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While it’s possible to grow grass seeds by throwing them down, this isn’t the best way to plant them. By amending and prepping the soil beforehand, you’re providing optimal contact between seed and soil for a better chance at germination. If you throw them down without preparing the soil beforehand, seeds are more likely to blow away, get eaten by hungry birds, or never grow.

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.

Speeding up grass seed germination is possible, but it requires quite a bit of extra work and commitment. Keeping the soil moist is key, but here are a few other tried-and-true methods for growing your new grass as quickly as possible:

• Mist grass up to eight times per day to keep the soil moist.

• Purchase a moisture-retaining seed coating for your grass seeds.

• Amend soil that is compacted or in the wrong pH range.

• Choose the right grass seed for your area’s climate and soil conditions.

• Avoid planting on windy days or during periods of extreme rain or drought.

First, you should figure out whether you have dormant or dead grass. Dead grass won’t come back, so you’ll have to reseed if you’re hoping for a lush lawn. However, grass can go dormant if it hasn’t received enough water or if temperatures are too cold. If it’s still decently warm outside, you can revive dormant grass by watering it. But if it’s mid-January in New England, for example, you’ll need to wait until the weather warms up again. If you want to keep grass green in winter, consider a grass like Kentucky bluegrass, which maintains its color year-round.