Raise Your Garden

Musings on the Seedier Side

in Lawn & Landscaping

Tom’s top 10 grass seed planting tips…lush lawn do’s and don’ts!

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It never ceases to amaze me how Tom can leave clutter everywhere but if the lawn is less than pristine, he panics.
How can meticulous lawn man carelessly toss socks, lunch containers and newspapers all over the house but obsess over grass?
But he’s perfected grass growing. He cares that much.
Due to a drainage project we had a huge chunk of our lawn torn up to bury a pipe. It was quite an eyesore.
Our neighbors wanted to just leave it so the kids could continue to drive their dirt bikes and ATV’s on the path. But the mud pit proved too much mess, especially since it’s right under my new clothesline.
Since early fall is a fantastic time to spread seed, the man was motivated.

Here’s your essential checklist of what you must do to plant a lush lawn. 

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Why plant grass in the fall?

It’s tempting to plant grass seed in the summer when the weather is fine. But heat and humidity are hard on grass, especially those new seedlings.
Avoid seeding bare spots during hot weather. If planting in an unusually hot autumn or spring then cover seeded areas with landscaping fabric to provide shade and water frequently!
Also avoid planting grass seed during very wet weather. Heavy rains can make the soil too wet, resulting in a fungal disease that can kill the seedlings. This is especially true during the spring.

Tom used a seed spreader we inherited when we bought my grandma’s house, but spreading by hand is always an option! They even make hand-held grass spreaders these days.

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Water soil several days prior to planting. The soil should be moist 6-8″ in depth. A screwdriver should easily push in the ground.

I. Figure out what type of grass will grow best in your region

When planting grass, it makes a difference whether you live in Florida or New York or Nevada. Most grasses fall into either the cool-season grasses or warm-seasons grasses.

Cool-season grasses grow best between 60 degrees F and 75 degrees F and can handle cold winters.

Warm-season grasses grow best in temperatures above 80 degree F and thrive in milder-winter regions.

Associate cool-season grasses with blue spruce and warm-season grasses with palm trees and you’re on the right track.

Typically, cool-season grasses are grown in USDA Hardiness Zones of 6 and colder while warm-season grasses are grown in zones 7 and warmer.

So in New York, we’re looking to plant cool season grasses. In Florida, you’d plant warm season grasses.

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Cool season grasses are planted in the summer or early fall and include:
  • Kentucky bluegrass, a fine, dark green grass that grows well in full-sun. Many gardeners prefer this type of grass because it spreads and fills in nicely and has a rich green color. 
  • Tall fescue, a coarse, low-maintenance grass that is very durable and can take the heat more so than other cool-season varieties.
 
  • Perennial ryegrass, a fast-growing, medium-textured grass that grows great in full-sun and not so well in shade. Requires little watering or fertilizer. 
Did you know? To maintain a lush, green lawn throughout the year, choose a seed mixture of several varieties of grasses including all the above.
This ensures that if one type develops a disease and turns brown; a large proportion of your grass will remain unaffected and keep its healthy green color. 
 
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II. Remove rocks, sticks and other debris then mow

Tom managed to convince our girls ages 4 and 6 that this was a type of game much to my amazement. For the rocks, he got a bucket and had the girls remove all the rocks and we added them to our garden path.
For the sticks, he got a wheelbarrow and we burned them in our fire pit. All other debris was thrown in the garbage.

Insider tip: Mow existing grass to a shorter height than usual prior to planting seed. Rake up the clippings and compost. 

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III. Till that top layer of soil

If you break up that top layer soil prior to planting the seeds, it makes it easier for the seed to take root.
We had a pretty large area to cover so Tom borrowed a rototiller from a generous co-worker.

But for a smaller area, a garden rake or hoe works just as good. Either way, your goal is to break up large clumps of dirt so that the soil is fine and even. 

IV. Level the ground

When tilling, make sure the ground is level, too. If there are still spots where water pools when it rains, they need to get leveled out prior to planting seed.
If need be, add some topsoil to the low areas. Run the tiller again or use a rake to even out and blend with surrounding soil.

Also consider adding peat moss, compost, humus, or other organic material to promote healthy grass.

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V. Scatter the seed

There’s two ways to spread the seed. For large areas, you might want to rent, buy or borrow a lawn spreader or a mechanical seeder which does a good job shooting the seed evenly across the lawn.

For small areas spread the seed by hand. Apply 16 seeds per square inch.

Do Not:

  • Overseed your lawn. When I cram too many seedlings in my plastic containers in the spring I end up with leggy, spiny and weak plants. The same theory applies to your lawn.
  • Overseeded areas will grown thin, lanky and unhealthy grass because the seedlings are fighting so hard for nutrients.

VI. Protect the seeds with topsoil

Maybe you have a bit of extra topsoil to spread on top of the lawn when you filled in the holes? When our neighbors put in their pool they sent some topsoil our way that was no longer needed.

Topsoil can be purchased in bags from a big box store or look for free fills signs where you live. Newly planted seeds need to be protected from the elements until they take root.

If you have a hard downpour right after you plant, that stream could easily uproot your seeds before they even have a chance to root. Not good! Spread the topsoil by hand or with a cage roller

Insider Tip:

  • You may also want to consider using straw or other organic material to lightly cover the seed and protect it from pecking birds, squirrels and deer. Straw will also help keep it moist.
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VII. Water the seeds

Watering correctly is the most common problem when attempting to grow grass. Not watering enough during the germination phase can let the roots die before the seed can sprout.

Overwatering can also kill seed. Because grass seedlings need constant moisture, water frequently and shallowly so the top 2 inches of soil stays moist, but not soggy.

Check regularly and water if soil is dry. Do this for four to six weeks until roots grow and then water less often but more deeply.

Try setting the sprinkler on a mist settings. Never use a jet or other powerful stream of water or you will wash away seed.

Water twice a day, once in the morning and then again at night with this light spray. Continue until the grass sprouts to a few inches.

    •    Each watering should penetrate the soil to a depth of several inches to promote good root growth!

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VIII. Keep people and pets off the lawn

Remember our neighbors with their dirt bikes and ATVs? Yup. If the kids continue to ride all over the law where we are trying to plant seed, it will never grow.

The same with our kids walking on the lawn or the dogs trudging back and forth. Constant foot traffic will compact the underlying soil, which in turn restricts healthy root growth.

So grass grows poorly and bare tracks may appear. In wet weather, compaction is even more likely to occur (We’re getting a lot of rain here daily here.)

I thought it was slightly passive aggressive, but Tom insisted on putting up yellow tape attached to poles to keep kids and pets off.

But I drew that line at caution tape and asked him to at least stick with plain yellow. I think everyone got the drift that the man is trying to grow grass.

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IX. Fertilize that seed

Grass grows best in fertilized soil. Buy a fertilizer specifically made to help grass grow.
We were thrilled to have some leftover worm casings to add as well! Worm casings are gold to grass growth.
Keep in mind that a fertilized lawn is healthier, denser, and more weed-free than a poorly managed one. The most critical time to feed your cool-season grass is the fall and continue into the winter months. Choose a slow-release fertilizer with approximately a 3:1:2 or 4:1:2 ratio of N-P-K.
Fertilizing now will not only encourage growth and a greener winter lawn, but will promote a stronger growth come spring.
The best time to fertilize warm-season grass is from late spring to early fall. You may also have to keep a sharp eye on soil pH and adjust when necessary.
Plants can’t use fertilizer when they’re growing in soils that are too acidic or too alkaline. Correct alkaline soils by spreading sulphur; modify acidic soils by spreading dolomite lime.
Did you know? The best time to fertilize your lawn is after a period of heavy downpour, when the lawn is evenly saturated with water. 
  • Most lawns need between 2 and 6 pounds of actual nitrogen per year for good growth! 
 
  • Use high-potassium fertilizer to prepare lawn for winter. 
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X. Keep the lawn watered

After the grass has grown a few inches, I wouldn’t worry too much about water. Certainly not everyday!

Just make sure the soil gets a good soak and if you do notice any grass turning brown, water quickly to revive it. Never water after a heavy rain because you don’t want it to become waterlogged.

Last tips…

If weeds have taken root in the summer, fall is the time to yank them. Compost all grass clippings; discard seedheads in the trash.
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Comments

  1. How to Grow Grass in a Shaded Area says

    Glad to see your article, it’s got a lot of great information! I moved
    into my home located east of San Francisco less than a year ago which came with two large redwood trees that were poorly placed in the middle of the
    front yard. I’ve been struggling to know what to plant
    under them. Is there any type of grass that can survive under redwood trees?
    Would you recommend that? We had a gardner tell us that there are
    grasses that are shade loving and drought resistant that could work.
    We’d also toyed with the idea of doing a drip system,
    forgoing the grass and doing mulch and putting plants that would thrive under redwoods.
    I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

    Reply