How to Seed Your Lawn
When landscaping a yard, many people turn to seeding a lawn as a way to save money and get a different variety of grass types than they would if they were to lay sod. Granted, seeding a lawn is more time consuming than laying sod, and it takes more time and effort to get results, but for the patient, budget-minded home landscaper, lawn seeding is the way to go. In this article, I describe how to seed a lawn.
What Equipment Is Necessary For Lawn Seeding?
A flat-bladed shovel is needed to remove the old lawn and weeds, if necessary. Alternatively, herbicide and a sod-cutter may be used, and may be a better option for large areas. A rototiller (the same thing as a tiller) will be needed to break up compacted soil for seeding, and will also be needed to till starter fertilizer and soil conditioner into the soil. Starter fertilizer is fertilizer that has a high concentration of phosphorus (the “P” from the NPK value on a fertilizer bag). Compost may be substituted for soil conditioner if you have a large enough supply of it. The key is that whatever you choose to use will support plant growth in your newly seeded lawn. You will need a rake to level the soil, as well as a roller. A roller, like a tiller and sod cutter, may be rented. Finally, you will need a seed spreader and grass seed. Again, a spreader may be rented.
Lawn Seeding Considerations
You should try to pick a grass that will grow well in your climate, as well as a good time of year to begin planting. Consult with the person that sells you seed as to his or her recommendations. It’s not feasible to begin the process of seeding a lawn in the winter when the ground is frozen, and a hot summer day is not advisable because the soil dries more rapidly. A good rule of thumb is that early spring is best for seeding warm-season grasses and early fall is best for seeding cool-season grasses. Again, the person that sells you seed may be able to give you advice about the best time of year to seed a lawn in your area.
Lawn Seeding Step #1 – Clear The Land
The first step in seeding a lawn is to remove whatever remains of the previous lawn or weeds, if these things are present. These can be dug out with the aforementioned flat-bladed shovel, or you can apply herbicide and use a sod-cutter to remove roots. For large areas, the latter is likely preferable. After removing the old lawn is the best time to test the pH of the soil. If it is below 6 or above 7.5, you may wish to alter the pH before going forward.
Lawn Seeding Step #2 – Soil Preparation
Much soil preparation must be done when seeding a lawn. Though it may seem like a lot of work, good soil preparation is the foundation for the rest of the lawn seeding process. First, use a tiller to break up any compacted soil. Then, spread the starter fertilizer and soil conditioner (or compost) over the now-loosened soil.
Lawn Seeding Step #3 – More Soil Preparation
It’s time to break out the tiller again. Till the newly-spread soil additives into the soil. This ensures that they will be there for the lawn seed, as opposed to washing away with rain or watering. Then rake the soil. This will level the soil, and will also give you a chance to remove things like rocks from the soil. If necessary, make sure that the grade of the soil allows water to run away from your living quarters and prevents pooling. Now it is time to use a roller to finish leveling the soil. Fill the roller’s drum with water to do this. Once the soil is level, lightly water the soil.
Lawn Seeding Step #4 – Spread The Grass Seed
Finally you are at the point of actually spreading seed. You’ll want to do four passes over the area in which you’re spreading seed, using one quarter of the seed each time and heading in a different direction each time. This promotes an even distribution of grass seed. After doing this, rake a thin layer of soil over the seed. Go over the lawn area with the roller again, but this time with an empty drum. This will smooth out the soil. You may wish to do this in several directions.
Lawn Seeding Step #5 – Water The Seed
Of course the grass seed will need water in order to grow. Lightly water the lawn area several times a day as necessary, but don’t overwater. After the grass begins to grow, you will still need to continue this process. If you do not have time to water the lawn multiple times every day, investigate things such as sprinklers.
After following these steps, you should be able to enjoy your new lawn in a few months. Do you have any of your own suggestions for how to seed a lawn? Feel free to share your own lawn seeding tips in the form of a comment. Thank you for reading!
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