How to Buy and Plant Grass Seed
Are you tired of looking at your tired lawn or maybe you just built a new house and need to establish a lawn. Either way, buying and planting grass seed can be a bit daunting. There are many names and technical terms that are used and it can be a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, a little bit of information can help clear the picture and make the decision making much easier.
The first consideration is what type of climate do live in. There are two major regions that divide grass seeds into groups. The warm season grasses are for lawns in the south and cool season grasses are for lawns in the north. In general, warm season grasses will grow poorly in a cool climate and vice versa. However, there is a narrow transitional area going across the country where both types of grasses grow well.
Cool area grasses grow and do their best when the soil temperature is 65 degrees or less. If it gets too hot the grass will go dormant and turn brown. Warm area grasses, on the other hand, do their best when it is very hot and turn brown when it is cooler.
For cool season areas there are several popular grass types:
Kentucky Bluegrass
Perennial Rye
Tall and fine fescues
For warm season areas there are several popular grass types as well:
Bermuda Grass
St. Augustine Grass
Zoysia Grass
Once you have decided on a grass type, it is time to buy the seed. The first thing to look for is the date on the bag. Old seed will not germinate as readily as newer seed so make sure that you are purchasing the newest bag possible. Also, be sure to check the weed seed count. It is impossible to separate all the weeds from grass seed but you should not be planting any bag that has a weed seed of.3% or more.
Once you are ready to plant, prepare the soil by breaking it up with a hoe or other implement. Just putting grass seed on bare un-prepped soil will lead to a very poor germination rate. Next, scatter the seed on the soil. You shouldn’t have seeds in clumps but there also should not be large areas without seeds. The ground should be evenly covered. Following this, very lightly rake the seeds into the soil. Grass seed germinates based on the moisture content in the soil and by being in significant contact with the soil. Many people just leave the grass seed on the surface and limit the germination rate by doing so. Optimally, the seed will just be barely covered up. Next, cover the ground with straw or other similar covering. This helps the soil retain moisture. Keep in mind that a little bit of straw goes a long way – you should still be able to see the ground through the straw. Finally, water the grass seed with a fine mist to get the soil wet. Don’t overdo this. Watering too much can cause the seed to wash away as will delivering the water with too much pressure.
Be sure to keep the straw in place over the next few days and keep the soil moist until the grass is well on its way.
Hopefully, these tips and information will help you along in growing a healthy lawn. Next, you need to find a good lawn mower!
Many websites provide additional information on the topic of landscaping and lawn care. One such site worth visiting is http://www.environmental-design-landscape.com.
Eric Parish independently author’s articles for WebDrafter.com, Inc. ( http://www.webdrafter.com ) for search engine marketing. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those solely of the author, and not of any other person, company, or organization. No guarantee or warranty, express or implied, is made regarding the accuracy, fitness, or use of the content herein.
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