Keystone Lawn Company seeds new lawns, but we can also do seeding to help renew existing lawns.  For new lawns and larger areas, we prefer to use hydro-seeding instead of straw to increase germination rates of the grass seed.  Hydro-seeding is sprayed in a liquid form, and adds a layer of organic material to help the soil retain moisture while seed is in early growth stages.  The hydro-mulch will break down into the soil as the new grass becomes established.

The ideal season for growing new grass is in the Fall.  It can also be done in the Spring, but there will be more competition with weeds. Insect pests are less prevalent in the Fall.  A weed like crabgrass is a type of annual weed that become less of a factor with the cooler Fall temperatures.  Turf-grass actively grows in the cooler fall temperatures as annual weeds are dying for the year.

For existing lawns that are in need of help, we often recommend aerating and then spreading a thin layer of compost/topsoil mixture along with grass seed.  Aerating is a relatively inexpensive method to reduce compaction of the soil.  Composting over a freshly aerated lawn helps break up some of the compaction that occurs with clay based soil, and adds organic matter to the soil.  Organic matter in the soil allows more air in the soil to allow the roots of turf-grass to grow better.  It also allows the soil to absorb moisture easier instead of the water running off the surface.  Over-seeding these composted areas will help fill in some of the bare or weed filled areas as a healthy lawn can out-compete many weeds.