Rake the Seeds: You want the grass seeds to be in direct contact with the soil, so rake the seeds gently after sowing. Before you actually plant and water them, grass seeds contain very little moisture. See Over Sowing with New Grass Your lawn should germinate sometime between 2 and 3 weeks (sometimes earlier) depending on the variety and the weather conditions. Select the best fertilizer, and load it into a fertilizer spreader. Plastic leaf rakes have a broad head in the shape of a fan, with thin, slightly flexible plastic tines. The first thing to do when preparing for your DIY lawn seed project is to make sure there is no grass or weeds growing on the site. To do this put plastic stakes in the four corners of your lawn and a few extras down the sides. Free Delivery: $50/min (Adel. This is OK. We wouldn't recommend spreading any soil on top of the seed. It’s best to try and keep of the lawn area for around 6 weeks after sowing. Broadcast the seed and Organic Lawn Food over the area and lightly cross rake. It is easy to use a thatching rake for small areas of grass. Seeding the lawn rather than laying turf is the more economical option. After you’ve chosen lawn seed that will best suit your project you can begin to prepare the soil for sowing. If you are seeding an existing lawn that is thinning, raking is not necessary because the seeds will move between the blades of grass. Prepare Your Soil. Rake the entire surface of the grass lightly to cover the grass seeds with soil. This is to allow the seeds a chance to get established. The amount of work required to do this can range from extensive through to not much at all! Instead, flip the rake over and use the back of it to press the seeds into the ground. The likelihood will be that, in a heavy thatch situation, you will remove most living grass; therefore you will have to re-seed the lawn. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. The raking will leave behind furrows in the soil that the seed will settle into. Cross raking is where you rake across the rake furrows you created before sowing the seed. Planting New Grass: Kill everything. Use this rake to work the grass seed into the soil, but don't use it in the traditional manner. If necessary, pay a little more to make sure your rakes are of the highest quality. We show you how to germinate lawn seed. Grass seed needs all three to properly grow; without even one of these components, it simply won’t germinate. Step 3: Protect New Grass Seed Patches. You'll probably notice at this point that it's starting to go a lighter green or even a bit yellow. Some seed will be left on the surface and some seed will get buried. If it is the latter consider a new lawn, if it is the former just keep going with the scarifier until you get down to the soil. You can buy them from most hardware stores or they can be hired from your local hire shop. If you go to the store and pick up a bag of grass seed, there’s something you should notice about the seeds themselves: they’re all quite dry. Mow the Grass. To achieve a level surface, we'd recommend using a hand held soil screed. Broadcast the seed and Organic Lawn Food over the area and lightly cross rake. Straw is preferred to hay as a grass seed mulch because of its lower seed content. Sowing the Seeds 1. You can do this by gently dragging the back of a leaf rake over your seeded area. Spread the seeds. Pull the rake across your lawn, so it pulls out the thick thatch layer. The head of the rake should be firmly fastened to the handle with more than one attachment. Make sure you water your lawn as per the instructions during germination and in accordance with the SA Water "Water Wise Measures". For small lawns, use a dethatching rake to work across the lawn using the same motion you would when raking leaves. A broader rake will cover more ground, but it may be more difficult to maneuver, especially if your yard has nooks and crannies. Just trim the tops of the lawn. Next, rake it in. While it’s important to water a newly seeded lawn often, you also don’t want to over water it. The hotter the temperature, the more you should water. If you have a poor, heavy or clay soil, you'll need to remove a layer to allow for a some fresh sandy loam. Mulch: Mulch helps to retain moisture in the ground. Soil screeds (sometimes referred to as levelling rakes) are an amazing tool and do an do a really good job of taking the highs and lows off the surface. Water the surface daily until you get a couple of centimetres of growth. Plastic Leaf Rake Plastic leaf rakes have a broad head in the shape of a fan, with thin, slightly flexible plastic tines. Rake in the seeds. If you are replacing an old lawn, then the first steps are to remove any old sod, stones, and weeds. You might also consider adding some organic compost to help hold water in the top soil for longer. Mulch with a thin layer of weed-free straw such as wheat straw. Avoid sowing during a prolonged dry spell or ahead of heavy rains, which can wash grass seeds away. If the ground is compacted, loosen it up by spiking with a form to a depth of at least 15cm. Carefully rake up the clippings. Knowing how large the area is will help you know how much seed and fertiliser to buy. This is OK. Don’t mow heavily at first. New lawns are hungry! It's been out since last Wednesday (May 2nd) and I have been watering the seeds in … Measure the proposed lawn area to find out how much lawn seed and fertiliser you will need to buy. On hills, mulch with a thin layer of straw to keep seeds from washing away. Apply fertilizer. … Two or three days before the seed is to be sown, lightly rake in a granular fertiliser. Before you sow lawn seed, you’ll need to prepare your soil. After 5 – 8 weeks your lawn will start to look like a lawn but the chances are it’ll look … You can use seed covers or compost in fine layers, no more than ¼ inch deep. Rake or scarify the existing lawn, spread the seed, and tread the seed into the lawn. 266 Reviews. Step 6 Make sure it easily flips without too much effort. Irrigate lightly four to six times daily during germination depending on the temperature. The seeds only need to be approximately 1/8 inch below the surface, so you do not need to rake very deep. If your soil is already sandy and not hard setting, all you need do is turn it over and level it. 3. Metal tines should be treated with a rust-resistant coating, and plastic rakes should feel thin but sturdy and slightly flexible, not flimsy or wobbly. This type comprises rigid blades that are sharp and located close together. We will tailor an easy to follow soil preparation guide for you. Add extra seeds to bare spots, and then cover the seeded area lightly with a combination of topsoil and compost. When the time comes, follow this process for how to dethatch your lawn. In most cases, you can mow your lawn for the first time at around 4 weeks after sowing. In this way you create a grid pattern type effect. Although you can use the same garden rake to complete each step of the process, it is best to use two different types of rakes. Time It Right. Although you probably can't spread grass seed in the store, you can lift the rake, see how heavy it is and see if it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. A rake with metal tines is necessary to smooth and prepare the soil before you lay the grass seed. Leave the area for 1 week, then remove all dead or dying weeds. It is important not to remove all of the grass, but just break up the top layer of thatch; Remove the loose dead thatch either with a lawn mower, by hand or with an outdoor vacuum. Flip the leaf rake over since you will be using the back of it. This will help provide the new lawn with all the nutrients it will need to thrive. A lush, green lawn adds curb appeal and value to your home. Still, straw will contain some amount of seed from farm grasses and … You will also need to know this if you need to order in some topsoil. After planting the seed it is best to cover the seeds with soil as little as a quarter of an inch and then water them. Preparing Lawn for Seeding: Kill the grass with plastic. Once it is clear, you need to loosen the soil enough for the seeds to settle on the surface. Then connect with some stringline. How to lay lawn turf Don't bury the seeds any deeper; grass seed needs adequate light to germinate quickly. Press down gently and work back and forth with the rake to mix the amendments into the top inch of soil. Garden rakes have one wide row of thick, sharp metal tines. After the top soil has been spread, roughly level it with a rake. You could even tie a few small rag strips to your corner stakes to draw more attention to your barrier. Top off your lawn with more grass seed. Typical times to plant grass seed for warm weather will be early spring to summer. Do you need to rake grass seed in? Quick Tip: When you water, use a light spray and try not to wash the seed into piles. As an alternative, you can use a seed starter mat or seed blanket to help keep the seed and loose soil from washing or … We recommend that you apply a second application of Paul Munns Organic Starter Fertiliser at the 4 week mark. Sow grass seed at rate of one-and-a half ounces per square metre. Corona … (Note our tips for spreading grass seed above.) Test out the rake before you buy it. It's true that you get what you pay for: Although some rakes may be less expensive than others, your lawn is a costly investment. This process mixes the dirt with the seeds. As the grass continues to grow, it will stifle weed growth. Sow at 50g/m 2, slightly less this time. A dethatching rake is quick and very effective; however, it can become tiring. Frequent fertilising in the early days will ensure that your new lawn continues to establish quickly. Click here to use our handy area measuring tool. Find information and step-by-step instructions on how to turn grass seed into a lush, beautiful lawn. Using the proper tools to seed your lawn will make the process easier. Water. This Old House: How to Seed a Lawn -- Rake in the Grass Seed, This Old House: How to Seed a Lawn -- Rake the Soil. Sow the lawn seed onto a prepared soil that has been raked lightly in one direction. Use a metal garden rake to carefully work the lime (or sulfur) and fertilizer into the top … The ideal depth of sandy loam top soil ranges between 50 and 100 mm. Lastly, remember to keep the soil level 10 mm below your edges to allow some room for the turf to grow. metro, excl turf). Mix the lawn seed with some Paul Munns Organic Lawn Food. Soil preparation Prepare the soil by skimming off any old grass, removing large stones and weeds, and then roughly levelling. Remove any rubbish from the surface of the lawn before mowing. You can either opt to spread the seed evenly on the ground manually or if the lawn is larger you might consider using a mechanical lawn spreader or a power rake. Cross raking is where you rake across the rake furrows you created before sowing the seed. To help you know what you'll need to do, have a read of the information below: If you are unsure of your soil type or how to prepare it, bring a sample to us for a free appraisal. If you’re planting … When the new lawn is 5cm (2in) high, cut with a rotary mower to 2.5cm (1in). These tough rakes will dislodge rocks and thick clumps of dirt, as well as lay furrows in the soil. Rakes with wooden handles should feel smooth, not rough, to the touch lest you get splinters. 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