Is it Best to Moisten a Lawn Before Power Seeding?

Prepping Soil

• Before power seeding a new lawn, increase the land's nutrient level and drainage by tilling the soil in the areas where you want to spread seed to a depth of at least 6 inches. Once the soil is tilled, add 1 to 2 inches of manure, compost or dried leaves to the soil and rake the organic matter into the tilled soil.

Power Seed the Lawn

• After preparing the soil, fill the power seeder with grass seed. Start on one side where you want to grow grass and push the power seeder across in a straight line. Turn and push the power seeder in another straight line along the first path. Continue across the lawn in this fashion until the entire section is seeded. Go over the lawn again in the opposite direction, so that the seeding lines cross over the first seeding lines.

Roll and Water

• Running a half-full lawn roller over the seeded soil packs the seed and soil together. If you want to cover the seeded soil with peat or another thin mulch, use no more than ¼ inch of mulch. After rolling and applying mulch, water the lawn for at least 30 minutes in each section ensuring water penetration to a depth of at least 6 inches.

Subsequent Watering

• Keep newly seeded soil moist at all times after planting. Depending on the area's heat and humidity, you may need to water new grass seed only once or twice daily or up to five times daily to keep the soil moist. The hotter and drier the region, the more frequently watering is required. Water from a can or by dripping water from above with a hose. Do not use a spray from the garden hose for watering, as this may displace the seed.