Planting A Lawn
Some Helpful Pointers on Planting a Lawn
Planting a lawn from seed is the cheapest way to transform that dirt lot into a yard. With care, you can replace that bare ground with a beautiful, lush lawn.
The best time to start your lawn from seed is just prior to your area's grass growth season. You will want to decide what type of grass grows most readily in your area. Planting a lawn will go more smoothly if you choose a grass that's native to your area, rather than trying to force a different kind of grass to grow in an area it wasn't meant to grow in.
After you prepare your soil and make sure that your site is level, install any underground watering system you plan to use, before you plant. Now you're ready for the seed.
The next step in planting a lawn is spreading the seed. Set your spreader for the correct rate needed for sowing seed. This information can be found on the seed bags, or on the spreader. Spread a half of the seed at a time, first walking in one direction and then going criss-cross to make sure all areas are hit.
Add a starter fertilizer after you seed the lawn. These are high in phosphorous, which is a nutrient that seedlings need.
The next step in planting a lawn is to top-dress the seed so it can hold moisture. You can use a cage roller or a peat spreader to do this. Push the roller or spreader over the lawn until the entire area is covered. Apply only a thin layer of peat on top of your yard, only about an eighth or a quarter of an inch.
Now you will need to roll the lawn's surface, so that you will have a good contact between soil and seed. Roll the entire lawn area with a roller half-filled with water. Roll the outside of the yard first and then the middle.
Watering is possibly the most important step in planting a lawn. Always water enough to wet the soil down to a depth of six to eight inches, in the beginning. Use a sprinkler setting that gently applies the water, so you don't create puddles or wash any seed away.
You might need to water your lawn area several times until you have thoroughly wet the lawn. After the initial deep-watering, only water enough to keep the top inch or two of the lawn area wet, until the seeds germinate. Don't let the seeds dry out, or your planting was in vain.
Use a hand-held sprinkler to water your yard several times a day, to make sure you get the grass to grow evenly. Don't over-water, because too much water will cause the seed to rot.
Lastly, protect your seed bed from children, dogs and neighbors. Planting a lawn and the work that followed will do no good if your seedlings get trampled. After the grass starts to grow, you can lighten up on the watering. When the lawn grows to three or four inches in height, you can begin mowing it. Watch for dry areas and water as needed. Now you have your new lawn off to a good start.