by Betty Carew

Created on: September 26, 2010

All of us want a lawn that will showcase our home. To achieve this you have to take care when planting your seed. Weather it is new ground you are working with or you are just filling in a bare spot that has come in your existing lawn there are certain procedures that will ensure your lawn will be just what you had envisioned. Here are some suggestions that will help you have the lawn you are looking for.

Preparing your soil

If you are working with new ground and the contractors have left your soil with just a rough grade you have a little work ahead of you. First of all you really need to get your soil tested to make sure it is the right pH for your seed. After you have determined that your soil has the right amount of nutrients it is time to get the soil ready.

You should till your soil to at least six inches deep. Do not have your soil to fine but make sure the surface of the soil is loose. After you have tilled your soil you now need to level off the area to make sure your lawn is the proper grade. Pack the soil down and after this is done use a saw toothed garden rake to loosen the compacted soil. Make sure that the soil around your home is a little higher than your lawn. This will divert any water away from your home.

Planting the grass seed

Once you are satisfied with the level of your lawn and your raking is finished it is time to plant your seed. Make sure your soil has good coverage by seeding in both directions. For small area around your home you can sprinkle the seed by hand and work it into the ground with the rake. When you have seeded your soil apply a good fertilizer to give it a good start in growing.

Watering is essential once the seed and fertilizer is on the ground. Do not let your seed dry out but there are also other things to watch for. Do not over water where you have water running off your lawn or pooling in some areas. Just a normal watering daily for approximately a week will keep the seed wet enough to germinate. Keep watering your lawn for a few days even after you see the grass break through the ground. Once your grass is established you can reduce to watering to normal.

Bald patch repair

If you have a small section of grass that requires reseeding the directions are almost the same for seeding. Of course you will probably not need a pH test although if you feel that your spot requires it you can do this. Using a garden fork dig the soil down to approximately six inches. Tap the soil in place with the back of a shovel. Use your rake to loosen the top cover of soil to receive the seed.

Spread your seed by hand and place a little starter fertilizer on your soil. Water this area with a fine mist of water rather than using a direct flow from the garden hose. Keep the seed watered daily taking care that the seed does not dry out.

I use an used onion bag ( the ones that look like netting can be found at your local grocery store) to cover a small space and water the bag which helps keep the moisture in the soil and encourages the seed to germinate. Once your seed germinates and grass shows through the soil you can remove this if you wish. Keep watering your grass daily until you have a good show of grass then cut back to normal watering.

Knowing how to plant grass seed is not difficult but there are precautions you have to watch for to ensure you get good coverage. One of these precautions as stated above is to never let your seed dry out during the process. Soon you will have that lawn that you were looking for and a lawn you can be proud of.

Learn more about this author, Betty Carew.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.