How to Plant Grass From Seed

Grass seems to be a staple of most yards. There are a variety of types and ways in which to install grass. This article addresses the necessary steps to plant grass from seed.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• shovel
• pick
• rake
• hose and water
• manure
• fertilizer
• top soil
• grass seed

1. 
   Removing Debris

   The first step in planting grass is to remove all rock and debris from the area in which you intend to plant. This may mean tearing down previously built items or simply removing prior landscaping. You want a clear even space to work with.

2. 
   Ground Preparation

   The second step is to then prepare the ground by using a pick to loosen the dirt. You want to generally disturb four to six inches in order to make sure the grass takes root. Turn the dirt over until it is loose and broken up.

3. Once you have turned the ground over you will want to apply a thin layer of manure along with a bit of top soil and again turn the ground over mixing the manure and top soil with the original dirt. You don’t want to apply too much manure, as it will cause burning as it heats up, essentially killing what you are trying to grow. Mix the three until they are well blended and dirt remains loose.

4. 
   Fertilizer Application

   At this point you want to apply a fertilizer by using a hand held dispenser or a push dispenser for larger areas. You need to make sure the settings are appropriate and the fertilizer is evenly distributed throughout the area you intend to grass. If children or pets have access to this area use a fertilizer that is not harmful to them. Most of these bags specify whether or not they are harmful to children or pets

5. Once the fertilizer has been applied, it is time to distribute the grass seed. Make sure the grass seed you have chosen will grow in the area of the country in which you live. If you live in states like Arizona or New Mexico you want to make sure you have heat resistant and drought resistant grass such as Bermuda. Using the same application method as you did with the fertilizer begin to apply the grass seed evenly throughout the designated area.

6. 
   Blending

   Once that is done you will need to use a rake to blend the fertilizer with the seed and the dirt mixture. Do this very carefully, as you don’t want to disrupt the even distribution, but simply just blend. Lightly go over the area until the dirt is somewhat mixed with the seed and fertilizer.

7. 
   Top Soil

   Finally, it is time to top with soil. You will want to do this 1/8 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch thick to prevent the birds from pecking off the grass or the wind from blowing it causing an uneven distribution pattern.

8. 
   Waiting for the Grass to Grow

   Once the soil has been applied you will want to water the grass each morning. Watering it in the morning as opposed to the night helps prevent weeds from growing in the grass. Now you simply have to wait for the grass to grow. Germination usually occurs in seven to fourteen days with full grass coming in usually after four weeks.

9. During this time you will want to avoid walking on this area. This includes keeping pets off the area as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Planting grass from seed is significantly cheaper than using roll out. To grass a 300 square foot area it cost 47 dollars compared to 239 dollars for roll out (prices include all fertilizer, manure, dispenser machine, grass seed, top soil, etc)

[ilivetoteach]

on 7/28/2009 Thanks for the article on growing grass from seed. I am going to do this in the fall. *5

[sonni57]

on 7/23/2009 Thanks for the good info on growing grass from seed I've had to do it a couple of times.