Over seeding a lawn

[slider09]

Hello

I plan to over seed our lawn once the weather warms up a little, probably wait a couple of weeks.

My intention was to cut the grass fairly short first, then sow the new grass seeds. I was wondering to help the seeds along, should I scatter the grass cuttings over the new seeds to help compost/ protect from the birds?

Thanks

 

[blup]

Don't know how big the lawn is but for repairs i applied a top dressing of john innes type top soil, roll it, spread the seed, put another thin layer of top soil on and roll that. That protects the seed from the birds. Water copiously at all stages and afterwards for a few days. Picked that up of all places during a visit to Buckingham palace and observed the ground staff working on HM’s back lawn.

Blup

 

[JohnD]

ordinary garden birds don't eat seeds they can't see. So even a light scattering of grit and peat, to cover, will protect them, and will not flatten or damage the existing grass.

I don't know why only a few birds, such as chickens, scrape up the surface with their claws looking for food.

If you cut the existing grass to half an inch or so first, it will be "bristly" and will stick up through your top dressing.