How Long Does it Take to Grow Grass & Have a Nice Lawn?

Timing

• Plant when daily temperatures average between 65 to 80 degrees. If it's too hot, wilting occurs and stunts blade growth. Spring and fall temperatures hang around this average and lawn seed producers recommend planting during these seasons. Grass seed likes to germinate when the soil is warmed by the sun. Cooler temperatures mean less moisture evaporation from the soil. Plant after the last frost in spring or early fall. Spring rains help grass to grow quickly.

Soil Preparation

• Mow the weeds and level any unwanted high or low spots. Use a shovel to dig down the high spots and a rake to move the removed dirt into the low spots. Soak the area with an oscillating sprinkler the day before you till to make tilling easier. Rent the biggest rototiller you can afford to reduce the time it takes you to till the soil. Your local home improvement store rents rototillers by the hour block or day. Till the soil in one direction then till it perpendicularly to the first approach. Set the depth gauge to 6 inches. This depth will allow you to soften the soil for faster root establishment.

Broadcasting Seed and Fertilizer

• Broadcast 5 to 8 lbs. of seed per every 1,000 square feet of earth using a lawn seed broadcaster. Purchase a handheld or wheeled broadcaster to do the job. Handhelds work fine for areas smaller than 4,000 square feet. Overlap each pass to ensure you get seed everywhere it's needed. Apply fertilizer in the same manner you applied lawn seed except the application rate changes. The amount of fertilizer needed per 1,000 square feet depends on the type of fertilizer you use and the time of year you apply it. The ratio can be from 2 to 20 lbs. per 1,000 square ft.. Consult your home and garden supply store experts for fertilizers that work best in your region. Follow the application ratios on the label of the bag you purchase.

Germination, Sprouting and Growing

• Rake the area with a landscaper's rake to mix the seed and fertilizer with the soil. As long as the grass seed touches the earth, it has a good chance of growing. Don't cover the seed with more than 1/4 inch of soil. Cover the seeded area with a 1/2-inch layer of straw to retain moisture and prevent the effects of erosion. Turn on or set up a sprinkler and water the lawn two to three times a day for the first week. Water morning, noon and evening for a half hour at each interval. Reduce watering to one hour per morning when you see the first hint of seedlings breaking through the soil. Avoid walking on your lawn until it's 3 inches tall.

Mowing and Maintaining

• Mow your lawn when it reaches a 3 inches tall. Sharpen your mower blade to keep it from tearing the grass blades. A dull mower blade will make the tips of the grass blades turn brown from bruising. Leave the grass clippings on the lawn so they can decompose and return nutrients to the soil, but remove any big clumps that block out the sunlight. Don't worry about sparse spots, because some seeds are late bloomers. As your grass plants grow and the root systems get established with deep waterings, new runners will shoot up and thicken the lawn. You should have a nice lawn 30 to 45 days from planting.