Early fall is the best time to sow seed – spring is fine too, but you’ll have to weed and water more often while the grass is getting established.
Grass seed comes in a variety of mixes, including those for hard wear (ideal for a family lawn), for shade, and for the golf-green look. Broad-bladed grasses are used for the hardest wear, while fine grasses are reserved for purely ornamental lawns, which need a great deal more care and attention.
The most even way to sow is to use a mechanical spreader from the garden center or tool rental. Measure out the quantity of seed needed for the area, following the package instructions to the letter-too little seed means sparse cover, too much can cause overcrowding and the possibility of disease. Use half the seed to sow the area in one direction and sow the remainder at right angles to the first, to get an even cover.
Weigh out the quantity needed for one section, divide it in half and put it in a plastic cup. Shake the seed level and mark this level on the inside of the cup, so that you can simply refill it rather than weighing the seed each time.
Spread a light covering of straw to serve as a mulch. If birds are likely to be a problem, cover the seeded area with fine mesh plastic netting secured with stones at the edges.
Germination should start in 7-21 days, and it’s important to mist the netting, in dry weather. When the grass is 1 in/2.5cm high, remove the netting and when it reaches 2 in/5cm give it a light trim back to 1 in/2.5cm. Rake up the clippings if your mower doesn’t have a grass catcher and continue mowing as needed, keeping the height at 1 in/2.5cm. Once the grass is well established, you can mow at the highest recommended height for the grass variety, never removing more than the top one-third of the grass blade.
Any weeds should be dealt with quickly before they swamp the grass seedlings. Dig out weeds carefully while they are still small or spot treat them with a low-toxicity weedkiller that will not harm the grass. And try to keep off the lawn for the first three or four months so that you don’t damage the young grass.
Image: by sacks08
Related posts:
