Aeration/Seeding/White Pine Needles - Ask Extension
I am considering aerating and reseeding my lawn. My problem is I have white pine trees bordering my property and during the fall they drop many needle...
Knowledgebase
Aeration/Seeding/White Pine Needles #474968
Asked August 01, 2018, 8:52 AM EDT
I am considering aerating and reseeding my lawn. My problem is I have white pine trees bordering my property and during the fall they drop many needles on my lawn. I also have a large maple tree in my back yard which will be dropping leaves. Is there a time when I can be successful in growing the new seeds? When the needles and leaves fall I use a lawn sweeper to sweep them up. I am concerned that I will be unsuccessful because I will be sweeping up the seeds and unrooting new grass.
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
This is a tough situation. You may want to seed mid to late August. Once the new grass comes up and the leaves/needles drop you can lay some netting under the trees and collect the leaves. Or you can decide to seed in late February - early April. If you have not tested your soil in the last several years you can do this now. https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/soils/soil-testing
Here is our website on seeding https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/plants/seedingsodding-lawns
Also, if the area is mostly shade under and around the pine trees, consider leaving the pine needles as mulch under the pines. The maple trees - you may want to lightly mulch the area under the canopy of the tree or plant a groundcover to reduce the lawn area. It can be difficult to grow grass in this location as there is a lot of competition for moisture and nutrients.
mh
Here is our website on seeding https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/plants/seedingsodding-lawns
Also, if the area is mostly shade under and around the pine trees, consider leaving the pine needles as mulch under the pines. The maple trees - you may want to lightly mulch the area under the canopy of the tree or plant a groundcover to reduce the lawn area. It can be difficult to grow grass in this location as there is a lot of competition for moisture and nutrients.
mh
