Tools Needed to Plant Grass Seed

Garden Rake

• The garden rake manually cultivates soil before sowing grass seed. Although cultivating with a rake requires substantially more effort than machine cultivation, it is inexpensive and often the most suitable method for small projects. There are two basic types of garden rakes: the leaf rake and the bow rake. The leaf rake's long, flexible tines protrude from its pole in broad, fan-shaped pattern. The bow rake's short, rigid tines stick straight out from a broad, metal bar. Landscapers usually prefer to use a bow rake for soil cultivation; the bow rake's rigid tines easily plunge into and turn over soil.

Hand Spreader

• Inexpensive and effective, this hand-held device evenly distributes a shower of grass seeds. The hand spreader consists of a large container, a hand crank and fan-shaped spout. Load grass seed into the hand spreader's container and turn the tool's crank while walking across the lawn. Hand spreaders have adjustment knobs that alter the rate of seed distribution. To avoid over-seeding or covering the same area twice, follow a predetermined path when spreading grass seed with a hand spreader. Hand spreaders are commonly available at hardware stores and garden supply shops.

Drop Spreader

• The drop spreader is a large, wheel-mounted hand spreader. The drop spreader's rolling wheels trigger seed distribution. The drop spreader's wheels mount to an axle, making it easy for a landscaper to follow a set path across a planting area. Drop spreaders carry substantially more seed than hand spreaders, which reduces the amount of time spent on reloading the seed container. The drop spreader's seed capacity and accuracy is well suited to large seeding projects. Drop spreaders are available at most hardware stores and garden supply shops.