowing them when conditions are ideal for their growth will boost their chances of germinating and growing successfully, making your goal of a lush lawn a reality.

It's also best to overseed after aerating your lawn. Aerating your lawn first improves the soil condition by loosening compacted soil to ensure the seeds have access to the resources that will help them grow. What's more, the seeds can fall into the holes formed during the aeration process, ensuring good seed-to-soil contact and protection from the elements.

Overseeding in the fall helps thicken your turf to help it survive winter dormancy.

How can you help the seeds grow?

After overseeding your lawn, the work is not done. You still need to care for your turf and ensure the grass seeds have everything they need to sprout. Here are some ways to help the seeds grow:

  • Stay off your lawn for 2 to 3 weeks. The grass seeds are still growing during this time, which means they are vulnerable and you should avoid causing any stress to them.
  • Water your lawn correctly. For the first 2 weeks, make sure you're watering your overseeded lawn lightly but frequently to encourage the growth of the seeds. For the next 2 weeks after that, switch to watering deeply but infrequently to promote the development of a deep and strong root system for the seeds.
  • Apply a starter fertilizer. Starter fertilizer treatments provide well-balanced nourishment to kickstart the growth of grass seeds!

Call us today to sign up for our overseeding service!

If you're looking to get a lush and strong lawn, you should take advantage of our overseeding service. This service involves spreading a 50-50 seed blend that consists of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye seeds to create a lush and strong lawn with excellent tolerance to various conditions. We offer this service to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Ankeny, Johnston, Urbandale, and nearby areas in Iowa. Give us a call today at (515) 654-5447 to sign up for our overseeding service.