Keeping Your Lawn Beautiful
Like your body, your car and your relationships, your lawn requires a certain amount of maintenance to keep it ticking along. Use correctly balanced lawn fertiliser during the active growing season and remember that frequent light fertilising is always better than a heavy, once-in-a-blue-moon approach.
Dont be tempted to cut a newly seeded lawn too soon. The rule for a healthy lawn is to mow frequently and not too deeply.
Many people cut their grass way too low, completely scalping the leaf blades that are essential to the health of the plant. Dont be tempted to cut a newly seeded lawn too soon, but once your lawn is established, it can be cut to 2.5cm for warm season grasses and 4cm for cold season grasses. The rule for a healthy lawn is to mow frequently and not too deeply.
Check the water restrictions in your area so youre not doing the wrong thing when it comes to watering your lawn. The key to effective lawn watering is to water in the morning and provide deep, thorough and occasional soakings rather than a lot of quick sprays that dont reach the roots.
How Long Does It Take For Grass Seed To Germinate
Some varieties of turfgrass take longer to germinate than others. For example, perennial rye grass germinates in as little as 3 to 5 days, fescues take more like 10 days, Kentucky bluegrass takes 2 to 3 weeks, and warm-season grasses like centipede, Bermuda, and zoysia grasses can take over a month. If your grass seed is a mixture of varieties, know that not all of them will germinate at the same time. To encourage good germination and a healthy start no matter which type of grass seed you planted, its critical that you keep the seeded area and the young plants well-watered until they are established. See the section below on watering for more info on how and when to water new grass.
How And When To Reseed After Using A Pre
A pre-emergent weed killer is added in the spring to discourage weeds from germinating. If youve had weed problems in the past and want to get a head start on the issue before summer arrives, youll have to overseed/reseed the yard to fill in all the bare spaces where weeds have already flourished. A dense lawn holds weeds at bay by keeping seeds from hitting the soil via the thick blades.
Nevertheless, before using it, double-check the pre-emergent and make sure your lawns grass style isnt harmed.
You will need such things and tools as grass seeds , rake, a spreader, watering hose and topsoil.
Here is how you should reseed after applying a pre-emergent weed killer/preventer:
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Seed And Feed On The Same Day
Once your soil is prepped, its time to seed your new lawn. At the same time, its important to give your new grass seedlings a head start by feeding them. With a granular lawn food specially formulated for new grass, like Scotts® Starter® Lawn Food for New Grass, you can feed your new lawn the same day you seed it. Which goes on first, the grass seed or the fertilizer? It’s up to you.
Have issues with weeds? Scotts® Turf Builder® Triple Action Built For Seeding will feed your new grass while preventing annoying weeds like dandelions and crabgrass for up to 6 weeks. It also gives new grass a jumpstart so it can grow fast and thick.
Another option is to save yourself some time and combine the feeding and seeding with Scotts® Turf Builder Rapid Grass Sun & Shade Mix®. Thanks to its unique combination of seed and fertilizer, your grass will grow twice as fast as it would if you were using seed alone, giving you a thick, green lawn in just weeks.
Different types of grass seed and fertilizer require different spreader settings for optimal coverage. Check the bag to make sure youre choosing the right setting for your individual spreader. Apply the product to the perimeter first, which allows you to fill in the rest of the lawn without worrying about missing any of the edges. Similar to a mowing pattern, seed and feed your lawn with slightly overlapping passes. Avoid getting grass seed or fertilizer in your garden beds or on your sidewalk or driveway.
Best Time To Reseed Your Lawn
The type of seed you use dictates when to plant grass because of variations in the growth cycle. When planting a lawn, the more you work with the grass seeds natural cycle, the easier it will be to make your grass grow.
- Warm-season grasses thrive in southern and western areas of the United States. Centipede, Bermudagrass, Zoysia and other warm-season grasses have their strongest growth in late spring and early summer, which is the optimal time to spread grass seed for lawn repair or new lawn growth.
- Overseeding in spring, while common, does not take advantage of the strongest growth cycle and can result in less vigorous development for your lawn.
- Planting grass in fall or late summer is best for cool-season grasses, which experience their most rapid growth during this time period. The level of moisture and warmth in the soil help cool-season seeds germinate successfully, while cooler air temperatures support growth and inhibit warm-season weeds.
- Choosing the right grass is an important part of learning how to plant grass. Select your grass seed carefully, as different types of grass perform better in some parts of the country than others. See our buying guide about types of grass seeds for more details.
There are additional considerations when deciding how to plant grass, including your lifestyle and conditions specific to your lawn. Is your yard partially shaded or will it receive full sun? Will the lawn have considerable traffic from children or be used by pets?
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Get Your Seed Bed Prepared To Perfection
We hate to sound like a school teacher, but it is true that if you fail to prepare – you should prepare to fail. Preparing your seedbed well goes a long way to ensuring successful germination and the future growth of your lawn. One of the first things you should consider is the quality of the soil you are working with – determining what soil type you have will greatly help this. In some instances, you may have extremely poor soil quality and it may be advisable to add top soil. Other soil types – sandy, clay and loam can all be worked with but will still need to be well prepared. The ideal seedbed should be:
To find out more about how to achieve this – follow our How to prepare the perfect seedbed guide.
Preparing The Soil For A New Lawn
Before applying the seed is the best time to kill off the weeds.
Dont put the seed down and try to kill off the weeds later because especially in the uk it can be difficult to target some of those types of weeds because there arent any selective weed killers for certain weed grasses like POA Aunnua and other grasses you dont want in your lawn.
Make sure you leave enough time after applying weed killer before planting new seeds and follow the manufacturer recommendations
Till over the soil so youve got a nice seed bed for the soil to sit in and refer back to a previous tip which is sit them in the top quarter inch of the soil
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Plant Grass Seed And Enjoy A New Lawn
In many gardens, the lawn is a vital balancing element, the perfect backdrop to the more colourful flowering parts of the garden. Without it, mixed borders can seem messy and overwhelming, and subtle planting combinations just get lost in the crowd. Big or small, an expanse of green has a unifying effect, providing a visual link between the different elements of a garden.
If you’re looking to create a new lawn area, grass seed is a low-cost way to get some greenery into your garden. There are a range of grass types available.
Read on for step-by-step help on laying a new lawn from grass seed. Alternatively, if you’re looking for speedy results, head over to our helpful guide on laying turf.
How Can I Make Grass Seed Germinate Faster
To make grass seed germinate faster:
- Choose the best grass seed for the location
- Prepare the area by raking the soil to loosen it, removing stones and weeds
- Apply a pre-seeding fertilizer and water the soil
- Apply seeds evenly over the area, press them down and keep the soil moist
- Apply a fertilizer after sowing if you haven’t beforehand and then feed the emerging grass about every month.
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Choose The Right Time Of Year
The time of year you plant grass seed has a direct effect on its success. Proper timing helps ensure your grass seed will germinate properly, grow quickly and remain healthy while new seedlings become established.
The best time to plant grass seed varies according to your grass growing region and the type of grass you grow. Lawns across the northern tier of the United States typically consist of cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue or perennial ryegrass. Planting during cool weather in fall and spring coincides with the most active growth periods for these grass types.
In Massachusetts, for example, early fall is the ideal time to plant grass seed.1 At this time, the ground is still warm enough to aid germination, but the days are cool and sometimes rainy. This combination helps ensure newly planted seeds don’t dry out. There’s also sufficient daylight in early fall to allow new grass to thrive and become established before winter’s arrival.
Spring seeding is your second best option for planting cool-season grasses. Aim to seed early in the season, but wait until daytime temperatures are in the 60 to 75 degree Fahrenheit range. This roughly corresponds to the optimal soil temperatures for cool-season grass seed germination. Spring sunshine and rain both contribute to strong grass growth.
What Are Some Common Grass Seed Varieties
Grass seed comes in many different types, each with its own look and care requirements. For lawns, youll usually find turfgrass, which is narrow-leaved grass seed species that you can mow short, about two inches or shorter. This grass seed can tolerate foot traffic well. Generally, turfgrasses are divided into two categories: warm-season and cool-season grass.
Warm-season grasses begin active growth in late spring and are generally more tolerant to heat. Cool-season grasses, on the other hand, begin active growth much earlier in the season, usually mid spring, and grow better in cooler climates. Some common grasses youll find as part of a lawn include:
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Can You Put Grass Seed Down With Weed And Feed
Seed Sowing and Selective Weed Killers You can safely sow most seeds in your vegetable or flower patch a day after applying selective herbicides, such as sethoxydim, clethodim and bentazon, for grassy weeds. If the plants belong to the same species, these herbicides will not affect them.
For example, if you want to plant a tomato plant in a patch of grass, you will need to apply the herbicide at least two days before you plant the tomato. If you are using a weed killer to kill weeds in the garden, be sure to read the label carefully to make sure it is safe to use on your plants.
Seeds can be sown at any time during the growing season, but they will not germinate until the soil temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees F . If your soil is too warm, the seeds will die before germination, and if its too cold, they wont grow at all. To determine if your seeds are ready for sowing, place them in an airtight container and cover them with a plastic bag.
Should I Cover Grass Seed With Top Soil
No, you shouldnt cover grass seed with topsoil. For the same reasons as weve stated above, using topsoil to cover grass seed will only stunt the growth of your new grass. Topsoil is too heavy a medium to use as a grass seed cover.
With that said, there are many substances you can use to cover grass seed that will enhance the germination process. Although grass seed can grow uncovered with sufficient care, its best practice to provide them with coverage. Neglecting to do so will leave your grass seed more vulnerable to the elements its more likely to be blown or washed away, affected by temperature fluctuations, or eaten by birds.
Instead of using topsoil to cover grass seed, you should use a thin layer of straw, compost, or an alternative organic or homemade mulch. This mulch layer will protect your grass seed from external elements like the weather and hungry wildlife. Also, the mulch layer will act like a slow-release fertilizer as the organic materials decompose over time.
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Can I Just Throw Grass Seed Down
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If you want to create a vibrant and lush green lawn, you should know that its going to require a considerable amount of time and effort. You will have to make a commitment, and as long as you hold up your end, the rewards are definitely going to be worth it.
Undertaking a successful grass seed project is a fantastic idea, and its going to be well worth the time and resources that you put in.
Not only does a beautiful lawn improve the aesthetic appeal of your house, but it also increases the value. More importantly, you are going to have a wonderful space outside where you can just sit and relax.
Even if you are growing the lawn for the first time, there are several steps that you can take to ensure that the grass seeds come along nicely.
Watering New Grass Seeds
The best advice for watering new grass seed is simple. Since you only get one chance to germinate seeds correctly. The right amount is very important. Not enough water will kill the sprout and too much water can leave less than ideal results.
The right amount of watering is very important. Not enough water will kill the sprout and too much water can leave less than ideal results.
All grass types need to be kept moist at all times during their establishment phase, this is to ensure there is always an ample amount of moisture in the soil. This ensures the greatest, and only chance of survival and establishment of the new grass seedlings.
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Is It Ok To Put Grass Seed Down Before It Rains
If youre looking to beautify and rejuvenate your lawn this spring by covering it with grass, youre probably riddled with questions. One of the most important dilemmas you can have is whether to put the seed down before or after it rains.
The internet is full of contradicting statements: some are saying putting the seed before a heavy rain will cause it to wash off, and others say theres no better time to plant the seed than before it rains. So which one is the truth? How much rain is too much? Is there such a thing as the perfect time for putting grass seeds down?
In this short guide, well answer all of these questions and more, so keep on reading if you want to find out!
Which Month In Spring Is Best For Planting
Depending on where you are in the country late March to late April are the perfect times.
Air temperature should be around 10 degrees.
Watch out for cold & frost!
One problem with planting in the Spring here in the UK is the late frosts. The further north you are the more likely it is you will see a late Spring freeze or even snowfall.
The further north you go the later you should leave it.
Weeds can be a problem
Weeds are problem at this time of year. They will have laid dormant all winter waiting for Spring as soon as the ideal conditions come along they will germinate & compete with your grass seed for space and nutrients.
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What Type Of Grass To Buy
Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, and ryegrass grow well in harsh Canadian conditions. But you dont have to study grass varieties to find the right grass seed mix for your lawn. Most quality grass seed contains several varieties to give you the best results.
However, you should take note of how the sunlight hits your lawn. Is the area mostly sunny or shady? Some grass seed products are customized for sunny, dense shade, and a mix of both so you can choose the product that matches the lighting in your yard.
Cheap grass seed usually includes empty hulls, stems, weed seeds, and fillers. Check the product label to make sure the seed germination percentage is high and the weed seed content is very low. Investing a few extra dollars in quality grass now will save you time, frustration, and money later.
Use this shopping list to pick up everything you need to seed your lawn:
