Watering Tips after Overseeding
First and second week after your aeration: Shallow, daily watering.
Water daily and if possible, two times per day – once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. The main goal is to keep the seed wet. If you have an irrigation system, 10- 20 minutes per watering should be adequate depending on your sprinkler output. If using a hose sprinkler, be sure to move the sprinkler to multiple locations in the yard to ensure even and thorough watering or use a multi-valve hose timer with multiple hoses and sprinklers. 10-15 minutes per station should be adequate. Avoid heavy watering
during this stage as it can wash the seed away. If the water is puddling, shorten the time per watering.
Third to fourth week after aeration: Water longer but less often.
The seed should be germinating by this point. Deep soakings are the objective now, allowing the roots to develop and reach further into the ground before winter and colder weather stunt their development. Decrease watering to 2-3 days a week. Increase your time by 5-10 minutes per watering. Only skip your watering schedule after a rainfall if it is a deep soaking rain (1/2”–1”).
Other Notes:
- Don’t mow your lawn for a week after your aeration. New grass is tender and tends to pluck out rather than cut if mowed too soon.
- Skip mowing for 7-10 days to allow the newly seeded grass a chance to germinate and take hold before putting any stress on it.
- Be diligent in your watering and results will follow.