How to Plant Grass Seed

If you have a new home and this is the first lawn a few things are different. Mainly all you will have to do is clean up and get the proper grade before working on seeding.

Once this is done you will have to till up the ground to make a soft seed bed. After tilling fertilize, and seed just as described above using the same amount of grass seed. Then, cover the entire lawn with straw.

Shake out straw to cover approximately 50% of the soil from view. After done you should be able to look down and still see about half of the soil showing through the straw, no more. This equates to about 100 bales per acre.

After you’re done laying down the straw it’s time to start wateringyour grass seed. Soak the lawn until runoff the first watering, followed by daily watering of sufficient length to keep the soil moist. If it dries out, the grass seed won’t germinate. Another option for your new lawn is to buy patches of sod. Sod can be a quick answer to aesthetic beauty, but be prepared to pay a pretty penny for this choice.

There are two integral elements of growing and maintaining a lush, green lawn. Those elements are watering and fertilizing.

This is a very important part of caring for your lawn grass.

 You won’t have that beautiful grass carpet you desire in your yard if you don’t give it a proper watering on a regular basis. This schedule, of course, depends on the climate in which you live.

Do some research on how much rainfall your area has gotten in the past and how much is expected. The type of weather in your area will determine what type of watering system will be best for you. If you live in a dry climate, you may need an irrigation system or automatic sprinkler system.

In fact, underground automatic sprinklers are the recommended way to water lawns. When you have such a system, watering is done when it needs it on a regular basis. You won’t have to mess with hoses or wasting water since all watering is done with a timer. However, these types of systems are quite costly and just may not be an option for you.

Most people will use commercial lawn sprinklers that can be purchased quite cheaply at any discount or home store. When you use regular lawn sprinklers, be sure to move them to different places in your yard so that the entire lawn is watered evenly. If you don’t do this, you will have some spots without water and your lawn will look uneven.

Take care that you don’t over water. Over watering your lawn causes more damage than a lack of water. That’s because most turf grasses can handle dry spells, but not flooding.

Most grasses require 1 – 1.5″ of water per week. This is enough water to moisten the soil to 4 – 6″ below the surface for clay soils and 8 – 10″ for sandy soils. Of course, natural rain will provide some of your watering needs.

Don’t guess at how much water your grass lawn is getting. Invest in a rain gauge for measuring Mother Nature’s water contribution. If at the end of the week she’s contributed enough, hold off adding more. If she comes up short, you’ll want to add some supplemental wateringto your lawn. Again, measure how much water your lawn sprinkler is putting down. You’ll have to follow local regulations when there are watering bans, but just remember that less water is acceptable and grass is a very resilient plant. When the rains do return your lawn will come back with a little encouragement on your part.

As a note, you can make a type of irrigation system on your own for lawn watering by taking a simple garden hose and poking holes in it at consistent intervals. Remember, though, that you’ll need to move the hose periodically to ensure consistent watering.

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When is the best time to plant grass seed (Part II)?

When is the best time to plant grass seed. Follow these tips for grass seed planting success.

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When is the best time for growing grass from seed?

When is the best time for Growing Grass from Seed?
Any time you are ready and can work comfortably outside!

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Laying a New Lawn from Grass Seed.

If you are thinking of starting a lawn from grass seed, there is some information you need to know before making your decision. The advantages of planting grass seed over installing sod are that it is less costly and there is more variety of grasses to choose from. Whilst there is a lot of labor involved, the beautiful results are well worth your time.

This article will contain many tips to help make the seeding process easier. When starting a grass lawn from seed, be aware that it will take a lot of care. If you are a keen gardener, this probably won’t be a problem for you. If you are replacing a very large expanse of lawn, you may want to hire someone to help you remove old sod, or hire a turf cutter. Seeding results are better if you remove old lawn grass before you begin. This can be done by removing 1 foot sections with a spade. If you are laying grass from scratch you will want to till the area in order to remove old root clumps or debris and rake it till you get the level you desire.

An important decision to be made is what type of lawn grass seed you should purchase. Take your climate into consideration, consider whether the area is shady or wet and also determine what type of soil and drainage you have. Consider also how much traffic the grass will have. This will help you make the perfect grass choice for your lawn. 

If your soil has poor drainage, you will need to add some sand to the mixture before planting the lawn grass seed. This will stop the ground becoming waterlogged. You will also want to check the pH level of your soil. Ideally, most lawns thrive with a pH level of 6.5-7.0, so if yours isn’t in this range you may need to add some amendments to attain this level. If you have decided to start your lawn from seed, one thing you should think about is how much maintenance is required once the grass is established. Some grass varieties need little or no mowing, and others require lawn mowing more often. Some also require more moisture, so watering may be necessary.

Once you have chosen your grass seed it’s time to get the soil ready. The first step you should taking after preparing the site is to add a layer of organic material to your topsoil. Some people choose not to use topsoil. In this case, use peat moss, compost and manure, and make sure this is at one inch thick at a minimum. Leave the mixture loose so that the roots of the grass seed can spread. As you can see, starting a lawn from grass seed does require quite a bit of work – but it is well worth the effort. You may also add fertilizer about a week before seeding. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions for this step. After all the preparation is complete, you are ready to seed! Again, follow manufacturer’s instructions. They will tell you how much seed to use on a certain size area. You can seed by hand or use a spreader – or both, this is completely up to you. If you have a large area it is useful to divide it into smaller sections and sow a portion of the grass seed into each section. To ensure you have an even spread sow the lawn seed in two directions. After seeding, you will need to rake the grass seed into the soil. If birds are likely to be attracted to the area you can criss cross string about 4 inches above the soil surface. Now, wait for your grass to grow! It should only take about 7-14 days before the seedlings appear.

Keep the soil moist during this time and water preferably in the evening. Use a fine mist so as not to dislodge the grass seeds. Until your lawn becomes established, try to keep pets and visitors off of the grass. Starting a lawn from seed does require effort and attention on your part. To keep you motivated during the process, just picture the lush green lawn you will have in a short time! Your neighbors will be envious.

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