Using grass seed for a new patch of grass is a simple and much cheaper alternative to laying turf. Whether you are preparing an entirely new lawn, or you just want to know how to plant grass seed in bare spots on an existing lawn, planting grass seed is much easier than many people think.
Our handy step-by-step guide below will tell you everything you will need to know about how to sow grass seed, from which grass seed to buy, to when to first mow it. Together, we'll make it a stress free and fulfilling process, and to make sure you have a thriving lawn for years to come.
Best time to plant grass seed
The best times of year for planting grass seeds are mid-spring and early autumn. You will want the soil to be warm, but with plenty of moisture. The perfect weather conditions are neither not too hot, nor too cold (consistently between 8-10 °C for most types of grass seed), with no chance of any frost for at least two weeks.
Early autumn is probably a slightly better time than the spring, as the seedlings will be able to establish before the first frosts, and then can root in well over the winter - as long as you avoid those frosts, and follow this guide, you will be fine.
How to plant grass seed - A step-by-step guide
Follow this simple guide for everything you need to know to sow grass seed.
Buying the grass seed
Once you know where you want your new grass, you need to decide which is the best grass seed for that space. We stock many different types ofgrass seed at Gardeners Dream:
- General purpose lawn grass seed: a mixture of hard-wearing grass types which are perfect for gardens that get a lot of use - children, pets, general foot traffic.
- Hard-wearing grass seed: ideal for those gardens that get a lot of use - this will give you a thick, hardy lawn all year round.
- Shady lawn grass seed: perfect to give a premium look to those areas that don't get as much sun - like under trees or up against a fence.
- Fine lawn grass seed: a blend of fine leaved grasses to give your lawn a dense, soft look and feel. Not the most durable grass, but great for stunning gardens and lawns.
In the UK, cool season grasses are more common than warm season grasses, for obvious reasons! To work out how much grass seed you'll need, here is a rough formula: about 75 g of seed per square metre, but buy 10% more to make sure you'll have enough.
Clearing the area
Once you have your seed, it's time to clear the area in preparation. The most important thing is to remove all weeds, moss, dead grass and any other debris that might inhibit the new lawn. You use a weedkiller, but just make sure it is not a residual weed killer as that will stay in your soil and could harm the new grass. How well you clear the area will have a huge bearing on how successful your new grass seeds become.
Improving the soil
Staying on preparation, to give the grass seeds the best environment to grow, make sure the soil is the best it can be. If you have compacted soil, dig or rotovate it down around 20 cm. If it is light, consider adding some compost or manure to it to help it hold on to moisture.
Creating a level seed bed
Next, you need to make sure that the bed you are about to sow grass seed into is nice and level - this is your one shot to get it nice and even! Vigorously use a garden rake to level it out, removing any large stones or big clumps of earth as you go.
Soil settling
Once this is done, you'll want to leave the soil, now that it has been dug and levelled out, for as long as possible before planting grass seed - ideally 6 weeks, if you have the time. This will give the ground time to settle into position.
Ground prep finale
You're nearly ready to sow grass seed, but just time to do some final checks - is the earth still level now that it is settled? Rake a little more if so, Are there any weeds coming through? Remove them by hand, try not to use weed killer at this point. Make sure the soil has had plenty of water the night before you plan to sow. Double check the weather forecast to make sure the soil temperature will be ion the right range for your seeds when you come to sow.
Sowing grass seed
Finally, we come to spreading grass seeds! You can either use a seed spreader, or just use your hands. Divide up the space into different sections if you are covering a large area, and then weigh out your seed so you know how much you should be using - this will help you seed evenly.
It's a good idea to vary the direction you spread (go from side to side, and then top to bottom) - this should ensure you cover every inch. For a full rundown, check out our blog on how to sow grass seed.
Tread the grass seed into the grass
Once you have spread all of the seed and you are happy, lightly rake the area, to ensure that the seed makes contact with the soil to aid germination. Then you need to firm it down, which you can do with a light roller or by walking over the soil with small shuffling steps. This should give you the perfect balance of soil-seed contact, while not making the soil too compact.
Watering
Check the weather forecast - if you're not expecting any rain, give the area a gentle watering with a light spray. Just make sure the seeds don't become dislodged when the water hits them.
After a week or so, you will start to see your first grass seedlings - make sure you give them regular light watering.
Mowing and aftercare
When the grass seedlings reach around 5 cm tall, you can reaffirm the soil with a garden roller, or again, just tread on any bits of the lawn that you can see have raised slightly. Then, a few days after that, you can mow them for the first time - set your mower at a higher setting, looking to take about a third off, and don't use the front roller if you have one on your mower.
If you have sown in Spring, make sure you mow every week or so, progressively getting shorter until you reach your desired length. In Autumn, you can leave it to grow over the winter after that initial cut.
Conclusion
So there you have it - everything you need to know about how to plant grass seed so that you can establish new lawn grasses yourself. Just remember, the more time, and patience, you take to prepare your soil, the better the results will be. The results - a beautiful green lawn - will certainly be worth it.
We have a variety of lawn seed, and with free UK delivery on all UK orders, there is nothing stopping you! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch, and our team of experts will be more than happy to help you.
