I put down tall fescue seed on my 1-acre lawn on Monday. It’s been raining non-stop since then, and I don’t remember the last time I saw the sun. The forecast is all rain for the next week. Keep your fingers crossed for my seeds!
@Oren
You’re lucky! Conditions sound perfect as long as the seeds aren’t getting washed away.
Bliss said:
You’re good!
I wish I was as lucky. I’m thinking of mowing my wet lawn today before putting down seed and topdressing. Waiting for the right moment is tough right now.
If you’re scalping wet grass, use a high-power mower. It helps avoid pulling out roots, which can bring up a lot of weed seeds. Even if you’re overseeding, it’s better not to disturb too much of the soil.
@Peyton
I’m using a plug-in electric mower.
I put down pre-emergent two weeks ago and raked out the dead grass already. I planned to do this on Sunday, but the rain’s throwing me off.
I’m happy for the rain to cut down on the water bill, but I also want the timing to be right for the best growth. Might be a bit reactive doing it today, but I’m running out of time in the season.
@Bliss
How big of an area are we talking? I’m in CT, and the rain is welcome after the dry spell we’ve had. Just seeded a couple of weeks ago, and now it’s finally raining.
One thing I noticed with pre-emergent is that aerating after can reduce its effectiveness. Smaller areas may be okay, but bigger areas could turn into more work down the line.
@Peyton
It’s about 335 square feet total (225 in the main front area and 110 shared with a neighbor).
It’s not a lot, so I try to mention in my comments that what works for me may not be practical for folks with bigger yards.
@Bliss
Yeah, my back’s aching after dealing with 4 acres, haha. For wet mowing, I rent a tractor to avoid pulling up too many roots. Even with small areas, a slightly stronger mower could help reduce root disruption.
@Peyton
Might just have to work on my patience. Got a lawn-leveling rake coming on Sunday, and I’ve been wanting to fix a few spots anyway.
Patience, patience, patience…
Backyard’s looking great though. Random seeding back in September is paying off.
I’m down in MoCo and put down seed and topsoil last Saturday. Saw germination this morning! With all the rain we’ve had, you should see some growth soon. Good luck!
Westley said:
I’m down in MoCo and put down seed and topsoil last Saturday. Saw germination this morning! With all the rain we’ve had, you should see some growth soon. Good luck!
I’m in MoCo too. Was planning to overseed today or Monday, but it’s going to stay wet until Wednesday. Starting to get worried I might be waiting too long.
Grass seeds don’t really need much sun to germinate. Rainy conditions are better than a dry sunny forecast.
Oakley said:
Grass seeds don’t really need much sun to germinate. Rainy conditions are better than a dry sunny forecast.
I’m in the same area, and I’m thrilled it’s been raining daily. We got hit with heavy rain the first day I overseeded though, so I’m hoping none of the seeds got washed away since a lot of the topsoil did.
How are the temperatures over there? I’m a bit jealous because it’s been super hot and dry here right after I seeded. It’s looking okay now, but keeping the soil moist was a challenge.
Wren said:
How are the temperatures over there? I’m a bit jealous because it’s been super hot and dry here right after I seeded. It’s looking okay now, but keeping the soil moist was a challenge.
Low to mid 70s for the air temperature, and soil’s around 70 degrees. We’re supposed to hit 80 today, but there’s no sun.
@Oren
If it’s not raining too hard and washing away the seed, that sounds ideal. They don’t need the sun to start germinating. Still keeping those seeds in my thoughts!
Wren said:
@Oren
If it’s not raining too hard and washing away the seed, that sounds ideal. They don’t need the sun to start germinating. Still keeping those seeds in my thoughts!
Yeah, it’s great for keeping the seed moist, but they’ll still need some sunlight eventually.
Edit: Okay, I was wrong. They’ll germinate fine, but sun helps after that stage.
For the first couple of weeks, the new grass can grow even without sunlight. It gets energy from the seed itself.
This light drizzle off and on is just right. As long as we don’t get any heavy downpours, the grass should be fine.
I’ve got 10 pounds of seed down on my front yard, and we’re expecting 4 inches of rain tomorrow. I’m guessing I’ll have to reseed this weekend.
Uma said:
I’ve got 10 pounds of seed down on my front yard, and we’re expecting 4 inches of rain tomorrow. I’m guessing I’ll have to reseed this weekend.
Same here in upstate SC. Hoping my little seeds have rooted enough not to get washed away.