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Reseeding your lawn can help eliminate thin or patchy portions of grass. If you’re paying a professional to aerate your lawn, it’ll cost you an additional $50 to $80 on average to reseed it  in the same trip. Reseeding a lawn yourself can cost between $500 to $1,000, meaning you’ll probably save time and money hiring a professional service. 

This depends on the type of grass seed, as some types do better in different environmental conditions. Cool-season grasses go dormant during the summer months when the soil temperature exceeds 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Once exposed to regular doses of heat, the germination rates decline, with seedling death not far behind. 

As for warm-season seeds, they come from tropical parts of the world and thrive in heat. They actively grow in warm air temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and they prefer soil temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Once temperatures dip and frost rolls in, if you don’t store them properly, warm-season grass seeds will die quickly.

While hydroseeding is designed for bare soil, it is possible to apply it over an existing lawn with certain adjustments. For the new seed to be successful, it needs good seed-to-soil contact to germinate and take root. Without proper preparation, most of the new seed will fail to establish and will die. To hydroseed over existing grass, first mow the lawn as low as possible, then loosen and clear any exposed soil. It is also recommended to use a finer mulch mixture in the hydroseed spray, which helps the seeds penetrate the existing turf and reach the soil without suffocating the established grass.

The best time to plant grass seed depends on your local climate and whether you have cool-season or warm-season grass.

For cool-season grasses (like tall fescue), the ideal time to seed is late summer or early fall (typically August and September). During this period, the soil is still warm from the summer, but the air is cooler, creating optimal conditions for germination and root establishment before winter. There is also less competition from weeds. Spring is a secondary option, but cooler soil temperatures, the risk of a late frost, and less time for the grass to mature before summer heat can make it less successful.

For warm-season grasses (like St. Augustine), the best time to plant is from late spring through mid-summer (typically May and June), when temperatures are consistently between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

In general, it is best to avoid seeding during winter or early spring, as cold soil and air can prevent seeds from germinating. For recommendations tailored to your specific grass type and climate, consider consulting a local lawn care professional.