How to Overseed With a Drag Mat
Drag mats take the place of garden rakes to overseed large areas. The drag mat can be purchased from home and garden centers, or it can be homemade from chain link fencing, using a piece of fencing that measures 4 feet wide by 4 feet long. A rope is tied to each corner of the fencing, and the homemade drag mat can be pulled by hand or attached to a lawn tractor. The purpose of the drag mat is to cover the seed with dirt or other organic material.
Mow the lawn before applying grass seed to the lawn area. Keep the height of the grass 1-and-1/2 to 2 inches high.
Run the lawn core aerator over the existing lawn. The aerator should remove 20 to 40 soil cores per square foot.
- Drag mats take the place of garden rakes to overseed large areas.
- The drag mat can be purchased from home and garden centers, or it can be homemade from chain link fencing, using a piece of fencing that measures 4 feet wide by 4 feet long.
Place the grass seed into the drop spreader. Apply the correct rate of seed by following the label directions on the packaging. Run the drop spreader in an east-west direction first. Refill the drop spreader. Run it in a north-south direction. This will evenly distribute the seed.
Pull the drag mat over the lawn in the same directional pattern as the drop spreader in Step 3. The drag mat will break up the soil cores and work the seed below the existing grass blades.
- Place the grass seed into the drop spreader.
- Apply the correct rate of seed by following the label directions on the packaging.
Irrigate the new grass seed twice a day. Keep the seedbed moist.
Mow the new grass once the overall height exceeds 2 inches. Keep the new grass and existing lawn mowed to height of 2 inches.
Tip
When irrigating overseeded areas do not over-water where puddles are formed over the seed. The excess water will drown the seeds and cause them to rot.
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Tips
- When irrigating overseeded areas do not over-water where puddles are formed over the seed. The excess water will drown the seeds and cause them to rot.
