ARTICLES

Sowing Grass Seed

Allow adequate time for ground preparation. Ideally you should plan ahead and prepare your site at least three months before you intend to sow the seed. Thorough site preparation is the key to establishing a healthy lawn. The best time to start the preparation is early summer for an autumn sowing.

Clearing the site of all weeds, stones, rubble, plant growth and roots is so important and, time spent at this stage, will be rewarded later. To eradicate the weeds, use a systemic weed killer such as Roundup. Use a spray applicator; wait until there is no wind to avoid the chemical from drifting onto nearby plants. Roundup is a non-selective weed killer and will kill any plants to which it is applied. Take great care when spraying; always follow the manufacturer's instructions for mixing and spraying.

It might take several weeks for many of the weeds to die but, once they have died back, rake them up and dispose of them.

Start to prepare the soil. The best soil for a healthy lawn is a well-drained, sandy loam soil with a depth of 15cm (6 in) to 20cm (8 in), though 30cm (12 in) is better. If the topsoil is poor or shallow, then new topsoil should be added; this can be transferred from other areas of the garden or you can buy good topsoil from your local garden center.

If your soil is particularly sandy, you will need to incorporate some well-rotted, organic matter to help retain water and nutrients. On heavy clay soils, drainage may need to be improved by incorporating roughly two parts of sand to every one part of soil.

If the soil drains badly, then it is better to install some form of drainage. The most rewarding, but also labor intensive project, is to dig trenches in a herringbone pattern across the lawn; these connect to a main drain through the garden towards the lowest part. Alternatively, you can dig down to the sub-soil, add a 15cm (6 in) layer of rubble followed by a 5cm (2 in) layer of grit or coarse sand and finally replace with a 15c (6 in) layer of topsoil.

Leveling the site. If you require a flat surface, drive pegs 10 to 12 feet apart, adjusting them by means of a long straight edge and spirit level. Leveling large areas, or creating a particular slope, use an engineer's level and intervening pegs. Where leveling involves more than a trivial alteration in contours, first take off the topsoil to a depth of 6 in. and put it on one side. Next remove the subsoil as necessary, excavating material from high places to fill hollows. After making the sub-soil perfectly level, restore the topsoil evenly over the entire area. Make sure that the topsoil is uniform over the whole site. Shallow patches of topsoil will show up later, as there will be marked variations in the appearance of the turf, because grass will not thrive in those areas.

Rake the area to a level surface and then firm in the soil gently using a garden roller or simply by walking the ground and firming using your feet. When the area is quite flat and even, rake over again to make a fine loose soil at the top; the ground should be firm but not compacted.

Rest the land. Leave the prepared site for three to four weeks to allow dormant weed seeds to germinate. Using a hoe, you can clear these weeds or you can use a systemic weed killer.

Fertilizing. A week before you sow the seeds, add fertilizer to the area at the rate of a handful per square yard. Growmore is a granular feed that you can scatter before gently raking it into the surface.

Lime Requirement. A slightly acid soil reaction (pH 5.5 to 6.0) favors the finer grasses, but undue acidity is undesirable especially at sowing time. Where the reaction is pH 5.5 or lower, apply up to 3/4 lb. of chalk or ground limestone per square yard.

Sowing. The best time of year to sow grass seed is from mid August to late September, but it can also be sown from the middle of March to early May. The progress of spring-sown lawns is greatly influenced by weather conditions and, in some years when the conditions are cooler, there may be a delay in germination. If the summer is dry, watering demands will be high.

It is also important to choose the right day. The topsoil should be dry, with moist soil just below the surface, and the weather should be fine and calm. Mark out the area into square yards or meters. Shake the box to mix up the seeds and weigh out the seed to cover each square meter or yard. You can add sharp sand to the seed to make spreading easier, but ensure you mix the seed well. Sow the seeds by scattering them first one way and then the other. Sowing too thickly gives patchy germination and seeding too thinly spread will require re-sowing. After sowing, lightly rake over the area, ensuring that you don't bury the seed.

Once the seeds have been sown, they will need to be protected. Fencing off the site from people and animals will give some protection. To discourage birds from eating the seeds or just having a dust bath in your lovely laid seedbed, tie lengths of black cotton to short sticks and criss-cross the cotton over the area, suspended 7.5cm (3 in.) above the soil.

The late season sowing should produce seedlings that start to appear 7-21 days after sowing. During the early stages of growth, carefully weed the area by hand where possible, removing any weeds before they flower. As the grass continues to grow, it will stifle further weed growth. Seedlings are very susceptible to drought so, during dry spells, keep them well watered, although take care not to over water. When the new lawn is 5cm (2 in) high, cut with a rotary mower down to 2.5cm (1 in.).

Carefully rake up the clippings. Follow this procedure for the first three to four cuts. Heavy usage should be avoided for the first 12 months.

Many of the weeds that spring up in newly sown lawns are annuals such as groundsel, goosefoot, chickweed, mayweed and shepherd's purse and although they may appear to retard the growth of the grass, they do not survive regular mowing. However, you must not allow annuals to seed.

Perennial weeds such as plantains, dandelions and buttercups can be uprooted by hand but, on new lawns, avoid damage to the grass by treading on boards.

When the grass is three or four months old, a selective weed killer can be applied. Do not use lawn sand preparations until the turf is 12 months old.

To retain the lush greenness and uniform quality, a lawn should be mown and rolled when necessary, aerated regularly, brushed and raked, top dressed, weeded and kept free of pests and fungi.