A beautiful lawn doesn’t just happen. Unless you are hiring professional help, you’ll have to prepare the space for seeding, then do all the follow-up and maintenance. Only then do you get to bring out the lawn chairs and umbrella. Read on for tips for seeding a lawn.

Lawn Seeding Tips

If you are seeding your first lawn, roll up your sleeves and prepare to put in more than a few hours. Every task takes time and must be done carefully.

 

If you don’t know what you are doing, follow a lawn seeding how to that will walk you through the necessary steps. The first step is preparing a lawn for seeding.

Preparing a Lawn for Seeding

This is the biggest step, since it requires the most physical effort. First, you’ll need to work the soil to loosen it and allow you to remove weeds and rocks.

This is a task that requires careful attention. Grass seed will not grow in compacted soil, so plan to really dig into the soil where you want to spread grass seed.

If the soil is loose and moist already, clear of weeds and rocks, you’ll make short work of it. If it’s hard, compact, overgrown or rocky, it will take longer.

Use a shovel and a hard rake to break up the soil when you are preparing a lawn for seeding. Dig deep, at least 4 inches down. If you have a rototiller, this is a good time to use it.

Once you’ve broken up the soil and removed weeds and rocks, it’s time to improve the soil. Add compost in a level layer on the prepared lawn soil, then rake it in or turn it in with a shovel.

It may be tempting to leave the compost on top of the existing soil and hope for the best. But you really need to mix it in thoroughly. When that’s done, rake through the soil to remove any remaining rocks and pieces of wood.

After you have finished preparing a lawn for seeding, it’s time to seed. Consider the grass types that grow best in your area and ask your garden store expert about the pros and cons of different grasses before you buy.

The appropriate time to seed your lawn depends on what type of seed you purchase, so take this into account when you are making your selection. Follow instructions about how much seed to use and how to sow it.

Seeded Lawn Care Tips

Once the lawn is seeded, you’ll do best to follow a few important seeded lawn care tips. The first is to mulch the seeded lawn lightly with straw. Cover about 75% of the ground. A light layer of straw holds in moisture and prevents the seeds from blowing away.

Irrigation is also very important. Keep the soil damp at all times, but never provide sufficient water to wash away the grass seeds. Different types of grass seeds require different amounts of irrigation.

For example, a seeded Bermuda grass lawn must be lightly watered three or four times a day. On the other hand, perennial rye seeds need water twice a day. It may be necessary to water with the hose until the seeds germinate.