How To Plant Grass
A Few Ideas On How To Plant Grass
Here are a few things you'll want to know about how to plant grass, to make certain you end up with the beautiful lawn you've pictured in your mind the past few months. You've selected the right seed mix, prepared the ground just right, and now you're standing there, like an artist in front of a blank canvas, waiting to drop the first seeds.
There is sometimes a tendency to skimp a little, while spreading the seeds. There's a fear of running out before you've finished. There's also the fear that when you're done, maybe you haven't done it right, and the seeds won't sprout. In fact, you should purchase more seed than you think you will actually use (measure your plot first so you, or the person at the nursery, can calculate how many pounds of seeds you need). No matter how careful you are, there's a good chance you'll end up with a bare spot or two, and having some extra seed will come in handy.
You can mix fertilizer in with the soil as you're preparing it if you wish. Just don't fertilize right before you sow the grass seed (fertilizing a week or two ahead of time is better), or right after either. You can get by at this stage without fertilizing at all, especially if you've applied a steer manure mulch. You can wait, and fertilize lightly once the grass has become established.
As long as the grass seeds are in contact with moist soil, you're going to do all right. Some sow the seeds, and then press them in with a roller. Others roll first, and then cover the seeds with a light layer of soil. The latter method works better, but both ways work. Either way, a light raking while planting, will ensure that a good portion of the seeds are buried. Rake lightly so you don't bury the seeds too deeply. In fact, using the straight back of the rake will do a better job for you as long as the soil is loose.
If you're hesitant about using a roller, because of the thought of carrying it or moving all that weight around scares you, don't be. A roller is an empty steel drum, usually light enough to carry or push a short distance. Water in the drum is what provides the needed weight. You'll probably only need to fill the drum about 1/4 full to do an adequate job. Fill it up, and if you're successful in moving it at all, you'll likely leave ruts in the soft dirt. Pressing the seeds into the soil is fine, but pressing harder isn't necessarily better.
Covering with a fine mulch, while not absolutely necessary, is a good idea. It will help keep the seeds moist, which you must do, and protect the seeds from wind or erosion. Steer manure is a good option here. The most important factor though, in knowing how to plant grass, is watering. You'll want to do more than just get the surface moist on the first watering. Sprinkle or spray long enough to give the ground a good soaking. Spray lightly, so as not to disturb the seeds, or create puddles or channels due to run off. You have to keep the seeds moist through germination, and this will be easier to do if you give the ground a good soaking initially. After that, a regular light sprinkling should do the trick.
Now that you've got the seed planted, your nice flat lawn space is going to be a magnet for dogs, cats, and in some areas, wild turkey or deer. There's not all that much you can do. They won't heed “Keep Off The Grass” signs. But you can take steps to keep people, old and young, away. Should a situation arise where you have to step across newly planted lawn, try to tread lightly.
If there's a secret involved in how to plant grass, it's probably to go step by step, and take your time. Nothing more, nothing less.