Seeding is the easiest and most cost-effective way to bring new life to your landscaping. Seeding your lawn has never been easier with the seed they have on the market today. The mixes are so far superior to what they ever have been. Personally, I think in the long run, you end up with a better lawn when seeding it as opposed to installing sod. This is because sod is grown in full sun in ideal conditions. The grass has adopted that lifestyle and will be in for a shock if planted in a shady area, or any other less than ideal yard.
If you are starting from scratch (new construction) you should bring in enough loam to give you 6 inches of depth at every point in your yard. This allows the grass to root deeply into the soil making it disease and drought resistant. The other reason for the soil to be 6 inches deep is drainage. The loam acts as a sponge and absorbs much of the rain water. If it is not deep enough there will be excessive run off or pooling. If you are fertilizing your lawn this is especially important because fertilizer rich run-off is damaging to the environment and waterways.
Now that you have a good base for your new lawn, you will want to rake it smooth. Make sure the grade is correct. You do not want any water running toward the house. Now comes the easy part. Buy yourself a good quality grass seed. In the landscaping business, we use black beauty grass seed and have seen some excellent results. use a broadcast spreader to lay down the seed. You want it to be evenly spaced. It is important not to put down too much seed because the seedling will compete with one another for water, nutrients and other resources. If there are too many seeds they are apt to choke one another out.
Okay so the seed is down, now what? What we do at UpperCut Lawn Service is we gently use the backside of a leaf rake and drag it over the seed to turn them slightly into the soil. Do not go crazy doing this. this will protect the seed from animals, wind and help keep them moist. You may now fertilize the lawn with starter fertilizer. At this point, you may want to consider putting down straw. I do not find it necessary but if you have a lot of hungry birds and animals then you may want to.
It will take about 3 to 4 weeks for the seed to germinate but in the meantime, it is vital you know how to properly water. You will probably need to water your lawn twice a day. A good rule of thumb is that the soil should be moist, not soaked, not dry. If a seedling dries out, there is a 50% chance it will not survive. On the other end, if it is in a puddle of water, it will drown. Keep up with the watering until the grass has sprouted. Once it has sprouted it is much more likely to survive so you can ease back with the watering.
When should I mow the lawn? Lawn mowing should be put off as long as possible. The grass should be so long that your neighbors will start to wonder what going on. The grass should be about a month old. When you do mow the lawn, it should be done with a push style lawn mower because the grass is still very delicate. Bagging the clippings is also highly recommended.
After all of this you should be left with a lawn leaving all of your neighbors jealous! Good luck!
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