Sowing Grass Seed – Time and Method
A vast accumulation of evidence goes to prove that the best time for sowing a new lawn or repairing an old one for that matter is in late August or early September. If the lawn must be made in the spring, sowing should be done at the earliest possible moment.
Fall sowing enables the turf to get a good start and form a thick mat with less competition from weeds most of which do not germinate until fairly late in the spring. The obnoxious and dreaded crab grass for instance, does not start until late May or early June. Unless the grass plants are already well established, they stand little chance in competition with it.
Four pounds of a good lawn seed mixture is sufficient for a thousand square feet of lawn. (This will supply approximately two thousand seeds per square foot!) If the seed is to be sown by hand it is advisable to mark off the lawn surface with string or with a rake handle in squares approximately ten feet each way.
How to Distribute Grass Seed
Half of the seed is then distributed going over the ground in one direction and the other half going over it again at right angles to the first sowing. Early in the morning or just at dusk the air is much more likely to be perfectly still so the seed is not blown about. More even distribution can be had by using a seeding machine. After sowing, the seed is gently raked in and the whole area rolled.
After seeding, it is highly important that the surface never dries out even for a few hours until the seed has thoroughly germinated. This usually will require not more than ten days. If artificial watering must be resorted to, the utmost care is taken to apply it slowly and gently so that no “water channels” form on the surface and run off carrying some of the seed with them with the result that there will be thick bunches of grass in some spots and bare places in others. A very thorough soaking immediately after seeding, moistening the ground to a depth of several inches, will make it unnecessary to water heavily again until after the seed is well up.
The first mowing of the new lawn should not be made until the new grasses (some of which grow much more rapidly than others) are about two inches tall. The mower should be set to cut high – well over an inch – so that it will just clip off the top. It is advisable to have it newly sharpened and to do the cutting only when both soil and grass are dry. Otherwise many of the tiny grass plants may be pulled out by the roots. Where there is any tendency for this to happen, a light rolling will firm the soil again. It should be followed by a thorough watering if the weather is dry.
