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Installation Recommendations for New Grass Seeds

A new lawn's health depends on how you prepare the seedbed. Simply throwing grass seeds on a site overrun with weeds or too rocky for deep root development yields something you can hardly call a lawn. On the contrary, if you clear the seedbed and incorporate into the soil the nutrients and amendments it lacks, the seeds sprout vigorously. Sowing seeds at the right time is also important, but it depends on your climate and the grass species you choose to grow. Avoid trying to germinate seeds in the summer. It is challenging and expensive to keep them hydrated.

Things You'll Need

  • Shovel or rototiller
  • Lime as needed
  • Fertilizer as needed
  • Manure
  • Rake
  • Seed spreader
  • Lawn roller
  • Straw mulch
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Instructions

    • 1

      Break the ground to a depth of 6 inches with a shovel or rototiller. Remove weeds, roots and debris from the site. Collect 2 cups worth of soil from five different spots. Submit the sample to your county cooperative extension office for analysis. The lab report you receive will indicate how much lime, if any, the soil needs for a higher pH. You will also get a fertilizer recommendation.

    • 2

      Broadcast the amount of lime and fertilizer recommended on the soil test report over the tilled ground. Cover that layer with 2 to 4 inches of manure or other organic matter. Incorporate everything into the soil 6 inches deep with the shovel or tiller.

    • 3

      Rake the seedbed surface to smooth it out. Slope the ground away from buildings to protect foundations from irrigation water.

    • 4

      Split the grass seeds in half. Add the first half to a spreader. Broadcast them east to west. Pour the rest of the seeds into the spreader. Sow them south to north perpendicular to the first half to prevent bare spots in the lawn.

    • 5

      Push a lawn roller over the seeded surface for good seed contact with the ground.

    • 6

      Cover the seeds with straw mulch to conserve moisture and prevent soil erosion until the roots develop. One straw bale is enough for 1,000 square feet.

    • 7

      Water the seeds at sowing. Maintain the soil moist to a depth of 2 to 4 inches to prevent the seeds from drying out. Give developing grass seedlings 1 inch of water weekly. Increase the irrigation frequency any time the young grass plants begin to wilt. Water an established lawn according to the moisture requirements of the species. Grass is established when you cannot uproot them by pulling on it.

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Growing Grass
  1. How to Germinate Grass Seeds in Sandy Soil
  2. Seeding & Tilling for Bermuda Grass
  3. Depth for Grass Seeds in the Soil
  4. The Time for Grass Seeds to Germinate
  5. Soil Requirements for Zoysia Grass
  6. How to Prep for Planting Grass Seeds
  7. Directions for Buzzy Seeds Grass Growing Kits
  8. When to Water New Grass Seeds?
  9. Grass Seeds for Shade
  10. Steps for Growing Grass
  11. How to Treat Clay for New Sod
  12. How to Prepare for New Grass Seed

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