Anyone can google “How to seed a new lawn.” So why read another article about it? Well, because this article goes beyond the simple steps. It goes into why the steps are important and how each step adds to the strength and growth of a great new lawn. If you’ve read my other blogs, I kind of geek out over this stuff.
Step One: Timing
While you can throw seed out on the ground any time if you, water it, you’ll have grass. But it’ll be an uphill battle. Grass seed likes to germinate when the ground is somewhere around 65 degrees and the weather isn’t over 85 degrees. For the Pacific Northwest that means September/October or April/May. It’s not an exact science (actually it is, but I’m not a scientist), but before first frost and after last frost is a good rule of thumb.
Step Two: Correct Seed
Choosing the correct seed comes down to several factors. The first is location. We live in the Pacific Northwest which is considered a cold, humid climate as far as grass seed is concerned. The experts say Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall, fine, and creeping fescue, and bent grass (I’ve never seen bent grass in a seed mix before).
The second is exposure. How much sun does your lawn get? I mean, really get. Remember, you may have trees that block sunlight in parts of the lawn while other parts are full sun. You can go with the overall exposure, but keep it in mind.
The third is use. Is this going to be the lawn that every neighbor envies and nobody ever walks on, or is this the playground for a dog or kid? Because some can’t stand up to tromping fun and others are wider, unruly blades.
Remember, location – Pacific Northwest. Exposure – sun, shade, or both. Use – ornamental or high traffic. Most of the time, the bags of seed are pretty accurate in their description for exposure. Be aware there are seed blends and seed mixes. Blends are two or more cultivars of the same grass species – like tall, fine, and creeping fescue. Mixes are combinations of different grass species – like Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Why does this matter? It doesn’t really if you know what you need.
Assuming you live in the Pacific Northwest, here’s my list of go to grass blends/mixes:
- Anything for playing on – use a mix of ryegrass, bluegrass and fescue.
- Anything for ornamental – a mix of mostly ryegrass unless it’s shady, then add some tall fescue.
- Anything for shade – a blend of fescues. Just fescue.
JB Lawn Sun & Shade Blend Seed, 7 lb.
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Step Three: Soil Testing
Test your soil. It’s that simple. You wouldn’t add salt to a soup unless you tasted it first because it might need pepper instead. Same with your soil. How do you know what it needs unless you find out what it has? Yes, you have to take the time to collect samples and send them off for testing and that takes patience. But you can also do a rapid test and get a general idea of what your soil needs. No matter how you do it, test your soil. That is all.
Wilco, Premium Soil Test Kit
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Step Four: Prepare Your Ground
There are a few things that go into this and they depend on what you’re working with. If you are replacing an existing lawn, you need to remove the lawn first. Easiest way is with a sod cutter – you can rent one unless you plan to do this a lot. If you don’t want to use a sod cutter, a flat head shovel works but you might want to get help because it goes pretty slowly.
If you’re working in a new space, but you have weeds to get rid of, you have a few options for killing them before you plant. You can use a chemical herbicide. A selective herbicide works well and will not kill grass. If you have unwanted grass mixed in with weeds, a non-selective herbicide is best. With chemical herbicides, you should wait 4-6 weeks before seeding. You could also spread plastic or newspaper over the area to kill the weeds. Either way, you want to clear the area of competitors before seeding.
If you’re putting in an irrigation system, do it now. It will save you a lot of heartache later on when you have to trench through your beautiful lawn and then try to reseed it to match the rest of the yard once you’re finished. It’s an extra expense, but in the long run it’s worth it.
Either till your soil or break it up. You need at least 1-3 inches of worked soil. There are lots of reasons for this. Seeds may wash away on hard soil, ending in valleys filled with seed or “seed puddles.” Seeds need to root into the soil and that’s easier to do it you don’t have to fight your way through. Hard ground doesn’t absorb water very well – something your new seeds need.
Even out the surface with a grading rake. Remember, all of the hills and valleys will be permanent parts of your landscape if you seed them. This is also important to avoid those seed puddles I mentioned in the last paragraph.
Vastlan Herbicide Quart
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Crossbow Herbicide Weed & Brush Killer
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Cornerstone Plus Glyphosate Herbicide, 2.5 gal
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Vulcan Aluminum Landscape Rake
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Step Five: Seed and Feed
You have several choices for spreading seed. Some of it depends on how large a lawn you’re doing. You don’t want to hand seed half an acre, but a rolling drop spreader won’t work for a small strip along the side of the house. Check out the options at the store – push drop spreader, hand crank spreader, chest mounted spreader – it will probably make sense to you just by looking at the size of the spreader itself. Whichever spreader you choose, make sure to vary your spreading pattern so you get good coverage. Go east to west once then north to south. This way the crisscross will make sure everything gets an even amount of seed.
Scotts Turf Builder Edgeguard Mini Broadcast Spreader
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Standlee, Flock Fresh Bedding, 2 cu. ft.
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How much seed do you need?
Most seed bags will tell you approximate coverage, but this is what I’ve got for you:
- 5lbs per 1000 sqft for new lawns
- 3lbs per 1000sqft for reseeding an existing lawn
Most seed bags have spreader settings on them – each one is different. But if you get stuck, you can start with the middle setting and adjust from there. You should be able to see the seed on the ground, but you should also be able to see the ground through the seed.
Give your new babies a little food. Not a lot. They aren’t that big yet and you don’t want to accidentally feed competitor weeds because they’re stronger than most grasses to begin with. A light spreading of Wilco 16-16-16 All Purpose Fertilizer gives a balanced food – especially helpful if you didn’t test your soil. Otherwise, tailor your fertilizer to the needs of your soil. Organic or chemical, the numbers tell you what you’re getting. A quick review of up, down, all around – first number is nitrogen for upward growth, the second is phosphorus for root growth, and the third in potassium for all around growth.
Cover the seed with a light ¼ inch of top soil. Then gently rake it in. This helps the seeds to really find a place to root. Make sure the soil you use isn’t heavy compost, the seeds still need to find their way to the top for sun. If you have hills, or if you are concerned about losing too much moisture, spread straw over the area – light enough you can see through it. Again, the seeds need to be able to grow through it. I like to use chopped straw because it’s finer and easier to store if I don’t need a lot. Straw bales are cumbersome and hard to store. Both choices may have a few weeds in them – mostly alfalfa – but you can take care of that later.
Wilco, 16-16-16 All Purpose Fertilizer
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G&B Organics, Soil Building Conditioner, 3 cu. ft.
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Step Six: Keep It Watered
Watering is finicky. You can try to set a timer to water for five minutes two times a day – that’s just about right most of the time. But if it’s raining like it does in the spring, you don’t want puddles forming in your new lawn so you need to back off the sprinkler. Alternately, if the fall is a scorcher, you may need to water three times a day instead of just two. The best way to make sure you’re watering enough is to look at the soil. You want the top ½ inch to be moist all the time. This is where your seeds are germinating and they need to stay damp to do that.
So, there you are. Six steps to a new lawn. With details. I suppose there are some details I’ve left out – things that are too much even for me – but overall, you should feel pretty confident choosing, prepping, and seeding your new lawn. The next thing to think about is getting out that mower, sharpening the blades, and be ready to enjoy a beautifully manicured yard.
Electronic Water Timer
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Raindrip Electronic Battery-Operated Water Timer, 3/4 in.
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Green Thumb, Flexogen Hose, 5/8" x 50'
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Zero G Garden Hose, 50 ft.
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