Creating a lush, vibrant, and green lawn with healthy and strong green grass can be a rewarding process. A beautiful lawn is a great place for spending summer days and values your home. Whether you are a homemaker or gardener, many common mistakes can happen due to a lack of knowledge about grass seeding.
Avoid and comprehend some common mistakes to stay ahead of the game, whether you are starting from scratch or creating the ideal lawn. Before you start grass seeding your lawn, learn these five common mistakes to make it perfect.
1. Not Testing the Soil
The first and most common mistake many people make is not testing the soil properly. Soil is the main environment for plants for conductive good grass growth. Soil testing is the essential and main process when doing grass seeding.
Test the soil conditions and find out that the soil has the exact breakdown of compositions. This process will ensure you know the soil pH level and nutrients measured, like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
The preferred and adequate pH level of soil for grass seeding falls between 6 and 7, neutral [1]. If you are failing to test or not testing the soil, your grass is at risk of growing properly and continuously.
2. Using the Wrong Grass Seeds
There are huge varieties and types of grass seeds. Also, just like other plants, grasses have varieties, for example, Kentucky bluegrass and Bermudagrass. Depending on the climate and maintenance, types of grasses grow differently.
Choosing the right type of grass seed depends on the region you live in, but is difficult as well [2]. Cool-season grasses grow well in northern states, warm-season grasses grow well in the south, and traditional grass grows well in the central sides.
If you have a full-sun location, Kentucky Bluegrass is ideal for these areas. Short-list the type of grasses best grown in your climatic region and decide between them. You can ensure the quality of your seed with the tag on your seed bag. The cheaper-priced seeds may have poor quality, old seeds, and low germination rates.
3. Not Clearing Debris and Weeds
Before grass seeding, you must ensure that your soil is properly ready for the sowing. You should remove large debris from the soil, which includes big stones and wood. They occupy the space of seeds, block the seed from reaching the soil, and impact the growth of the grass.
Regularly take care of your soil and dethatch your lawn to remove dried and dead grass. Whether you are seeding your lawn from scratch or reseeding, removing debris and weeds is the most crucial step.
Dig up weeds from the soil or spray them with an herbicide to kill them. Always use herbicides properly with instructions, and try to use organic herbicides like Epsom salt, baking soda, or vinegar [3]. Avoid using chemical products because these chemicals can harm grass and seeds and stop their germination but also have harmful effects on humans [4].
4. Planting at Wrong Time
Every plant’s growth depends on the time. If you plant the seeds at the wrong time, it will affect their growth. The best time for cool-season grass seeding is early spring or fall, and for warm-season grass, it is late spring to early summer [5].
Coinciding type and timing of the seed can elevate the success of your grass growth. Regularly check your grass seeds and follow instructions according to the packet. Additionally, make sure that the last frost has fallen; frost will destroy any seeds that have already begun to sprout.
Avoid grass seeding immediately after a heavy rain. The moisture in the soil can increase the chance of diseases, and working with moisture- and waterlogged soil is not easy. Spreading seeds in the rain can wash them away and result in an uneven distribution, so avoid doing so.
5. Skipping Fertilization Process
Fertilization is an important process for planting, but it is not a good idea to apply fertilizer immediately after spreading seeds. The best time to apply fertilizers is after 6 weeks or after the germination of the grass seeds.
The recommendation is to mark your calendars for the future and apply fertilizers twice a year. If you have a lawn with a lot of tear and wear, you may need to add more fertilizers. Feeding the grass in the summer and autumn, as well as in early and late spring, is the best method [6].
Therefore, February through April would be your first feeding period, followed by April through June, June through August, and August through November, but avoid it after mid-November. A healthy lawn can be maintained for a year with one pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet at a suitable pH level.
Conclusion
Grass seeding can only be done with proper knowledge of the planting. Many people don’t know about the strategies for planting grass, lose their investment, and fail to create a lush green lawn. Even seasonal gardeners make mistakes during the seeding process, but they should learn the tactics.
Always test your soil to check its pH level and nutrients before seeding; select the proper type and quality of seeds depending on your region; remove debris and weeds before sowing; check the correct time for planting particular seeds; and fertilize your seeds regularly.
FAQs
- How frequently should my soil be tested?
You should test your soil every 2-3 years. If you are seeding your soil from scratch, soil testing should be done before the seeding process to analyze the problem sooner if any.
- Is it possible to use last year’s leftover grass seed?
Many grass seeds lose viability over time and store moisture. Therefore, you should always use fresh, high-quality grass seeds.
- Can watering be done immediately after seeding?
Yes, you should water the soil right after seeding to provide moisture. Light and water are essential for seed germination. Reduce water after sprouts grow for root growth.
- Can I oversee my soil when making lawns from scratch?
Overseeding is beneficial if the grass is in the initial stage to cover your lawn area properly. This should be done in the early fall to grow thick grass lawns.
- Can I use weed control products in the soil?
You can use weed control products, but not at the time of grass seeding. Weed control products should be used after the grass matures because they can kill the young grass if used at the time of seeding.
References
[1]https://www.joeslawncare.co.uk/helpful-tips/4-super-easy-ways-to-test-your-own-soil/
[3]https://ipm.ucanr.edu/QT/weedcontrolcard.html
[4]https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/exposure-to-chemicals-in-lawn-gardens
[6]https://scotts.com/en-us/lawn-care-101/when-to-fertilize-for-a-greener-lawn.html