Get Rid of Those Bare Spots in the Lawn During Warming April Weather

April, with its warming weather, is the best time to reseed the lawn or grow some grass in areas that are bare. When the seeds are sown for grass to fill in some bare spots in the lawn or thicken the lawn it's called over seeding.

Sowing by Hand or Drill

The seeds can be sown by hand or by a seed drill if the owner has a large area. A seed drill is a box on wheels with perforations at the bottom that allows it to sow the seeds and then cover them. If the owner or gardener is going to hand sow the seeds, the seeds should be divided into two equal portions. The gardener can add sand to the seeds to make sure the distribution is more even. Half the seeds should be sown lengthwise and half should be sown crosswise while the gardener walks around the area. A larger area can be divided into smaller areas to make sowing less cumbersome. The gardener can use a drill to sow the seeds in parallel strips. As with hand-sowing, the seeds should be sown lengthwise then crosswise.

Seeds Need Contact With the Soil

After sowing, the area should be raked through lightly to mix the seeds into the soil. Grass seeds that are buried too deeply might not germinate. To discourage birds, small twigs or sticks can be stuck into the seedbed and then connected by black thread about three or four inches above the soil. The seedbed shouldn't be watered heavily right away but should be gently sprinkled a few times a day at first.

The seeds should be sown on a calm, dry day in a dry seedbed. April is ideal because the soil is beginning to warm up and it’s at the beginning of the growing season.

Further Reading
Seed Vs Sod
Over Seeding
Over Seeding Techniques and Tips