Lawn Seed Tips
- 1). Seed in late summer or in fall for best results. Lawn seed germinates better when days and nights start getting cooler, there is adequate moisture in the soil, the soil temperature is still warm and there is less competition with weeds. You can also sow lawn seed in the spring and summer but it will need more care, especially watering.
- 2). Test your soil for PH deficiencies before seeding. You can get a PH tester at most garden centers or have it tested at your local cooperative extension office. Amend the soil if needed; add organic matter, topsoil, peat moss or compost for clay or sand. Till the soil to a depth of 6 inches for clay or 4 inches for sand. Rake the area remove any stones or debris. Apply a starter fertilizer.
- 3). Use a drop spreader to apply seeds. Drop spreaders disperse seeds uniformly, unlike broadcast spreaders. Provide good seed to soil contact. You may use a roller, with no weight or water added, to do this. Mulch with straw; be careful not to use any that contain weed seed. You can also use hydro seed that is a combination of seed, mulch and fertilizer.
- 4). A newly seeded lawn should be watered 2 to 4 times a day depending on the weather. The top 1 to 2 inches of soil should be kept moist until the new grass is 2 inches high. Then you should water less but more deeply. One mistake most people make with new grass is that they don't mow soon enough, you should always mow early and often. New grass needs to be mowed when 1/3 of the grass has emerged and it is 3 inches tall.
- 5). To over-seed an existing lawn, loosen the soil surface by raking it with a steel tine rake. After seeding, tamp the seed down gently to make good soil contact. Water it thoroughly. Unless you are re-seeding a bare spot, you do not need to mulch the new seed. The existing grass will act like mulch.