Pearl's Premium will out-compete an existing lawn if installed and maintained properly. However, this transition can take several seasons and additional effort, particularly for healthy, organic lawns.

Simplified Instructions for Over-seeding Unhealthy Existing Lawns:

• Cut lawn extremely short (ideally, right down to the dirt with a dull blade)
• Rake away clippings and dislodged thatch
• Spread Pearl's Premium grass seeds according to the concentration shown on the back of the bag
• Water in the morning for one month, then (if seeded in Spring) water once a week through first summer
• Once lawn is established, follow maintenance instructions closely
• Over-seed following season to accelerate transformation

Detailed Instructions for Over-seeding Healthy Existing Lawn and for the Ultimate Green Lawn:

• Cut lawn/weeds as low as possible, to one inch or less, with dull blade, to help kill off existing growth.
• Apply Organic Weed Killer (optional for healthy lawns): Spray Phydura, a natural product that is a non-selective grass and weed killer made from vinegar and clove oil, on the existing lawn. Be sure to follow the directions on the container. As the old grass grows back, spay Phydura again a week later. Wait three days, rake away the old, dead grass and follow the steps below.
• Remove Thatch (Fall only): Steel rake deeply (or rent dethatcher for big lawns) to loosen old clippings, thatch, sticks, and above ground roots.  In spring, surface rake only (do not de-thatch) to avoid bringing up weed seeds to the surface.
• Surface rake with yard rake to take away loosened clippings, stones and thatch.
• Lime to Make Soil Less Acidic: Test soil to find the right amount of lime to bring soil between 6 and 7 pH or just use a simple rule of thumb of top spreading one 40 pound bag of pellet lime for every 1000 sq feet of lawn to make pH more neutral. This will encourage grass growth and discourage weeds growth.
• Aerate by punching holes, to bring air and water to the roots and lessen compaction of the soil. For most lawns, do this once (or twice) per year for compacted/clay soil lawns or lawns that do not drain well. Once you have stopped using chemical fertilizer/products and soil has rebuilt up healthy microbes, aeration is not as necessary and maybe do it once every two years. Rent a self propelled core aerator (not spike aerator) that pulls up finger size soil plugs onto your lawn that melt away natually. It is helpful to water the night before you aerate to moisten the lawn. Scientific evidence suggests aeration and cutting tall with a sharp blade makes a measurable difference in the long term health, quality and look of the lawn. An aerated lawn favors grass and lessens weeds. A compacted lawn favors weeds!
• Add Nutrients: Spread small amount of organic compost, 1/4 inch layer which equals 3/4 cu. yard for every 1,000 sq ft to help start seeds. This fertilizes your lawn for a year and helps keep out future weeds and grubs. Chose organic compost or fertilizer for healthiest living environment.
• Spread seed at 15 seeds per square inch (at this rate a 5# bag covers 1,000 square feet) or spread extra thick at 25 seeds per square inch (at this rate use 8# to cover 1,000 square feet) to ensure a thick lawn. Apply with a spreader going in two directions at right angles to each other for even spread. Gently rake into soil to just barely be covered.
• Consider Hydro-Seeding: You may want to hire a professional to HYDRO-SEED if you your lawn has  substantial slope or your are seeding under doubtful weather conditions (e.g. early/late season frost or late spring/late summer heat). Make sure they add a tackifier (a glue like mixture) to the HYDRO-SEED mix to ensure the seeds stay in place until germination occurs.
• Roll Seeds into Dirt with an empty to 1/4-full roller (no more water than 1/4 to not compact soil). Rolling seeds in for good soil contact is especially important if you have any kind of slope to prevent erosion.
• Water every day (if it does not rain) for 3 weeks in the early morning for 20-30 minutes or whatever length of time that moistens down to one inch. Set up an automatic timer if you cannot do it regularly. In warmer weather or for well-drained soil, water a second time for 20 minutes at 3 pm. Never water after 5 pm in the evening to avoid encouraging fungal disease.  After 3 weeks, cut back to watering every 2 days, for the next 2 weeks.  Adjust watering for your soil to stay moist but avoid puddling overnight. If you seed in the spring, supplemental watering may be required (for the first year only) during hot summer (or drought) periods. In such cases, water one inch, once per week, in the morning. If you seed in the fall, after one month of watering you can stop watering. Watering to get established is essential but after that watering will actually help the weeds and old grasses more than the Pearl's Premium.
• Over-seed Next Season: Cut with sharp blade when lawn is dry; cut grass in stages, 1/3 of grass height at a time, cutting back to 1” tall; rake away clippings, and over-seed at the same rate or heavier rate to later shade the soil and prevent weeds from starting in June. This second seeding (over-seeding) is very important to help out-compete weeds, cover any bald patches and correct erosion/damage and thicken the lawn. Water for a month (same as above), over-seeding to thicken lawn.
• Weed Control: A thick, healthy lawn, cut with a sharp blade 3+ inch tall, that was aerated, with proper pH and a ¼” of top-spread organic compost has few weeds!  For the first year, lower expectations and expect some weeds or to get rid of them, aerate 2x per year, cut 3+ inches high with a sharp blade and heavily over-seed (8 pounds per 1,000 square feet with Pearl’s Premium) to help out compete weeds. Then, spread corn gluten in the first week of April to selectively prevent broadleaf weeds, along with some optional hand pulling to control weeds. Over-seed again a month later.

Enjoy your lush organic lawn!

Questions? See our FAQ page.

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For a copy of these instructions in a printable, pdf format, click here.