When it comes to planting grass seed and getting it to take off and grow, there are two simple secrets that can make all the difference between a new lawn that struggles to survive, or one that fills in thick and fast with lush green grass!
Whether filling a few bare spots in your lawn, seeding a large space, or planting an entire new lawn, getting grass seed to take hold and grow can be a big challenge for many homeowners.
Let’s face it, there is nothing worse than throwing down a bag or two of grass seed and seeing very little germinate. Especially when you consider just how expensive seed can be these days. But even with the rising cost of seed, there is little doubt that planting grass seed is still the most economical choice for creating a lawn.
Laying down sod can be incredibly expensive. It also requires constant attention and watering for survival. And other options such as hydro-seeding not only require special equipment, it can also be upwards of 5 to 10 times the cost of traditional seeding.
But here’s some good news. Growing a healthy, thick lawn or filling in patches from seed doesn’t have to be difficult. The simple truth is, there is a bit of an art to seeding a lawn. And armed with just a few key secrets and tips – you can have great success getting seed to take hold. All while saving a tremendous amount of money in the process!
How To Plant Grass Seed – 2 Big Secrets To Get Grass To Grow Fast And Thick!
#1 Always Use Grass Seed Blends
One of the biggest secrets to success when sowing grass seed is using not only good seed, but the right type of seed.
When planting grass seed, it’s always better to select a grass seed blend than a single type of seed. Blends contain a mixture of varieties that grow in harmony to fill in for a thicker, more robust lawn. Even better, blends are far less likely to fall victim to disease.
A single variety of grass seed takes the same set of nutrients from the soil to grow. Unfortunately, that means it can quickly deplete those nutrients and begin to struggle. In addition, if a single variety is attacked by a disease or a pest, it will decimate the entire lawn.
Blends, on the other hand, grow with different nutrient requirements and will have different resistances to disease and pests. And if a lawn is attacked, it won’t attack all of the varieties at once. Affiliate Grass Seed Link: Pennington Multi Use Tall Fescue Grass Seed Mix
Why Grass Seed Blends Are The Way To Go – How To Plant Grass Seed
By using a blend, there is less risk of depleting all of the nutrients in the soil at once. There is also much less of a risk of disease or pests destroying the entire yard. Even better, good blends will have a mixture of seed, some of which have deeper roots, some more shallow.
Above the soil, some seed varieties will grow thick and taller, while some will thicken at a lower level. All of this diversity means that your lawn fills in everywhere with better results.
One last important note on the topic of selecting seed – it’s critical to always pick varieties that are designed and bred to grow well in your area. A hot grass seed blend designed for Florida will not perform well in Minnesota. Likewise, a grass that would grow well in the northern, cooler states will never hold up in the more humid and hot southern states.
#2 The Secret Of Adding Cover Crop Seed – How To Plant Grass Seed
Now on to the second and most important secret of all when it comes to getting new grass seed to take off – no matter what seed blend you select, always add in a portion of annual cover crop seed with it as you plant.
This one trick can help your seed blend germinate better. It will also have you watering it less – and keep weed seeds from finding a home early on in your new lawn! The two best cover crop choices for this method are annual cereal rye or annual cereal oats. Both are a larger grain style of seed, and both germinate fast!
How Cover Crops Helps Grass Seed Grow Thick & Fast
Why is adding cover crop seed so important? Because the cover crop seed will germinate quickly in the soil. This not only provides shade for the seed blend to establish, it also helps cover bare soil. This makes it hard for weed seeds to blow in and establish.
By providing the cover, the annual cover crop seed acts as a living layer of straw, holding in moisture and keeping your grass seed protected from the hot summer sun.
As the grass seed establishes, the cover crop continues to help shelter and protect the tender lawn seed as it begins to grow. Then, as an annual cover crop seed will do, after it is mowed a few times, it begins to die off, allowing the lawn to thicken in around it.
Even better, as the cover crop roots and grass die off, they add nutrients to the soil that your lawn can then use to power up even more. It truly is a match made in heaven for starting grass seed! See: How To Plant A Cover Crop – Protect & Recharge Your Garden This Fall!
For best results, mix in 1 pound of cover crop seed for every 3 to 4 pounds of grass seed. It is important to make sure you are purchasing an annual cover crop seed, and not a perennial version. The seed is a much larger grain style seed and does not look like traditional grass seed.
A Few Extra Tips & Tricks – How To Plant Grass Seed
Timing Your Planting
When planting grass seed, when you plant your grass seed can play a huge role in how well it develops and fills in. One thing is for sure, if at all possible, summertime should always be avoided.
One of the toughest times of all to grow new grass seed is in the middle of summer. For starters, the hot and dry conditions make it tough for new seeds to establish. Not only does it require constant watering to get the seeds to germinate, the tender young seeds often fail trying to cope with the sun’s intense rays.
So what is the best time for planting? Well, there are actually two great times to plant seed – early spring and early fall. Both of these times usually have cooler and wetter than normal conditions, which happen to be perfect for establishing a lawn.
Of the two, fall is the better time. Not only are the temperatures cool, but the grass does not have to immediately go through the hot summer months. Instead, it can go dormant, and have another cool season of spring to establish with little stress.
Late Winter Seeding – How To Plant Grass Seed
If you are trying to simply thicken up a lawn, late winter / very early spring can also be a perfect time to spread a bit of seed. Especially if there happens to be a light covering of snow on the ground! Spreading seed on top of a late winter / early spring snowfall can do wonders for thickening up lawns.
The seed melts into the ground with the snow, and has plenty of time to germinate and grow before your first spring mowing. Here is to getting your lawn to grow thick and green this year!
This Is My Garden
Follow Our Facebook Page For Great Gardening Tips And Advice! This Is My Garden Facebook Page
This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!