Preparing New Lawn Area:
Before seeding a lawn, preparation must be done to ensure seeds will germinate. First rake, remove dead grass, thatch or till the soil to loosen ground to ease removal of debris. Next smooth and even the area, grade if needed and add any amendments to improve the soil. Apply grass seed by spreader or by hand following the settings and guidelines on the seed bag. Cover the seed with a thin layer of topsoil or compost (1/8”) to protect the seed from birds, wind, and drying out in the sun.
All grass seeds require moisture and a minimum of 50 degree soil temperature and a minimum of 55 degree air temperature to germinate and grow. Seeds will not sprout all at the same time. Ryegrass may germinate in 4 to 8 days, Fescues in 7 to 14 days, and Kt. Bluegrass 15 to 22+ days. An important thing to remember is once a grass seed or new grass blade dries out it dies out.
Watering New Lawn:
Until seeds have germinated it is important to keep the surface consistently moist. Frequent lite waterings balance your soil type and weather conditions to avoid washing away seeds and muddy areas. Moist but not soggy is the goal. Be aware the sun and wind dry the surface and trees and buildings shade areas. All of these factors make it difficult to determine a watering amount, but as you water the first few days the questions are answered by experiencing it.
Once grass seed germinates, cut the frequent shallow waterings to once a day or every other day deep watering of 1”. Use a tuna can/cat food can or rain gauge to measure the amount of time it takes to fill an inch, that is how long to water. After two weeks reduce the watering to two to three times a week. Once the grass reaches 4”, mow to 3” and deep water during dry times.
Overseeding existing Lawn watering:
An existing or established lawn should be watered deeply and infrequently, but when overseeding you must water every day. At first, lite water to keep the surface and seeds moist. This could be twice a day depending on weather conditions and temperatures. Once seedlings germinate water deeply at 1” once a day. Avoid overwatering, if you see puddles, run off, or the soil is soggy and spongy with natural rain. After two weeks reduce to two times a week.
