Planting a Lawn

1. Selecting the Right Grass
2. Site Preparation
3. Planting
4. Care and Maintenance

Selecting the Right Grass

The first and one of the most important factors in developing an outstanding lawn is choosing the right seed. An attractive, problem free lawn starts with superior seed.

Seed selection at SeedSuperStore.com is easy.

Is your site sunny or shady

Does the site receive 4 hours or more direct sunlight a day? If so, it is considered a sunny site. If the site receives less than 4 hours of daily sunlight it is a shady site. Densely shaded sites with very little direct sunlight will not support turfgrass. For those sites, consider tree trimming to increase sunlight penetration or plant shade tolerant ground cover.

Measure the site

Multiply length times width to determine the square footage of your lawn. Divide the square footage by 43,000 to determine acreage. It is important to know the area of your lawn, both for determining how much seed to plant and how much fertilizer to apply.

Calculate how much seed to plant

To determine the amount of seed required for your lawn, divide the area in square feet by 1,000 and multiply that number by the recommended seeding rate per thousand square feet.

Purchase the seed

Click on Seed Express to purchase lawn seed on-line. Follow the simple instructions to find seed recommended for your area.

Seed Express orders are shipped by FedEx within 24 hours. Click on Delivery Map to find the FedEx delivery time to your zip code. Overnight delivery is also available. Click on Add to My Shopping Cart when you find the seed you want.

If you prefer to create your own unique lawn mix, click on Seed Customizer. Follow the simple instructions to operate the world’s first virtual seed mixer. When you complete your custom mix, add it to your shopping cart.

Site Preparation

The key to successful establishment of a home lawn is proper site preparation.

Take Soil Samples

The most important time to take a good soil sample is before you plant your lawn. Contact your county agent, landscaper, or garden center to learn about soil samples. Do not add lime to your soil without a good soil test. Some soils need more lime than others and some are naturally alkaline and need no lime at all. Certain turfgrasses such as centipedegrass prefer acid soil. There is no substitute for a good soil test.

Weed Control

Tilling and moving the topsoil kills most annual weeds. Certain perennial grassy weeds can be a problem if not controlled in advance. Apply a non-selective herbicide such as Round-Up during periods of active growth. This will typically eliminate even tough perennial weeds. Wait 10-14 days after treatment before disturbing the soil.

Clear the Planting Site

Remove all debris from the area to be planted. This includes rocks, bottles, construction debris, and roots. Remove tree stumps. They eventually decay and cause a depression in the lawn.

Rough Grading

If extensive grading is being done, remove the topsoil and replace it after the rough grade is set. The rough grading should conform to the final grade after the topsoil is added. A 1-2 percent slope (1-2 foot of fall per 100 feet) away from all buildings is best.

This is the best time to install drainage if required. Remember, good drainage is a must for perfect lawns.

Replace Topsoil

Once the subgrade is established, return the topsoil to the site. Topsoil should be 6-8 inches deep after it settles. Steep slopes and rocky outcroppings need even more topsoil, up to 12 inches.

If necessary, the existing topsoil should be improved prior to returning it to the site. If organic matter is needed, add 1-3 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet of lawn area. Peat moss, shredded pine bark, and composted organic material work well. For heavy clay soils, add 8-10 cubic yards of sand per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Mix all these materials with the native soil to a depth of 6-8 inches.

If the existing topsoil cannot be salvaged, purchase new soil and spread it 6-8 inches deep over the subgrade.

Add Fertilizer and Lime

Once the topsoil is spread and graded add fertilizer and lime as indicated by the soil test. If lime is needed, use a rototiller to mix it thoroughly in the top 3-5 inches of topsoil. Starter fertilizer may be broadcast on the surface. When properly applied, fertilizer will not harm seed, even if they are in close contact in the soil. Make sure the fertilizer does not contain weed control pesticides, as it will kill grass seedlings.

A general recommendation for starter fertilizer is 20-30 lbs of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of lawn area. Common starter fertilizer formulations are 5-10-15 and 5-10-10. A superior formulation for cool season turfgrass is 18-24-6 with 50% slow release nitrogen, applied at 6 lbs. per 1,000 sq feet.

Finish Grade

Rake the site to establish a smooth, level final grade. Soil particles should be no larger than marbles, and pea size is even better. If the surface gets rained on prior to seeding, rake again after drying to break up the crusty surface.

Planting

Cool Season vs. Warm Season grasses

Turfgrass is categorized as cool season or warm season grass.

Cool season grasses grow actively during spring and fall when soil temperatures are between 50 and 65 degrees and air temperatures are between 60 and 75 degrees. For obvious reasons, cool season grasses are used primarily in the northern half of the country. The exception is perennial ryegrass, which is used in the winter to overseed dormant southern lawns.

Cool season grasses include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue, and bentgrass.

Warm season grasses produce optimum growth when soil temperatures are between 70 and 90 degrees and air temperature is between 80 and 95 degrees. Warm season grasses are not as cold tolerant as cool season grasses and tend to go dormant and lose color in the fall and winter. Warm season grasses can planted from seed or vegetatively planted from sprigs. SeedSuperStore.com carries seed of bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, buffalograss, and centipedegrass.

Planting Date

Recommended planting date varies by species. Cool season grasses do best when planted from mid-August to mid-September in the north. They can be planted later in higher elevations of warm season states like Georgia and Arizona. Spring is the second best time to plant. Summer seeding is not recommended unless a sprinkler system is installed.

Warm season grasses planted from seed generally do best when seeded from May-June, although bermudagrass can be established in the fall using a high seeding rate.

For the recommended planting date in your area, click Ask the Expert and check the Cooperative Extension recommendation for your state or a nearby state.

Seeding Rate

Seed varies in size and density; therefore recommended seeding rates also vary:

Seeding Method

Seed must be applied uniformly to the soil surface. There are 4 basic types of seeders:

• drills
• hydroseeders
• gravity (drop) spreaders
• broadcast spreaders

Seed drills, such as a Brillion seeder, are towed behind a tractor. They place the seed in contact with the soil and press it down in one pass.

Hydroseeders spray a slurry of seed, mulch, fertilizer, water and green dye onto the soil surface.

Gravity seeders drop seed to the surface directly below a seed hopper mounted on wheels, usually pushed manually across the site.

Broadcast seeders fling seed out from a rotating disk below a seed hopper. Broadcast spreaders cover a wider area than gravity spreaders but are not as precise. This can be a disadvantage near flowerbeds.

For most home lawns, gravity or broadcast spreaders are recommended. It is particularly important to own a good spreader if you intend to maintain your own lawn after seeding.

A word of caution about hydroseeding; hydroseeded lawns require as much or more watering after planting as other seeded lawns. Hydroseeding places seed on top of the soil surface. Because the seed is not firmly in contact with the soil, it is vulnerable to drying out and death if not kept continuously moist until germination.

Seeding Technique

Divide your seed into two equal parts. Put the first part in your seeder and the second part in your garage. The idea is to seed your entire lawn with half your seed.

Set the seeder according to the calibration chart for the type of seed you are planting. If your seeder doesn’t have a seeding chart, the best starting place is 20% open, 80% closed. For example if the seeder is calibrated from 1 to 20 with 20 being wide open, set it at 4, which is 20% of 20. As you seed the lawn, watch how fast the seed is being used up. If it is going out too slowly, you can always cover the lawn a second time, possibly at a higher setting. If, on the other hand, it is going out too fast, you will not reach the end of your lawn before the seed runs out.

Remember, when spreading seed, slow is good, fast is bad. The lawn will be there forever so it won’t hurt to walk over the area a few extra times. Running out of seed before you cover your entire lawn means you can’t finish the job until you obtain more seed.

Once you have seeded your entire lawn with half your seed, reload the seeder with the other half. Seed the entire lawn again, this time walking at right angles to the direction of your first seeding pass.

For some extremely small seeds like bentgrass and centipedegrass it is difficult to set the seeder opening low enough to obtain the necessary seeding rate. It helps to mix the seed with dry sand. Be sure that the seed and sand are thoroughly mixed together to insure uniform seed distribution.

Incorporation

After spreading the seed, lightly rake the area with a garden rake to bring seed into contact with the soil. A rule of thumb is that seed should be planted no deeper than 5 times its own diameter. For small seeds like bluegrass and bermudagrass, that means seed should be on or very near the surface. After light raking, you should still be able to see about 10% of the seed. If you can’t see some seed, you have planted it too deep.

Roll

After lightly raking, roll the surface to firm the soil. This creates a bond between the seed and soil, which enhances the wick effect of water movement from soil particles to the seed.

Mulch

Next, spread mulch over the area. Mulch is important because it creates a barrier to hold in moisture and help prevent the seed from drying out between watering. Straw is the best mulch. Spread one 80 lb. bale per 1,000 sq feet. Wheat, oat, or barley straw is best. Do not use hay for mulch because it contains seed heads that will produce weeds in your lawn. When straw is properly spread you should be able look straight down and see through the straw to the topsoil. Do not put straw on so thick that it completely covers the ground, thus choking out the turfgrass plants.

If straw mulch is not available, manufactured mulches such as Pennmulch are sold at garden centers. Apply according to directions.

Water

Watering your newly seeded lawn is the single most important thing you can do. Once an individual seed soaks up water for the first time, it must never be allowed to dry out prior to germination. Water should be applied 3 times a day for 10 minutes each time. The best time is 10am, 2pm and 4pm. Do not allow puddles to form. Use a lawn sprinkler or in-ground irrigation. Hand watering will not work on a new lawn. No one has the patience to hand water an entire lawn for 10 minutes, three times a day. If you cannot be home during the day, apply water in the morning before work and immediately upon returning home after work. A properly mulched lawn should retain enough moisture to protect the seed during the day.

Continue to water the lawn daily until all the seed germinates. For a lawn mix containing bluegrass and ryegrass, this could be as long as two weeks after the perennial ryegrass germinates.

Care and Maintenance

Germination

Germination time varies by species and soil temperature. The colder the soil, the slower the germination. No germination will occur below 50 degree soil temperature.

Expected germination times with optimum soil temperature are:

Mowing

Do not mow your new lawn until all the seed has germinated. For a cool season mixture containing bluegrass and ryegrass, keep in mind the bluegrass may germinate 2 weeks after the ryegrass.

Mow for the first time when the lawn is 1.5 times taller than the desired height. Set the mower for the desired height. For a typical cool season lawn this means you would mow when the grass is 3" high and set your mower to 2". Warm season grasses vary as to recommended height of cut:

The lawn should be dry and firm when mowed for the first time. This protects new seedlings from being pulled up and prevents the spread of turf disease spores which are sometimes found on moist grass.

Mulch Removal

If you used straw mulch on your lawn, you have two choices; leave it in place to naturally bio-degrade or remove it with a pitchfork or leaf rake.

If you let the new turfgrass grow without removing the straw, extra nitrogen fertilizer will be required to feed your lawn as well as the microbes that decompose the straw. Without additional nitrogen, your lawn will be pale green until the straw is completely decomposed.

If you opt to remove the straw mulch, be very gentle, preferably lifting the straw with a pitchfork rather than raking it. Do not attempt to remove straw mulch before the first mowing.

Other mulches, such as Pennmulch, are designed to remain on the soil and should not be removed.

Weeds

Do not be concerned if your new lawn has weeds. Most topsoil contains some weed seed, and the same optimum conditions that caused your lawn to grow also helped weed seeds germinate. The best way to control weeds in a new lawn is through frequent mowing. As the new turfgrass plants grow stronger, broadleaf weeds will grow weaker. If, after several months, weeds continue to persist, contact your county agent, landscape professional, lawn service, or local garden center for a chemical weed control recommendation.

Post-Planting Care

Each species of turfgrass has a different optimum maintenance practice. Click on the predominant species in your new lawn to learn more about care and maintenance:

Bluegrass

Perrenial Ryegrass

Fine Fescue (creeping, chewings, and hard fescue)

Tall Fescue

Bermudagrass

Centipedegrass

Carpetgrass

St. Augustinegrass

Buffalograss

Zoysiagrass