Sowing a New Lawn – Some Tips
When you are starting a new lawn you will have to decide on lawn seed or using turf. Seeding with lawn grass seed is very much more economical than turf and has the benefit that you have a wider range of various sorts of lawn seed to select from. The best period to sow the seed is in the Spring or Fall as you require damp and quite warm conditions. The summer is not a good time to sow a lawn as you will need to water constantly and the hot conditions are not best for the new seedlings to grow.
Different types of grasses develop at different rates so the length of time it will take for your new grass to be sturdy enough to use will be dependant on the species and the combination of grass seed that you use. You will also need to think about what type of lawn seed you require. There are specialized shade grass seed for regions that do not get the sunshine, sunny grass seed for areas that do! An exceptionally well-liked product is Scotts lawn seed.
Prepare The Area
Before seeding the lawn you should prepare the location correctly. The spot you have selected must be dug carefully and the stones removed and sizeable clods broken up. Rake the section and compress lightly with your heels. The surface should then be scraped lightly to make grooves for the seeds.
Methods of Seeding the Lawn
There are two systems used to seed a lawn, by hand and with a machine. To seed with a machine, weigh out the amount of seed blend considered necessary for your area then put half into the machine and apply by operating the machine up and down the area in strips. At the end of each strip, to prevent over seeding, you could use plastic to cover the ground or close off the holes in the machine. You might use sticks placed in the ground or string to steer you. At this point place the balance of the grass seeds in the machine and, working at right angles to the original rows, complete sowing the lawn.
If you are seeding the lawn by hand it’s a good idea to break up the area into parts of a yard square using string and sticks. Work out the amount of grass seed you require for each segment, weight this out and add to a small pot. Mark approximately how much this is so that you don’t have to weigh out each time. Uniformly sow the first section, scattering the seeds in both directions so that they’re spread consistently. Now restock the pot to about a similar level as earlier and sow the next section. Continue until all of the area is done.
When the whole area has been sown rake over gently and irrigate thoroughly.Through the next week to fourteen days make sure that you water consistently if it doesn’t rain. The seedlings will start to come through in this time.
Mowing Your Newly Seeded Lawn
As soon as the grass seedlings are approximately 6 cm tall you can cut the grass for the first time using a rotary lawn mower. Take care to collect lawn trimmings or use a rake and be careful not to disturb the new seedlings.