Skip to main content
Customize by ZIP Code
Menu Search User Account
Home Home
Scotts

Main Navigation (US)

  • Shop

    • Scotts Program

    • Grass Seed

    • Insect, Grub, & Disease Control

    • Lawn Food

    • Mulch & Garden

    • Outdoor Cleaners

    • Scotts Bundles

    • Scotts® ProVista™

    • Spreaders

    • Tools & Accessories

    • Weed Control

    • Featured Products

      Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn
      Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn® Sun & Shade
      Main Image
      Scotts® Turf Builder® Halts Crabgrass Preventer with Lawn Food
    • Featured Articles

      Pitchfork planted into garden bed around plants.
      3 Simple Ways to Spring Open Your Lawn & Garden with Scotts® and Miracle-Gro®
      Illustration of a person filling a spreader.
      Spring Lawn Care Tips
  • Learn

    • Spring Lawn Care

    • Backyard Transformations

    • Grass & Grass Seed

    • Insect & Grub Control

    • Lawn Basics

    • Lawn Disease Control

    • Lawn Food

    • Lawns Matter

    • Mulch & Garden

    • Other Lawn Problems

    • The Scotts Way

    • Spreaders, Mowing & Tools

    • Watering

    • Weed Control

    • Featured Products

      Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn
      Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn® Sun & Shade
      Main Image
      Scotts® Turf Builder® Halts Crabgrass Preventer with Lawn Food
    • Featured Articles

      Illustration of a person filling a spreader.
      Spring Lawn Care Tips
      A fertilizer spreader sitting on a green lawn.
      The Questions People Ask Most About Grass Seed
  • Plan

    • Build A Plan

    • Get The App

    • Mulch Calculator

    • Featured Products

      Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn
      Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn® Sun & Shade
      Main Image
      Scotts® Turf Builder® Halts Crabgrass Preventer with Lawn Food
    • Featured Articles

      Illustration of a person filling a spreader.
      Spring Lawn Care Tips
      A lawn with green grass.
      How to Tackle a Lawn Makeover
  • Purpose

Search

Free shipping on all orders over $35!

Lawn Spreader in Lawn

Grass & Grass Seed

Find out how to grow a new lawn or repair the one you have. Find everything you need to know about grass and grass seed at Scotts.

Grass Seed

How to Overseed a Thin Lawn

If your lawn is looking thin and worn, overseeding can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you've always wanted.

Scotts Elite Spreader for fertilizing sitting in a lawn.

Reinvigorate Your Lawn

Is your lawn looking weak and thin? Overseeding can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you've always wanted. By spreading grass seed over your existing lawn, you can thicken up the thin areas, and your lawn will start to look terrific again. (This is different from reseeding, which is when you start over and plant a completely new lawn.)

Skip down to how to overseed.

When to Overseed

In the North, the best time to overseed your lawn is in the fall, when the soil is still warm but the air is cooler, and there are fewer weeds for new grass to compete against. Since your trees are starting to shed their leaves, there's plenty of sunlight. However, if you are unable to overseed the lawn in the fall, your next best time is the spring. If you live in the South, the best time for overseeding is late spring through mid-summer, since warm-season grasses need warmer soil temperatures to germinate.

Thick'R Lawn Sun & Shade for lawn growth next to a fertilizer spreader in a lawn.

Why Overseed?

Over time, grass gets old and needs to be replaced. Worn-out lawns invite weeds. Overseeding is a fast, inexpensive way to help bring your lawn back to its lush, green self without tearing everything out and starting over.

 

1. Mow Low

Before overseeding your thin lawn, cut your grass shorter than normal and bag the clippings. After mowing, rake the lawn to help loosen the top layer of soil and remove any dead grass and debris. This will give the grass seed easy access to the soil so it can root more easily after germinating.

 

2. Choose a Grass Seed

Which type of grass seed you choose depends on your existing grass type. If your lawn consists of cool-season grasses, choose a product specially designed to thicken thin lawns, like Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™, which combines grass seed, fertilizer, and a soil improver into an easy-to-use product you apply with a spreader. If your lawn has a warm-season grass or you are unsure of the best grass for your area, the people at your neighborhood garden center can help you choose the right Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed Mix for your lawn. If you don't know what type of grass you have, consult our Identify Your Grass article.

 

3. Improve the Soil

If you're using grass seed to overseed your lawn instead of Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™, it's a good idea to rake in a thin, 0.25-inch layer of enriched soil over your lawn to help the seed settle in. Don't put so much down that you kill your existing grass; less than a quarter of an inch is plenty. Scotts® Turf Builder® LawnSoil™ works well for this purpose.

 

4. Spread the Seed

You've cut the lawn short, raked it, and removed any debris. Now comes the easiest part of the overseeding process: Just fill up your spreader, adjust the setting according to the label directions, and apply. Don't have a spreader yet? The Scotts® Whirl™ Hand-Powered Spreader is an excellent choice for small lawns—it's simple to use and spreads product quite smoothly. For larger lawns, check out How to Choose Lawn Products and Spreaders for the best spreader recommendation for your yard.

 

5. Feed and Water

To give your new grass seedlings the essential nutrients they need for fast growth, apply Scotts® Turf Builder® Starter® Food for New Grass after you've spread the grass seed. (No need to do this with Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick’R Lawn™ since it already contains a fertilizer.) Afterward, no matter which product you used to overseed, be sure to keep the soil consistently moist by lightly watering once or twice a day until the seedlings have reached the height of the rest of your lawn. For more information, check out our in-depth watering article.

Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed Tall Fescue Mix
Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed Tall Fescue Mix
Learn More
Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn
Scotts® Turf Builder® Thick'R Lawn® Sun & Shade
Learn More
Scotts® Elite Spreader
Scotts® Elite Spreader
Learn More

Related Articles

Whether you are just starting out, maintaining or troubleshooting, you'll find advice and answers here for all your lawn care needs.

A lawn with Bentgrass.
Related Article
Identify Your Grass

There are about a dozen different grasses, and most lawns contain a mixture of them. Find yours.

Learn More
2022-06-30
2022-06-30
Scotts
136
70
/en-us/library/grass-grass-seed/how-overseed-thin-lawn
https://www.scotts.com/sites/g/files/oydgjc106/files/styles/large/public/asset_images/080317_MW_0109_V1_320x180.jpg?itok=QgIdHykH
phone
Call us with questions.1-888-270-3714
contact us
Send us an email.Contact us

Main navigation (US)

  • Shop

    • Scotts Program

    • Grass Seed

    • Insect, Grub, & Disease Control

    • Lawn Food

    • Mulch & Garden

    • Outdoor Cleaners

    • Scotts Bundles

    • Scotts® ProVista™

    • Spreaders

    • Tools & Accessories

    • Weed Control

  • Learn

    • Spring Lawn Care

    • Backyard Transformations

    • Grass & Grass Seed

    • Insect & Grub Control

    • Lawn Basics

    • Lawn Disease Control

    • Lawn Food

    • Lawns Matter

    • Mulch & Garden

    • Other Lawn Problems

    • The Scotts Way

    • Spreaders, Mowing & Tools

    • Watering

    • Weed Control

  • Plan

    • Build A Plan

    • Get The App

    • Mulch Calculator

  • Purpose

Social Media

  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Download Our App

My Lawn App by Scotts helps simplify your lawn care.

Footer menu

  • Check Order Status
  • Return Policy
  • Promotion Terms
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Notice
  • About Cookies
  • About Interest Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Site Map
  • Our Brands
  • Investor Relations
  • Careers
  • Responsible Bug Disclosure Program

© 2002-2022 The Scotts Company LLC. World rights reserved.