Cover the seeds or mix them in the soil If you don't have soil to put on top of the seeds, the seed should be put into the soil; about 1/3 to ½ inch deep. After sowing the seed, use a rake to drive the seed into the soil and smooth the surface. Depending on the type of grass you are growing, germination can take between five and 21 days. Expect your new lawn to take four to 10 weeks to take root well and establish.
Most grasses will take a full season to mature to the point where they are ready for constant foot traffic. In many climates, the best time to plant grass seeds is in autumn. The still-warm soil of late August, September, October or November encourages optimal root growth, while cold air temperatures discourage overgrowth of the upper part. This is perfect for establishing turf grasses and promoting extensive root growth.
It also makes grass more resistant to drought and better access soil nutrients. In addition, in most regions, autumn also brings with it an increase in rainfall. This means you won't have to pull out the hose and sprayer as often. When watering a newly planted lawn, the key is to keep the top of the soil constantly moist, but not soggy.
You may need to spray the planted area once a day, possibly more if it's hot and dry outside. Once the seeds begin to germinate, try to keep the top 2 inches of soil moist until the new grass reaches a cutting height of about 3 inches. After that, reduce watering to about twice a week, soaking the soil deeper (about 6 to 8 inches) each time to encourage grass roots to grow deep into the soil. For small areas, it is easy to sow grass seeds by hand.
For planting grass seeds in small areas, manual sowing is fine. For larger areas, you'll want to use a planter. They can be models with a crank handle, mounted on the chest or pushed from behind. Another option is a droplet seeder, which drops the seeds directly below.
They are a good choice for small areas and are more accurate than rotary models. There are also more expensive commercial sowing options. Knowing how to properly plant grass seeds is key to growing a lush and healthy lawn that will withstand extreme weather conditions. Keeping turf seeds and seedlings constantly moist but not soggy is critical to successful lawn planting efforts.
While planting grass seeds is an option for all lawns, it is more widely used to fill in bare areas. Growing a new lawn from grass seed is one of the easiest and most satisfying home improvement tasks a homeowner can tackle. The seeds are sold as pure seeds of one variety, mixtures (several types of the same variety) and mixtures (mixtures of seeds of different varieties). Time is of the essence, so find out when to plant grass seeds in your area to make sure your lawn has the best odds of success.
For spring sowing, it is absolutely essential that you continue to regularly water the seeds and germinated grass throughout the rest of spring, summer and well into autumn. Once the seeds germinate and the grass seedlings begin to grow, make the gradual transition to watering less often but more intensively. All your hard work so far will be worthless unless you keep an eye on fledgling grass seeds and attend to their needs as they emerge. Different types of grass seeds and fertilizers require different spreader configurations for optimal coverage.
No matter how big or small your job is, success always starts with selecting the best grass seed for your region. Whether it's filling in an empty spot left by Fido or a wayward snowplow, or installing a new lawn after a construction project, learning how to plant grass seeds is a must for most homeowners. In addition to getting a high-quality turf seed that suits your climate, you should also consider the unique properties of your lawn. First enacted in 1939 and amended five times since then, the Seed Act requires seed sellers to provide consumers with valuable information on seed labels.
If you spread the seed by hand, it's a little easier to see, but dropping the seeds from different angles helps. . .
