Trying to Grow Grass?

Establishing a lawn can be a long process and should be expected that way. Having a dirt yard can be frustrating and messy! There is a specific route to follow when starting your lawn, and I believe this way to yield the best results. By following this guide, you can help your lawn get the best start you can give it, and hopefully within a few months you will be walking on a lush layer of emerald green grass! I will explain step by step the method we have followed to establish our own lawn that has yielded the best results for us!

The first thing you need to do is prepare the yard. This step is so important as the grass seed needs a perfectly prepared bed to grow efficiently. If your soil has been dug up generously and is very rocky and poor soil, I recommend laying a fine layer of black dirt throughout all the areas where you wish to plant grass. By doing this you can ensure the grass seed will have a soft place to set down their roots.

You will then want to rake or drag the dirt to be sure it is very loose. Break down any clumps or large piles of dirt. You also will want to get the soil as level as possible during this step.

After the soil is loose and level, lightly water the soil. This will prepare a moist environment for the seed and aid in timely germination. Set up a sprinkler or water with a shower nozzle on a hose just until the soil is evenly damp.

Then you are ready to spread the seed. Follow the manufactures instruction on the package for the level of seed you should spread. After you spread the seed, you may want to loosely rack the soil so that the seed meshes with the soil. Also, the timing of your seed lying is very important. Try to spread the seed when there is rain in the forecast, but not heavy downpours. Once the seed starts to germinate you will want to keep it wet. Also, never spread the seed in the heat of summer. The seed will become too hot and die once it has germinated.

After the seed is evenly spread, you will need to mulch it. Chopped straw works the best and is my top choice. You will never have to remove the straw as it will slowly decompose and mix into the soil. Lay a 1-2 inch thick layer of straw over the seed to help with water retention and the mulch will aid to shade the tender grass as it starts to grow. This step is very important to aid healthy growth.

After the mulch is down water the area generously. A heavy dousing of water will moisten the dirt, the seed and the mulch. This will also help the seed and mulch enter the soil and prevent it from blowing away.

After all this work, just sit back and watch the grass grow. It is very important to never allow the soil to dry for more than 3 days at a time. If there is no rain in the forecast and the soil is dry, it's time to set up the sprinklers. If you follow these rules, within 2 months you should have a well started lawn!