Most people recognize the fact that winter is the time of year when plants hibernate. As the leaves begin to fall off of the trees and the blooms disappear, you might be thinking it’s the perfect time to relax with your landscaping routine. However, if you want your lawn to reach its full potential, taking the winter off is actually a bad idea. The truth is that if you want to grow an amazing lawn in the spring and summer, it starts in the winter. Grass usually goes into a dormant state in the winter, meaning that it is not in growth mode. That doesn’t mean you can’t lay down grass seeds to get a head start in the spring.

Dormant seeding is the act of laying down grass seeds during the winter months. It usually occurs in between snowy and freezing weather, but it all depends on the region that you live in. Yes, the seeds are inactive throughout the winter, but dormant seeding still serves an important purpose. You can target specific areas of your lawn that seem to be dealing with issues. For example, if you notice an area of your lawn that seems to be struggling to grow, you might want to plant some seeds in the winter to get it growing in the spring. If the concept of dormant seeding is new to you or you are wondering why it can be so beneficial, this article is for you. Below, we are going to discuss some of the main benefits of dormant seeding so that you understand just how beneficial it can be for your lawn.

Dormant Seeding Benefit #1 – Seeds Can Settle for the Spring

One of the biggest benefits of practicing dormant seeding in the winter is that you are giving the grass seed time to settle. That means they will be held in place over the winter until they are ready to germinate in the spring. The ground usually is a lot drier in the winter months. This can create crevices and cracks for the grass seeds to settle into. That way, you know that the grass seeds won’t blow away and will be held in place until they start growing in the spring. This is a huge benefit for those landscapers out there with yards that are patchy or have problem areas. You can plant your grass seeds in the area of your choice and get peace of mind knowing that they will be settled for the spring.

Dormant Seeding Benefit #2 – Fix What You Missed in the Fall

The fall is another great season for planting grass seeds, but sometimes we get too busy to head outside and address any problem areas of our lawn. That’s another huge plus of dormant seeding in the winter. By heading outside with grass seeds in hand when the weather is cold, you can take care of any areas of your lawn that you weren’t able to address in the fall. There’s nothing worse than a bare spot in the middle of your yard. The good news is that dormant seeding provides landscapers with an opportunity to fix things before the spring. If you weren’t able to head outside and plant grass seeds in the fall, make sure you don’t let dormant seeding slip by as well.

Dormant Seeding Benefit #3 – Less Water Needed

Another huge benefit of practicing dormant seeding on your lawn is that you will have to water your lawn a lot less in the winter. When the weather starts to warm up, all of the moisture that is trapped in the soil is released. This gives all of the new grass seeds as well as the existing grass a great opportunity to grow in strong during the spring. If you wait to lay down grass seeds in the spring, you might have to wait for the rainy season before you actually start to see results. With the dormant seeding approach, your seeds will be ready to germinate as soon as the weather starts to heat up. That means you can get a nice head start on the lawn of your dreams by putting in some dormant seeding work in the winter. You also won’t be using as much water as you would in the spring, which can be very beneficial for your monthly water bills. This is yet another reason why dormant seeding can be so valuable.

Tips for Dormant Seeding

Now that you know just how beneficial dormant seeding can be for your landscaping, you probably are wondering what the best approach is. The best time for dormant seeding is usually in February, although you should account for the weather in your area as well before you begin. Technically you can practice dormant seeding for the entire winter as long as all of the dead leaves have been removed from your lawn. The key is to wait until your grass goes dormant before you head outside and start seeding. Just remember that February is usually your best bet. Once you purchase your dormant grass seeds, you should focus on targeting the areas that seem to be having trouble with growth.

Dormant seeding provides landscapers with a great opportunity to fortify problem areas of their lawn and give themselves a great germination rate in the spring. You can address the areas of your yard that are having problems and put yourself in a position for landscaping success in the future. It’s a fairly simple process that can reward you with a fuller and greener lawn when the weather starts to warm up again. With dormant seeding, you can help your new grass seeds settle for the spring, avoid using as much water as you would in the warmer months, and take care of any problem areas you missed in the fall. As a reminder, if you have any landscaping questions or if you would like to purchase the highest quality landscaping products on the market, reach out to Cal Blend Soils today.