Seeding Your Lawn

 

 TIMING YOUR SEEDING

It would seem that mid-to-late spring would be the best time to seed. However, with both cool and warm season grasses, you can run into difficulties with mid-to-late spring seeding.

The best time to seed all grass types is late August to mid-September while soil is warm and air has cooled down from summer temperatures. Ordinarily, you should not keep the soil surface moist, but seeding time is the exception to the rule.

 

PREPARING FOR THE NEW LAWN

 If you are planting in the yard of a new home, make sure you get all the construction debris out of the soil. A lot can be determined, in preparing to seed, by simple observation. Do you have topsoil or something more like a clay subsoil? Is there any sign of soil life? What kind of weeds are growing? Is the soil loose? Is the soil Muddy or sandy?

 

REPLACING AN EXISTING LAWN

First you must decide if you want to strip off the old lawn or turn it over. Kill off any undesirable weeds or grasses with an all-purpose vegetation killer. Next add your soil amendments and more top soil, if needed.

Careful preparation will save future work and expense.

The safest preparation of soil is the addition of organic matter, good soil, or both.

 

AVOID THESE MISTAKES

• Using too little seed.

• Using old seed.

• Using the wrong type of seed

• Using bargain seed

• Poor soil preparation

 

WAIT BEFORE SEEDING

Give the ground a thorough soaking. If there is no rain, keep it watered for at least three weeks or more if you have time.

 

SPOT SEEDING

  Use a seed type similar to the existing grass

 

Tips

Two factors which have to exist for seeding are moisture and warmth.

There is more leeway with temperature. Grass seed might germinate slowly under cool temperatures, but quickly when it is warm.

Mulching with straw or peat moss will help hold moisture in, but will not substitute for regular watering.

When the soil temperature reaches approximately 50 degrees grass will germinate at a normal rate. Weeds begin to sprout at about 60 degrees.

Seeding in the early spring, you can encourage a thick and tall grass before the soil warms up to 60 degrees, and prevent weed grasses from growing.