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If you are starting a new lawn you will need to choose between using grass seed or laying turf. Using lawn grass seed is a lot cheaper than turf and has the advantage that you have a wider range and different types of grass seed to choose from. The best time to sow the seed is in the early Fall or Spring as you need moist and reasonably warm conditions. The summer is not a good time to seed a lawn as you will need to water very frequently and the hot conditions are not ideal for the young seedlings to grow. Types of grasses grow at different rates so the time it takes for your new lawn to be ready to walk on will depend on the species and the mixture of grass seed that you use. You will also need to look at what type of grass seed you need. There are specialized shade grass seed for areas that do not get the sun, sunny grass seed for areas that do! A very popular brand is Scotts grass seed.

Preparing the Site

Before you can seed the lawn you need to prepare the site properly. The area you have chosen must be dug thoroughly and all stones removed and large clods of earth of broken up. Rake the area and compact it lightly with your heels. The surface should then be scratched lightly to make grooves for the seeds.

Seeding the Lawn

There are two methods to seed a lawn, manually and with a machine. When using a machine, after weighing out seed mixture needed for your area put half into machine and apply by working up and down the area strips. At the end of each strip, to avoid over seeding, either cover the ground with some plastic will close off the holes in the machine. You could use canes set into the ground or garden twine to guide you. Now put the rest of the seeds into the machine and, working at right angles to the first rows, finish off seeding the lawn.

If you are hand seeding the lawn it is best to divide the area into sections of a  meter square using string and canes. Calculate how much lawn seed you need for each square meter, weight this out and add to a small container. Make a note of approximately how much this is that you don’t have to weigh out every time. Evenly seed the first square meter, sowing seeds in both directors so that they are spread evenly. Now refill the container to about the same level as before and seed the next section. Continued to all of the area is seeded.

Once the whole of the area have been seeded rake over lightly and water thoroughly. Over the next week to two weeks make sure you water regularly if there is no rain. The seedlings should begin to emerge during this time.

Mowing Your New Lawn

Once the grass seedlings are around 5 cm tall you can mow the grass for the first time using a rotary mower. Carefully collect grass clippings or use a rake to be careful not to disturb the new seedling