How to Seed a Lawn in the Fall
Wish you had one of those luscious green lawns instead of the weed-studded mess you call your own? If you're not happy with the state of your lawn, don't feel like you have to wait until spring to take care of it. If you live in a cold-season climate, the best time to seed a lawn is in the fall because grass seed can make its start without competition from weeds. So don't hesitate and start planning your line of attack to make sure that your lawn is the most beautiful one in the neighborhood come spring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Cold-season grass seed
- Metal rake
- Plastic rake
- Sprinkler system
- Peat moss
- Soil pH-level test
- Rotary tiller
- Shovel
Instructions
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Get rid of your old lawn. Rent a sod cutter, to save time, or use a shovel, to save money, to carefully remove the top layer of your lawn's surface. Discard by either cutting up well and mixing back into soil using a rotary tiller or mix into your compost pile.
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Check your soil's pH level to ensure that you have the right environment for your grass seed. Most gardening stores will check the pH-level of soil samples for you (dig from 6 inches down) or you can buy your own pH-level testing kit.
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Remove rocks, roots, and other obstacles using a shovel and your hands to pull out any stubborn lawn additions. Add the roots, broken up, to your compost pile.
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Break up the soil to a depth of 3 inches with a rotary tiller. If you don't have a rotary tiller, you can do this with a shovel and a heavy metal rake, but it will take longer.
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Adjust your soil's pH level as necessary. Soil that is too acidic will benefit from the addition of lime, while soil that is alkaline will need peat moss. You will also add either compost or a suitable fertilizer at this time.
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Rake the soil as level as possible using the metal rake.
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Spread the seed evenly across the lawn. You can use a hand-held seeder, but you can also do this carefully by hand if your lawn is small. Make sure the seed is applied evenly.
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Push the seed gently into the dirt with the plastic rake turned upside down. Be careful not to leave deep grooves, which will fill with water and could kill your grass seed.
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Cover the newly seeded lawn with a small amount of peat moss. You want just a small amount. About 4 cubic feet of peat moss will be suitable for a lawn sized 750 square feet.
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Water your new lawn with a light spray from your sprinkler for about 10 minutes. Repeat this once a day in the early morning until the grass seed begins to sprout (about 10 days after planting). Increase the watering time to 15 minutes twice a day, in the early morning and early evening, and continue as needed until the first frost. By spring, you will have the lawn you've dreamed of.
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Tips & Warnings
Never water during the hottest part of the day. Be careful not to over-water your lawn by only watering when the soil feels dry.
Those with back troubles should wear a back brace when performing any shoveling or bending activities.
