Walking on a wet lawn compacts the soil making it much harder for the grass roots to access the water and air they need to thrive. When the lawn is dry enough, it can be gently raked. The crowns of newly growing grass in spring are tender and can be damaged by over-zealous raking. Spring Seeding Research clearly shows that the ideal time to establish turf grasses in our climate is very late summer through early fall. The second best time is spring, but spring seeding should only be viewed as a temporary solution so your lawn looks good for the summer.
Lawn grass seeded in fall has good long-term survival prospects.
Lawn grass seeded in spring does not last as long, nor will it be as healthy. Bachman s suggests if you need to seed this spring, do it in May and mark your calendar to remind yourself to overseed the same areas this fall. Overseeding large areas is best accomplished with a slit or power seeder. There are several varieties of grasses that perform well in our area including bluegrass, rye and creeping red fescue. There are also many custom blends and a grass seed that is more salt tolerant than others.