Lawn Renovation & Overseeding in Raleigh, NC

Lawn renovation and overseeding bring back a Raleigh lawn that has thinned out without tearing it out and starting over. Tall fescue is the usual case: it looks good in spring and fall, then heat, drought and shade wear it down through summer. We aerate, overseed, and hydroseed the bare patches so the lawn fills back in, and we fix the problems that caused the thinning where we can.

Why fescue thins here

Raleigh sees about 48 days a year that reach 90 degrees. Tall fescue is a cool-season grass, and long hot stretches thin it, especially on clay that dries hard or in yards that get little water. Shade from the city's oaks adds to it, and so does foot traffic on a lawn that is already stressed. A lot of fescue lawns here need some overseeding most years to stay thick.

Timing

Fescue renovation belongs in late summer and fall, after the worst heat, so new seedlings have the fall and the next spring to root before summer comes back. NC State's turf team recommends core aeration before seeding, a typical rate of 5 to 6 pounds of fescue seed per 1,000 square feet, and getting seed down by mid-October. Spring-seeded fescue is more prone to drought, heat, disease and weeds, so it rarely makes a full year. Warm-season lawns like bermuda and zoysia are different: they spread on their own and are repaired in late spring and early summer once they are growing.

What renovation involves

• Core aeration pulls plugs of soil to open up compacted clay so water, air and seed get in.
• Overseeding puts new seed into the existing turf, ideally right after aeration so it lands in the holes.
• Hydroseed patch repair covers bare spots with seed and mulch so they do not dry out or wash.
• Soil correction with lime or fertilizer when a soil test shows the need.

Lawn repair or full redo?

If most of the yard still has decent grass and the bare spots are scattered, overseeding and patching is the cheaper, faster route. If the lawn is mostly weeds, the grade is wrong, or the soil is bare clay, it is usually better to start over with new lawn hydroseeding. We will tell you which one makes sense after looking at it.

Fixing the cause

Renovation does not last if the reason the lawn thinned is still there. We look for compaction, poor drainage, deep shade and mowing too low, and give you a short list of changes worth making along with the seeding.

Get a free estimate or phone (919) 980-5784 and we will put a fall renovation look on the calendar.