STARTING A LAWN WITH GRASS SEED

Laying a new lawn with turf will give you immediate results so why would you want to use grass seed. Well there are several advantages:

• A new lawn grown from grass seed will be less expensive than one installed using turf as you do not have to pay the turf farmer for growing it.

• It is a lot easier on the back and less physical effort is required: no need to pick up or carry rolls of turf.

• You can be in control over the type of grasses you will have in your lawn and there are more varieties to choose from. You can purchase a grass seed mix that is suitable for your particular situation for example if you have a shady area, want hard wearing lawn or a garden to resemble a meadow. There are two types of grass seed that are available. A mixture contains more than one species for example fescue, rye and bluegrass while a blend contains varieties of the same species.

A great resource is
Lawn Bible: How to Keep It Green, Groomed, and Growing Every Season of the Year

This book discusses seeding, instant lawns, watering, mowing (including your own design of stripes) replacing old lawns, weeds, insect pests and diseases. There is no question you could think to ask about lawns and grass that isn’t addressed in this book, and all the information is arranged logically.

Scotts High Traffic	Quick Lawn	Canada Green

It will benefit you to buy good quality grass seed. This may be more expensive initially but you will find it will save you in the long run. The lawn will require less maintenance and be of better quality so there will be less chance of having to repair patches.Grass seed can be sown in mid spring or mid autumn with the latter being preferable, after the hot weather has passed. This will give the lawn plenty of time to become established and be ready for next summer. After you have sown the grass seed it will be about 4-6 months before it will withstand any usage so be sure to keep people and pets off it for this time.

Preparing the ground

First you need to dig up the old lawn or if you are starting a new lawn then remove all weeds, roots and debris from the area. A Mantis Tiller/Cultivator will make this job easier. Turn the soil over then rake it so that it is free of lumps and at the level you desire. The surface needs to be firmed down and this can be achieved by using a roller or walking over it.

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Sowing the grass seed

You will find the manufacturers instructions on the packet of grass seed and you should follow their guidelines. An easy way to sow the grass seed is to divide the area up into sections, for example square yards, then measure out the amount of grass seed for one section at a time. To ensure an even spread sow half the grass seed from left to right then the other half at right angles. Use the rake again to lightly draw some soil over the grass seed.

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Caring for the lawn

Water with a fine mist so as not to dislodge the grass seed and keep it moist until established. Once it has reached this stage then water deeply once or twice a week. If birds are likely to be a problem then try criss-crossing string about 4 inches above the soil level.

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Mowing

When the lawn has grown to a height of 3 inches it is ready to be mown with a lawn mower. The blades must be sharp so that they don’t pull the growing shots out by the roots but make a clean cut. Don’t cut too short to start with; by only trimming the tips you will promote bushy growth and good root development. As the lawn becomes established you can lower the mower blades gradually till to get to the level that is suitable for your lawn type.