Is It Too Late To Overseed Lawn

Question From: Belvidere, Illinois, United States
Q: Is it too late to overseed the lawn here in Northern stateline Illinois? How about bare spot seeding, or should I wait for spring? Thank-you,

A: JOHN, The pros say six weeks before the first frost. Lots of folks push it and have good luck. I planted grass seed on October 15th last year and it sprouted and most of it survived one of the worst winters in history. I spread a bit of compost first, spread the seed, lightly tamped down to make contact with the soil and covered it with a floating row cover, which I left in place for 3 weeks. Bottom line, if your a gambler ---- do it now. If not, wait until spring. The soil needs to be 50 degrees for germination. Good Luck, Nancy.