Established lawn KBG 3 lbs per 1,000 sf.

New lawn 5 lbs per 1,000 sf.

 

The bags of seed should state the lbs per k for the new lawns and for overseeding. Usually 8-10 lbs per k for new lawns and 3-5 for overseeding. I am using tall fescue though. I have my own core aerator, but I charge $50-80 for that, $70-100 for seed, and an additional $40-60 for fertilizer/lime. Average yard I charge about $250.

 

Rent a slit seeder and set the dial for the amount of seed the lawn needs... aeration is a meaningless and messy activity and should only be done as necessary... seeding is not a purpose for aeration...

In fact most overseeded lawns will not even require a BLANKET APP of seed and could be done in a simple cost effective method that benefits the client and provides a larger Profit Margin for the LCO who knows what he's doing...

In another thread people were complaining about how inflation is eating away their profit margins and I have got to say, that this additional expense to the client for aerating as a seedbed is one of the largest rip-offs that not only waste their money but cost us in the time/profit ratio... just sayin'...

 

Rent a slit seeder and set the dial for the amount of seed the lawn needs... aeration is a meaningless and messy activity and should only be done as necessary... seeding is not a purpose for aeration...

In fact most overseeded lawns will not even require a BLANKET APP of seed and could be done in a simple cost effective method that benefits the client and provides a larger Profit Margin for the LCO who knows what he's doing...

In another thread people were complaining about how inflation is eating away their profit margins and I have got to say, that this additional expense to the client for aerating as a seedbed is one of the largest rip-offs that not only waste their money but cost us in the time/profit ratio... just sayin'...

Disagree, aeration is highly beneficial for a lawn. I have also had very good luck with core aeration followed by overseeding.
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Disagree, aeration is highly beneficial for a lawn. I have also had very good luck with core aeration followed by overseeding.
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Aeration IS beneficial for many lawns,,, however it is the silliest SEEDBED out there...

Show me the germinated results of the overseeding to Prove Me Wrong...

 

I don't know what equipment you use to aerate. But on my ride on aerator I fabricated a bracket to hold an 12 volt powered spreader. I run back across a lawn after aerating it spreading seed. Works great for me.

 

I charge $40/K for slice overseeding, $10 more per K if I aerate before or if I have to mow the lawn short if it is too tall. Min $100 for a job. Most 1/4 ac. resis in the $275 range. I DO NOT guarantee a slice overseed job in an existing lawn. Absolutely no way too tell what you think is a good germination rate vs. what a customer thinks.

If I seed bare ground I will ensure a good stand of grass tho.

 

Aeration IS beneficial for many lawns,,, however it is the silliest SEEDBED out there...

Show me the germinated results of the overseeding to Prove Me Wrong...

Been doing a few over-seeding jobs this Spring. I typically do a double pass with a reciprocating Plugr 850 for the top dress effect....then I crank out or drop spread the seed.

My Blue Bird S22 has the seed hopper in the back and not in the front where it should be.

....
Anyhow then I vetticut in 2 directions then I get crazy and break up the plugs further with my Toro TimeMaster 30 with mulch plug in....for another pass or 2.

:waving:

PS.

My yBravo 25 with a Oregon® 24.5" G6 Gator blade and mulch plug installed shows extreme promise for this duty.

**note**

...this may be the absolute best method thus far on the planet to break up those ghastly annoying shear volume of plugs left by reciprocating aerators....


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I don't like those plugs or the holes and only do that when absolutely necessary... If I can loosen and pulverize the top inch of soil UNIFORMLY and settle the seed in that layer and really SOAK it down,,, I'm thinking best seedbed ever...

But having a machine that does that in an existing lawn is near impossible, but at least the slit-seeder has a more uniform style for the tiny seeds of grass... and I agree,,, slit seeders seemed to have been engineered by morons...

 

I charge $40/K for slice overseeding, $10 more per K if I aerate before or if I have to mow the lawn short if it is too tall. Min $100 for a job. Most 1/4 ac. resis in the $275 range. I DO NOT guarantee a slice overseed job in an existing lawn. Absolutely no way too tell what you think is a good germination rate vs. what a customer thinks.

If I seed bare ground I will ensure a good stand of grass tho.

So you charge $40-$50 depending upon aerating per 1K right? If a quarter acre is around 10K then why are you charging $275 when your previously stated rate is $40-$50 per thousand?

Do you include a starter fertilizer with the overseeding?

 

I use a similar method as exact. Works very well for me.
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smallaxe is hitting the nail on the head - broadcasting seed after aeration is a waste of time and money. if you were to aerate, collect the cores, and topdress with screened compost, then you would have a great seedbed. the same would be true if you aerated, vertical mowed (to break up the cores), and then seeded, mulched (with encap), and applied a starter fertilizer. we're having great success with the 11-23-10 from russo.

 

Verticutting AFTER aeration will certainly workup the surface well for overseeding,,, but still doesn't require the aeration for any purpose, other than putting cores on top of the lawn for additional material... we should look at it as killing living grass plugs for use as seed cover...

Some of the dry sloping areas of the forest lawns in deeper shade do still have the plugs of grass(like doll hair) dotting the groundfrom years past... from that observation I would concede that in extreme areas like these barren slopes that plugging may produce clumps of grass where nonewould otherwise grow...
but,,, the rest of the forest lawns have filled in uniformly where the seed was broadcast over the ground,,, just before the first permanent snow storm last Dec... so WHY plug???(for seed???)

 

smallaxe is hitting the nail on the head - broadcasting seed after aeration is a waste of time and money.

How is it a waste of time and money?

if you were to aerate, collect the cores, and topdress with screened compost, then you would have a great seedbed.

Problem is, the goal is to get the seed to root into the soil, not the compost. Compost makes a good seed covering, if applied at the required sowing depth for the seed used, in which case you want to be applying it after you broadcast. This also means no nail heads have been hit, no time or money wasted.

Further, IMO it is inappropriate to talk of "seedbeds" and over seeding an existing lawn. Harley rakes create seedbeds .... would you use a Harley rake to prepare an existing lawn for over seeding ...... hell no