When your lawn has patches that need work or you simply want to add a grassy area in or around your garden, many people want to grow from seed because it’s so much cheaper than sod. While this is true, they continue to shy away from the idea because growing grass from seed is very intimidating. Growing grass from seed does require more attention and care than laying sod but it is cheaper and once the seed is down, it’s only a few simple steps from there!
The first step is to fully remove any grass that is in the area first. A leveler may do this for you and they will then even out the area. Having even land is crucial to having beautifully grown grass. Once the soil has been turned over, you can then finish the corners and edges where you want the grass to stop growing. Once your grass has grown, adding this simple extra step will give you the appearance of a perfectly manicured lawn!
The next step is to till, fertilize, and till. Tilling the soil before you add the fertilizer will allow the soil to spread out some and will overturn layers, allowing the fertilizer a chance to get past the surface. Once the fertilizer has been spread around, tilling again will ensure that it spreads out evenly. When supplying nutrients to the soil, there are three things you will need: Phosphorus, compost, and soil conditioner. Phosphorus and soil conditioner are available at nurseries and if you don’t compost yourself, nursery-bought manure will also work. These items should be mixed together and then spread over the soil area. Once it has been spread evenly, the soil needs to be tilled once more to ensure that all of the soil receives the phosphorus and soil conditioner.
Once the soil has been tilled, the seeds can then be planted. There are many ways that one can choose to do this. You can purchase a seed spreader or you can simply toss the seed evenly over the entire area. Some believe that once the seed has been spread, it should be covered with dirt and straw so that the birds won’t eat the seed but this is not necessary if you do not wish. While spreading the seed with a professional spreader may sound quick and easy, you really can do as good a job using just your hands.
Now the hard part is over and it’s time to start watching your beautiful grass grow! The only work left to do is watering it every day. The seeds need to be given enough water to prevent them from dying but too much will also drown them. A light soak every day with a sprinkler is probably the easiest way to do this.