Will Overseeding Get Rid of Weeds? What You Need to Know

Weeds are the bane of every homeowner’s existence. No matter how meticulous your lawn care routine, they always seem to pop up and ruin your beautifully manicured grass. While there are several ways to get rid of weeds, like hand pulling or using herbicide, many homeowners are turning to overseeding as a natural way to crowd out and minimize weeds.

But will overseeding actually get rid of your weed problem for good? Let’s take a look,

What Is Overseeding?

When you overseed, you add grass seed to a lawn that is already there. This is done to make the grass denser, improve its color, and fill in areas where it is bare or thinning.

The goal is to get so much grass growing that there’s no room for weeds to creep in. When you overseed, the grass seeds you sow will germinate and the new seedlings will knit together with your existing grass to form a lush, thick lawn.

How Overseeding Helps Eliminate Weeds

There are a few ways that overseeding helps eliminate and prevent weeds:

• It crowds them out By filling in bare spots and increasing turf density, there are fewer places for weeds to take hold The thicker your lawn, the harder it is for weeds to establish themselves.

• It makes your lawn more competitive. Overseeding makes the grass stronger, giving it an advantage over weed seeds. Healthy, thick grass will be better able to compete for food and water.

• It corrects issues that allow weeds. Fixing compaction, poor drainage, or nutrient deficiencies through aeration, topdressing, and fertilization provides a better environment for your grass to thrive, so weeds can’t gain a foothold.

• It accelerates turf growth. Overseeding kickstarts rapid grass growth. The faster your lawn grows in, the less opportunity for weeds to invade.

So, overseeding doesn’t kill weeds directly, but it makes it hard for them to stay alive. A lush, dense lawn is a weed-resistant lawn.

When to Overseed to Prevent Weeds

Timing is key for overseeding success. In general, it’s best to overseed when:

• Temperatures are consistently below 80 degrees F. Cooler fall temperatures allow for better seed germination.

• Rainfall is moderate. You need moisture to germinate seeds, but overwatering causes issues.

• Weed pressure is low. Overseeding when weeds are dormant prevents them from gaining a foothold.

The optimal time is early fall. But you can also overseed in early spring or late fall depending on your climate and turfgrass type. Just avoid overseeding in summer when weeds thrive.

Proper timing gives your grass the head start it needs to choke out weeds.

Does Overseeding Get Rid of Existing Weeds?

Unfortunately, overseeding alone won’t get rid of weeds that are already established in your lawn. The newly seeded grass generally won’t be able to outcompete mature weeds.

Before overseeding, it’s important to remove existing weed growth through:

• Hand pulling small weeds
• Selective herbicide spot treatment for larger infestations
• Power raking to remove thatch and expose weed roots

Eliminating current weeds prevents them from crowding out the new grass seedlings. Overseeding works to prevent new weeds but won’t remove mature weeds.

Overseeding Best Practices for Weed Control

To maximize the weed-fighting power of overseeding, be sure to:

• Use quality grass seed suited to your climate. Improved cultivars germinate better and tolerate traffic, drought, and disease.

• Prepare the soil by aerating, dethatching, and pH adjusting. This alleviates compaction, removes debris, and corrects issues for better growth.

• Maintain proper watering schedules. Lightly water the seeds two or three times a day until they sprout. Then water deeply 1-2 times a week.

• Allow 4-6 weeks before first mowing. Mowing too soon risks pulling up newly rooted seedlings. Let them establish first.

• Fertilize 4-6 weeks after germination to feed new growth. Use a starter fertilizer to encourage root establishment.

Following best practices ensures your new grass grows in thick and strong, leaving little room for weeds to take over.

Alternative Ways to Eliminate Weeds

If overseeding alone doesn’t give you the weed control you desire, some alternative options include:

• Preemergent herbicides: Applied in early spring, these prevent summer and fall annual weeds like crabgrass. Use alongside overseeding in fall.

• Corn gluten meal: Works as an organic preemergent by inhibiting root formation in emerging weeds. Apply early spring and fall.

• Vinegar: Non-selective herbicides like horticultural vinegar kill existing weeds via foliar application. Use for spot treatment of broadleaf and grassy weeds.

• Soil solarization: Heating moist soil under a plastic tarp kills weed seeds and seedlings. Do for 2-6 weeks in summer to prep for fall overseeding.

• Flame weeding: Uses a propane torch to scorch and destroy emerging weeds. Effective on young annuals.

An integrated approach combing overseeding with other methods delivers the best weed control. Overseeding strengthens your turf while other tactics target weeds.

Overseeding Works Over Time

While overseeding is an effective weed deterrent, don’t expect overnight results. It takes planning, patience, and persistence for overseeding to reach its full weed-fighting potential.

But the payoff is worth it. A lush, dense lawn that chokes out weeds year after year. By overseeding regularly, you can break the weed cycle and enjoy a thicker, greener, healthier lawn naturally with less weed pressure over time.

Overseeding gives your grass the competitive boost it needs to dominate rather than weeds. So while it may not eliminate every weed immediately, overseeding can significantly and sustainably reduce weed problems in your lawn when done properly.