How to Plant Grass

Have you noticed parts of your yard are bare or yellow? Or maybe you have removed a tree or bush and want to grass to grow in the area. Whatever your reason, seeding or reseeding a lawn is very easy. You'll just want to keep in mind that proper preparation of the area will increase the grass growth. Anyone can plant grass and with good long-term care keep your lawn looking great and the envy of all your neighbors. Read on to learn how to plant grass.

Things You'll Need

• Seed spreader
• Grass seed
• Hose or cultivator
• Sprinkler
• Fertilizer
• Hay or straw
• Rake
• Spade
• Compost or peat moss (optional)
• Sand (optional)

Instructions

1. Decide what kind of grass seed you want to plant. Before you buy, you should assess your grass. Go to the lawn lawn and garden center and read the back of the packages to make sure you're picking something that will closely match your current grass texture and color.

2. Remove all the dead grass and plants from the area you want to reseed. If there is any sod in the area remove about 12 inches of it.

3. Fill low area with a high quality top soil. To enrich the soil further, you can add organic compost. To increase the soils ability to hold water, add a little sand to the soil.

4. Loosen up the soil with a hoe or cultivator. If you're doing a large area, you might want to consider renting a power cultivator. It will save a lot of time and physical strain. You only have to loosen up about 1 inch of the soil.

5. Using the instructions on the grass package, put the seed onto the newly prepped area using a spreader. Lightly rake over the seed to cover it with about 1/4 inches of dirt.

6. Cover the area with a thin layer of hay or straw.

7. Water the are daily with a sprinkler in the morning or evening to keep the area moist, but not soggy. If the area is too wet, it will drowned the seeds or wash them away. Keep watering until the grass is well established.

8. After 10 to 14 days, you should start seeing growth. At this point, if you see bare spots, you may want to add more seed.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not mow until the new grass is about 2 inches tall so it has a chance to establish itself.

• Try to keep pets and birds off the newly seeded area.

• Do not cover the seed with too much soil, the new grass will have a problem pushing through it.