In the warmer months, lawns are a sight to behold. They're green and lush, with blades of grass standing tall even in the most barren patches. And it's not just from watering! Grass is hearty and can thrive when given a little love. To help you enjoy your summer on well-manicured grounds, we've compiled some tips for seeding your yard this spring.
It may seem like an intimidating project at first glance (who has time for that?!), but don't worry - there's no need to be afraid of DIY projects this year! All you need is patience and a keen eye for detail - not so bad, right?
Tip 1- Buy the Best Grass Seed For Your Area
Depending on where you live, depends on what grass seeds to plant that would work best for your area. For example, if you live in the Deep Southern part of the United States, you wouldn’t want to plant Kentucky Bluegrass, as that thrives in colder weather. Just like if you lived in the Northern parts of the United States, you wouldn’t want to plant Zoysia Grass, as that thrives in the South because it’s so tough and is tolerant to heat and drought. So it’s best to find the right grass for the area that you live in. Once that is done it’s time for the next step!
Tip 2- Prepare the Soil
By preparing the soil, it will help tremendously by getting your grass roots to spread. First, you would need to loosen the soil. You can do this a number of ways, for large areas, like lawns, you can use a Liquid Aerator (just like the one Covington Naturals sells!) For smaller areas, you can use materials like compost and peat moss. Next would be to remove debris in the area, such as sticks and stones. One thing to watch for would be keeping an eye on the soil. You don’t want the soil in big clumps larger than a half dollar, or too fine of a soil either. It is okay to have small clumps! In the final portion of preparing your soil, you need to level the area where excess water collects.
Tip 3- Plant Your New Grass Seed
It’s that time you’ve been waiting for...planting your new grass seed! Now this is the super easy part, go ahead and open your bag of chosen grass seed. The best two ways to plant grass seeds are by hand or with a mechanical seeder in the larger areas. If you are spreading by hand, grab a handful and spread evenly in small areas. Approximately applying 16 seeds per square inch. If too many seeds are too close together, they actually end up fighting for room and nutrients. Before spreading your new seeds, for best results, you would need to roll or mix the seeds into Covington’s Seed Booster & Clone Concentrate until covered, then insert into moist soil. We recommend treating the soil with our Liquid Aerator, but not required. 8oz generally treats 100lbs of seed.
Tip 4- Cover Seeds
After you have spread your seeds evenly, you need to cover them with soil. But not too much! You need no more than ¼ of an inch to cover the seeds. Any less than that then they may be dry before germination or be washed away by the rain or sprinkler.
Tip 5- Water Often
This is KEY! Keep the grass seed moist to enhance growth. Water the seeds just enough to soak the ground, but not enough to cause runoff or puddling. Water at least once a day, until the new grass is at least 2 inches high. Once the newly planted grass is at least 2 inches tall, it’s time to put down the micronutrient fertilizer!
Last but Not Least!
If you want to grow grass from seed, follow these 5 tips. You should also know when to plant the new seeds and how often they need watering. For example, if your lawn is in dry conditions or has been recently reseeded with a different type of turf grass than what was there before, it will need more frequent watering until it’s established. Once the roots are well-established (usually after 2 weeks), cut back on watering frequency and duration so that the plants can thrive without overuse of resources. Make sure to keep an eye out for weeds too! They may be present even if they aren't visible at first glance because their root systems go deep into the soil where we can't see them easily.
