What to Do Before Planting Grass Seed
Grass is such a beautiful thing to have in a yard. But how can you get nice thick grass when you have a nearly bare yard? Well, there are some things to do. If you have chosen to plant grass seed, then that is an affordable and efficient option. However, there are some things that you can do to prepare for planting grass seed. Take a look below to see!
Before You Plant, Buy the Best Seed
One very important thing to do before planting seed is to buy the best grass seed on the market. But, as G&G Garden and Lawn Care, which does lawn care in Sarasota, notes, that does not necessarily mean buying the most expensive seed. Of course, before you can plant grass seed you will need to decide on what kind of grass seed you want. Below are some tips on what to look for when going to buy grass seed.
- Consider the environment: If the climate you live in is cooler, then a cooler grass seed will grow more efficiently. The same is true for warmer climates too. Grass seed should indicate what weather it is best grown in. Consider shady areas also, because the temperature can drop 10 degrees in the shade.
- Consider the amount of sunlight: Is the yard mostly a shaded yard, or is there a lot of sunlight directly on the area where the grass will be planted? This can help determine which grass seed you should buy.
- Delicate or tough: Will the grass be walked on a lot? Will it be a high traffic area? If so, then the grass seed will need to be one that is a bit tougher. Purchasing a more delicate grass for a high traffic yard can result in the same thing you have now, a bare yard.
- Amount of water: Consider how often the seed will need to be watered. If the seed will be planted in an area that receives a lot a water, then a seed that can handle that is one that should be purchased.
The Next Step in Preparing the Ground for Seed
Now that all the tips to consider when purchasing the seed have been laid out, you can now move on to the next step. This step will involve a lot more work than shopping for seed. However, it is very important to follow all the steps to have productive growth of the planted grass seeds. Take a look below at some of those important steps for preparing the soil for planting grass seed.
- Clear the area: The area where the grass seed will be planted should not have any leaves, pine cones, sticks, or stones. This will only inhibit the growth of the grass seed. Make sure that the area is completely clear. This will help with the next step when breaking the soil up too.
- Break the soil up: The soil should be loose when planting grass seed. The soil does not have to be broken very far either. It is really just a couple of inches. By using a garden rake on the soil, it will loosen up. Make sure that is loose 2 or more inches into the ground.
- Fill in holes: The area where the grass seed will be planted should not have holes. It will only wash the grass seed away. Try to fill in the holes or level the ground where water may have a chance of standing. If the areas are not level it can drown the grass seed, rendering it ineffective.
Once Prepared, Fertilize
The ground will have a major impact on how efficiently the grass seed grows. That is why it is important to have good soil. Another great thing that one can do when planting grass seed is to fertilize the ground before the grass seed is planted. There are many great fertilizers on the market that help aid the growth of grass.
Do not over fertilize the ground. Too much fertilizer can actually burn the ground, making it hard for anything to grow including grass.
You can find more information on how to fertilize the ground properly before planting grass seed at SFGate HomeGuides.
Consider the Weather Before Starting
Before planting grass seed, it is important to check the weather. Although weather can never be predicted, it is good to make sure no major storm is coming in that can wash away the seed before it has a chance to root.
With all of the above information you are on your way to a successful planting. You can check out this YouTube video for more information if you are interested. Happy planting!
