Successfully Planting a Lawn

Successfully Planting a Lawn

By Matt Kieselbach

A lush green lawn can add value to your property and beautify any landscape. It is as valuable to any landscape design as flower beds, trees, and shrubs. To succeed in planting a beautiful lawn one must follow a series of steps to ensure that the lawn will be successful. Following these ten steps will ensure a healthy, weed free, lush green lawn.

1. WHEN TO PLANT:

The preferred time to plant a lawn is in the fall when weeds are at their lowest growth cycle. Also this will allow the root system to develop over the winter in preparation for the hot and dry summer months. In mild coastal areas planting can take place at any time. But some special requirements will have to be met. Spring is a good time to plant lawns if a proper weed control program is first implemented

2. CULTIVATE SOIL/ORGANIC MATERIAL:

Plow, rototill, hand dig or somehow breakup the soil and amend with humus, ground bark, aged sawdust or wood shavings to allow for good root and water penetration of the soil. This operation is the most important part of the whole process if you want a healthy drought tolerant lawn it will need deep roots.

3. PREPLANT WEED CONTROL:

Incorporate fertilizer and level to final grade. Water the soil frequently for at least two weeks to germinate any weed seeds. Spray with a contact weed killer (ROUND-UP has proven very effective) following manufacturers instructions carefully. Weeds should be dead within 4 to 5 days. Resume watering one day after spraying for an additional 7 days, If more weeds appear, spray again. Do not pull weeds or cultivate the area after last kill. This will bring unwanted weed seed to the surface.

4. RAKE THE SURFACE SMOOTH:

Lightly rake the surface to break up the crust formed by your watering cycles.

5. SCATTER SEEDS:

Sow at the recommended seeding rate. Sow 1/4 of the seed to the entire area in one application. Follow with the next three applications in different directions. When spreading by hand it may be helpful to add sand or sawdust with the seed mix. For best results use a hand crank operated seed spreader.

6. RAKE SEED INTO THE SURFACE LIGHTLY:

Using a bamboo or fan rake, brush the seed barely under the soil. Roll the surface with an empty lawn roller to set the seed in contact with the soil.

7. MULCH LIGHTLY:

This is optional, though mulching with 1/8th inch of a rich organic soil, sawdust or peat moss will provide shade to new seedlings and help retain moisture.

8. LAWN WATERING:

Water seeds in thoroughly with a fine mist nozzle. Depending on the time of year, the seed bed may take as many as 5 short cycles per day. Germination will occur within the first week for some grasses while others may take as long as 21 days. For this reason: YOU MUST KEEP SEED BED DAMP UNTIL ALL SEED HAS GERMINATED. HOWEVER, DO NOT OVER WATER! Reduce the number of cycles per day to just keep the surface damp.

9. BEFORE MOWING:

After 3 weeks most of the seed will be germinated and you can cut back on the number of watering cycles. When the grass gets to two or three inches in height. Allow the seed bed to dry out just enough so that you can walk lightly on it without leaving footprints. Roll the new lawn with a water filled lawn roller to set the seedlings firmly in the soil. Mow the lawn with a sharp blade mower set at a 2" cutting height.

10. FERTILIZE:

This will be a good time to apply more fertilizer. Your new lawn has just been mowed and it needs water. before watering chose the proper type of fertilizer (this depends on the time of year) and broadcast at the rate recommended by the manufacturer. Then water in thoroughly to prevent burning of your new seedlings. Watering cycles should be set to maintain 1 to 2 1/2 inches of water per week, depending on your location, i,e, 1" for coastal areas and 2 1/2" for inner valley areas.

Lawn Seeding Links

http://www.hewitts.com/info/garden/lawnseeding.htm

http://www.bachmans.com/retail/tipsheets/lawn/seedingyourlawn.cfm

Sodding and Hydroseeding Links

http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/plants/BG540.html

http://www.agry.purdue.edu/turf/pubs/ay28.htm

http://www.ajcamerons.com/hydroseeding.htm