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Best way to sow grass seed


How to Plant Grass Seed • GreenView

5 Steps for Planting Grass Seed

Planting grass seed is a cost-effective way to increase lawn appeal and can be done successfully by anyone. Follow these five steps to grow a vibrant green lawn:

  1. Buy the Best Grass Seed
  2. Prepare the Soil
  3. Plant Grass Seed
  4. Cover Seeds
  5. Water Often

Step 1 – Buy the best grass seed

A great lawn can only be grown from great grass seeds. To find top-quality grass seed, look for an NTEP-rated variety, which means it has been independently evaluated and rated by the National Turf Evaluation Program (NTEP). The NTEP rating on grass seeds means you are purchasing grass seeds that have been specifically bred for superior green grass color, disease and insect resistance, and drought tolerance.

Make sure to choose a grass seed that is suited for your climate. There are two kinds of grass: warm-season and cold-season. Warm-season grasses are the best fit for southern climates, growing most during summers. Warm-season grass will typically go dormant during winter. Cool-season grasses are the best fit for northern and transitionary lawn zones, growing best during moderate summers and cold winters. Cool-season grass typically remains green all year but can go dormant during high temperatures and drought.

Also, consider the location where you will be planting the grass seed. If growing grass in the shade, choose a grass seed that is specially formulated for low-light conditions such as GreenView Fairway Formula Dense Shade Grass Seed Mixture. If you are growing in an area of your lawn with abundant light, consider GreenView Fairway Formula Sunny Grass Seed Mixture.

The price of grass seed is small compared to the time that will be invested in building a great lawn. To get the best lawn results you need the best grass seed.

Shop GreenView Fairway Formula's top-rated NTEP grass seed »

Step 2 – Prepare the soil

For planting new lawns:

For overseeding an existing lawn:

Step 3 – Plant grass seed

Step 4 – Cover seeds

Step 5 – Water often

When to plant grass seed

Grass seeds can be planted in the spring and fall with good results. If you are planning a spring planting of grass seed, do not apply weed control products to the grass. Delay the weed control application until the grass seed has germinated and you have mowed the grass at least 3 times.

For a fall planting of grass seed, follow the same weed control precautions and time the seed planting to allow the grass seed to fully germinate before freezing temperatures arrive in your region.

Helpful links

How to grow grass from grass seed the easy way

Planting grass seed is a way to expand your lawn into new areas and maximize the green space around your home. You can also plant new grass seed to improve your current lawn if it’s looking a little dingy. You can even use grass seed to restart your lawn completely. 

Before you seed, start with some quick and easy prep work.

Make sure it’s the right time of year for seeding

As an easy rule, if you’re experiencing (or are about to experience) harsh temperatures you’ll want to wait until the extreme weather passes to plant your grass seed for best results. 

Either spring or fall is the best time to plant, based on your region and grass type. To keep this simple, if you’re in the northern part of the country, you’re likely in the ‘cool season’ area, meaning the best time to plant grass seeds is the fall, or typically September through November. If you’re in the southern or middle regions, you’ll likely want to plant in spring or early summer, typically March – June.

Trying to plant seed out of season may still be possible, but it can make for slower growing and hurt the chances of the new grass’s survival. Just something to keep in mind.

Use the right type of grass seed for your area

Using the same regions shown above, you’ll want to buy a grass seed type that grows best in your climate.

Pennington’s article on grass types based on more specific regions may be helpful if you’re still trying to decide.

Supplies you’ll need

Assuming that the timing is right, here’s what you’ll need to buy.

Grass seed

We recommend shopping on Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowes for fast and convenient selections. Home Depot will probably be able to provide more insight if you feel you’re still questioning what grass type or how much to buy.

Check out this article on the Spruce for the best grass seed picks in 2020.A pH Tester 

This will be used to test your soil before adding the seed. You can find these on Amazon for around $10.

Grass feeder (aka fertilizer)

Once planted, the seed will need to start growing quickly, before surrounding weeds out-grow and kill it. Grass feeder should be applied right after the seeds are planted, so be sure to add this to your cart as well.

Here are the top 10 lawn fertilizers of 2020 based on BestReviews.Guide

Lawn soil

To protect the seeds from blowing away, being burned by the sun, eaten by birds, etc. you’ll want to bury the seeds under a layer of nutrient-dense soil, like Scotts turf builder. Local nurseries and Home Depot or Lowes will have soil available, just make sure to explain your use before buying, to avoid any soil with weed seed.

3 easy steps to plant grass seed
Step 1:
Prepare the surface of the lawn

Whether you are seeding for the very first time or just overseeding your existing thinned out lawn, you need to make sure you have a good, solid foundation. Make sure to remove weeds, rocks, sticks, and other debris from the lawn. 

Check any uneven areas so you can try to level the ground before laying down any seed. This will help prevent water from collecting and pooling in low areas, which will cause the seed to rot.

Loosen the soil

If your soil is compacted, you will need to loosen at least the top four inches of soil. You can use a tiller or rake. This will allow air flow and will provide the best chance for vigorous growth.

You can also scatter out a thin layer of topsoil over the lawn at this stage. Since it is freshly laid, it will not be compacted, allowing good airflow. Make sure to keep enough left for coverage at the end. 

Applying topsoil will also level out the lawn for a nice and even look, which will also help you avoid puddles when you are watering. If you encounter divots or holes, this is a good time to fill them in to prevent problem areas once the grass starts growing.

Step 2: Enrich your soil with nutrients to help grass seeds grow

If you’re planting new grass seed because your lawn is dead or struggling to grow, there may be deeper issues to address with your soil.

This is where you’ll need to get out your pH tester. Ideally, the pH for most grass types is between 6.0 and 7.0. 

If your soil’s pH is under 6.0, it is too acidic, meaning it needs nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Lime (aka limestone) can be applied to the soil to help increase the soil pH and make those nutrients more available.

If your soil’s pH is above a 7, add compost, peat, sulfur, or fertilizer to lower the pH.

Step 3: Lay and feed the grass seed 

When laying down seeds, you must do a pretty heavy application for a brand new lawn.  Try to maintain an even application over the entire area so that everything gets covered.

Alternatively, you need lighter coverage when overseeding an existing lawn. Put more grass seed in sparse areas to promote growth.

To lay the seed, you can just use your bare hands or a spreader for larger areas. 

Cover up the seeds or work the seeds into the soil 

When seed is only applied to the surface level of the ground, it will dry out quickly and will not germinate. It might also get washed away by water or wind.

Add another thin layer of the soil that you purchased onto your lawn to bury the seeds. 

If you do not have soil to put on top of the seeds, the seed must be worked into the soil; about ⅓ to ½ inch deep. After sowing the seed, use a rake to work the seed into the soil and smooth the surface. 

This will keep the water from evaporating immediately, thus keeping the ground moist. It also protects the seeds from wildlife. 

Add your feeder

Once the seed is applied to the soil, treat the yard with fertilizer to accelerate growth.

Maintaining your lawn after seeding
Water every single day

The final step in successfully planting grass seed is to keep the lawn adequately moisturized all the time. This is very crucial in the process.

If the seed dries out, it will die. After sowing grass seed, they will need constant and frequent watering unlike the “water deeply and less frequently” watering for mature grass. This is to help the seed germinate and develop its root system for a healthy lawn.

On the other hand, overwatering will hinder the germination process as well, so you need to use just enough water to keep the soil moist at seed depth. It should be moist, never soggy. 

You must commit to water the new or overseeded lawn at least two to three times every single day to keep the top inch of the soil moist at all times. The germination time for grass seed ranges from 5 to 30 days depending on the variety or longer in cooler temperatures.

Check moisture levels

Once the seedbed has started to establish itself and sprouts have begun to pop out, continue to check the ground’s moisture regularly. If you notice it getting dry, add some water.

Remember, these new grass seedlings have very short roots and they will still require very frequent watering so the roots can spread out. Steps one and two will just go to waste if the watering part will not be done appropriately, so your commitment is a must!

For after-care, whether you have seeded a new lawn or just filled in a bare spot, start mowing your grass after 8 weeks or until the grass has reached a mowing height. Do not cut it too short and do not cut more than one-third of its height as it will stress out the grass.

FAQs
How long does new grass seed take to grow?

Generally speaking, it takes between 7 and 30 days for grass seed germination to begin.

Can you just sprinkle grass seed on top of your existing lawn?

While it’s possible to simply sow the new grass seed over your existing lawn, taking the time to prepare your lawn beforehand will increase the likelihood of seed germination and improve your end result.

Will grass seed grow if I just throw it down?

Probably not. Some seeds on the soil’s surface will sprout, but the germination rate will diminish, and you will not be left with ideal results. 

Will grass seed germinate on top of soil?

It depends how loose your soil is. Grass seeds are not strong enough to grow through soil. They’re meant to be placed on top of loose, prepared soil. Germination can quickly suffer from too much soil on top of them.

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How to plant lawn grass - do-it-yourself lawn preparation

So! You have decided to get a lawn in your area. A reasonable question arises - when and how to plant lawn grass?
Let's start in order.

Content:

How to choose lawn grass
When to sow lawn
Preparing the soil for lawn grass
How to plant lawn grass yourself
How to care for lawn grass
Seasonal lawn care

How to choose lawn grass

The decisive issue for the choice of lawn grass mixture is its intended purpose. Usually the name of the lawn grass that you see on the packaging speaks for itself. For example:

Sports turf is a turf for high traffic areas. It can be sports and playgrounds, playgrounds for active games of dogs. Such a lawn is resistant to trampling, but grows quickly, which requires frequent mowing.

Parterre lawn - a lawn with a decorative function, serves as a backdrop for solitary plants and flower beds. It has a bright color and a beautiful sheen. Requires regular watering and space open to sunlight.

Dwarf Lawn is a lawn that contains low growing, slow growing grass species, making it easy to care for and minimizing the need for mowing. It is more often used as decorative, because it is subject to trampling.

Slope Turf - In this lawn, the grasses are selected to form a strong root layer (turf) that is able to hold the soil on the slope and prevent erosion.

When to sow lawn grass

In central Russia, lawn grass seeds can be planted immediately after the snow melts (late April - early May) and until the very end of the confidently warm season (usually October). In a later period, it is not recommended to sow the lawn, since the plants will not have time to fully get stronger before wintering, and as a result, in the spring it will be necessary to oversow, or even re-sow the lawn.

The most favorable period for sowing lawn grass is the end of April - May and September - the beginning of October.

If fresh fertile soil is brought in, it is worth waiting 1-2 weeks before sowing. After spilling the soil, wait 3-4 hours, then sow the lawn.

If sowing lawn grass is carried out in the summer, it is worth waiting for rainy cloudy days.

Do not overdo it with watering. Before germination - watering every day, then no more than 1 time per week.

The first lawn mowing is done when the grass is about 15 cm high.

Before planting the lawn, a drainage system must be established, and, if provided, an electrical supply system and an underground irrigation system.
In order for the lawn to look perfect, it is necessary to level the soil. The slope can be 1-3% to facilitate surface water runoff. A large lawn area can be given a greater slope, but not more than 30%.

Soil preparation for lawn grass

Weed removal

Removing weeds will ensure friendly seedlings, improve the appearance of the lawn and make it easier to further care for it.

Weed control methods:

Freezing is the death of underground parts of weeds in winter. To do this, in the fall it is necessary to carry out deep digging of the soil.

Suffocation - a long-term method based on repeated cutting of weeds at a shallow depth (harrowing for 2-3 years), the effect is achieved by exhausting the rhizome.

Provocation - a couple of weeks before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the soil, and when a lot of weed sprouts appear, they are loosened on the surface, thereby destroying them.

Mulching - covering the soil, depriving weeds of light. For this purpose, ripened compost is well suited, and crushed bark under trees and shrubs.

New primer is the most effective, but laborious and more expensive method. Removing the old soil and laying out the new soil with a drainage system - the soil is removed to a depth of 30 cm and laid out in layers: crushed stone, sand and black earth, and a rolled lawn is laid on top or seeds of lawn grass mixture are sown.

Herbicides - Weeds must be treated when they are actively growing, but must not be mechanically damaged. Within 5-10 days, the herbicide spreads over the entire area of ​​the plant and after 20-30 days the plant dies entirely. Approximately 15 days after the action of the preparation, the land can be cultivated. Herbicides are best applied in the fall if lawn grass is planned to be planted in the spring.


Plots on which weeds have already been removed, it would be good to protect from those that have not yet been processed.

The surface of the soil under the lawn must be leveled - there should be no mounds or holes. As a result, water will accumulate in the pits, which will lead to wetting of the grass, and the bumps will make it difficult for the lawn mower to work.

Soil fertility

The thickness of the fertile layer for the proper development of lawn grass should be at least 10 - 15 cm.
The soil should be improved, depending on its characteristics.

The soil mixture and all its components should be mixed well and embedded in detail into the soil, loosened to a depth of about 40 cm, so that the lower layers do not subsequently move upward. When carrying out these works, it is necessary to remove from the ground all parts of plants that have previously been treated with chemicals, and their roots must also be carefully removed.

In order to make it convenient to care for the edges of the lawn, it is better to fix them. Borders are usually decorated with materials such as gravel, crushed stone or pebbles. You can also use a stone border or tile - this will also look advantageous in a decorative way, and will give you access to mow the edges of the lawn, which will make mowing much easier.


How to sow lawn grass with your own hands


How to care for lawn grass


During the period of growth of a young lawn, it needs to be provided with:

A lawn is considered mature and mature after 2-3 seasons after sowing.

Seasonal lawn care


How to sow the lawn with your own hands

You have long dreamed of sowing a lawn, but you don’t know which mixture is better to choose and how to plant? In this article, we will tell you in detail how to quickly and correctly sow the lawn.

First, you need to decide which mixture to choose. This does not affect the methods and technology of sowing, but the subsequent care depends on the choice of lawn grass. Before you sow your lawn, decide for yourself how much time you will spend on lawn care. It is on this that the choice of grass mixture largely depends.

The main types of grass that are used when sowing suburban lawns:

After you have chosen the optimal mixture, you can sow the lawn with your own hands.

When can you sow your own lawn

Sowing a lawn by and large does not depend on the time of year. The period in which grass can be planted is from early spring (March-April) to late autumn (September-October). In the southern regions, you can start sowing the lawn even earlier.

In central Russia, you can sow a lawn with your own hands with the onset of all the main sowing work in the country - in April-May. Already by the first summer months you will be able to enjoy the delicate green grass.

For the northern regions, you can sow the northern lawn, designed specifically for harsh climatic conditions. Sowing time should be tied to temperature indicators - the grass sprouts from +1 0 C to +7 0 C. As soon as such a temperature is established in the proposed sowing area, the seeds can be safely sown.

How to sow the lawn

The result depends entirely on the sowing technology. In order to increase the germination of each seed, you need to know how to sow the lawn correctly.

The first stage, which will become a reliable base for your lawn, is soil preparation. It is this preparation of a place for a lawn that determines its longevity. Before sowing the lawn, you need to carefully remove the weeds and dig up the ground. Getting rid of weeds is a very important task that should not be skipped.

Next, the ground is leveled with a rake and left to rest for a week or two. For this period, you can make the necessary fertilizers (for example, dolomite flour). To properly sow a quality lawn, this step must be followed. During this break, all weeds that have not been completely removed sprout. It is weeds that can inhibit the growth of grass and, as a result, spoil the entire appearance of the lawn. Therefore, before sowing the lawn, weed the site again.

After the allotted time, the earth is rammed with a garden roller or improvised means and sprinkled with a layer of sand. If possible, the site is leveled. Sand is needed for better seed germination and soil looseness.

Now that all the preparatory work is over, let's move on to how to sow the lawn. If you do not have special seeders, then you can sow manually - there is nothing difficult about it. A handful of seeds is taken in hand and evenly scattered on the ground. Sowing is best done in two perpendicular directions. This method is also called "criss-cross". It is in such directions that any lawn should be sown correctly.

After sowing with a rake, the seeds are buried in the ground, and then they are again rolled with a roller.

K how to sow grass on the lawn

If you sow the lawn correctly, then overseeding is not required. But if the seeding technology is violated or a natural, human or other factor interferes, then additional overseeding is carried out to maintain an attractive appearance of the coating. Below are the most frequent cases when overseeding is really needed.

How to sow a lawn if there is a bald spot?

Bald patches can form for various reasons:

Before you sow a damaged lawn with grass, you need to prepare a place for overseeding. To do this, weeds are first weeded, then the earth is loosened with a rake (this is how the old grass is removed and the soil is prepared). Seeds are also sown in a cross direction, covered with a rake and rolled with a roller.

How to sow a lawn if the grass is sick and no longer grows?

Quite often, bald spots form on the lawn due to grass diseases. In this case, urgent measures are required to prevent further illness.

Before planting a new lawn, it is recommended to apply special fertilizers that will strengthen the grass and ensure its healthy growth.

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