How to Cover Grass Seed

Cast the grass seed over the lawn. If you are overseeding, you won't use as much seed as if you are sowing a complete lawn. Your seed bag should give directions on how much you need for a full lawn or overseeding, based on the size of your lawn and the type of seed you're using. A garden spreader helps with the task. Fill the spreader with half the quantity and walk behind the spreader in rows across the lawn. Repeat by filling with the other half and making perpendicular lines.

Sprinkle 1/4 inch of topsoil over the seeds. Covering the seeds with soil helps ensure that the seeds are in contact with soil, so they will germinate and grow into grass. You can also accomplish this by lightly raking the soil after you spread the seeds.

Sprinkle the lawn with straw. Do not spread it so thick that you cannot see the soil. If the straw is too thick, the newly germinated seeds won't get any light, and the grass won't grow. Also, thick straw will increase the chances of mold growth. You just want to keep the soil and seeds from washing away during watering or hard rains. Put a handful of straw between your hands and hold it loosely. Shake your hands up and down as you move them over the lawn area. The straw will fall between your fingers to sparsely cover the ground.

Water the lawn. Without good water coverage, the seeds will not grow. The water also settles the straw and soil. Cover the lawn with enough water to dampen it to a depth of at least 2 inches. Water each day until you see growth, then drop back to 1 to 2 inches of water a week over two days of watering. If you live in an extremely dry climate, more watering may be needed in the beginning while the grass seed is developing, since you want to maintain damp soil. You need to check the soil through out the day, and water again if it is dry.