How to Plant Grass Seed in a New Lawn
Unless you’re a gardening pro, you probably don’t replant your lawn every year. So you probably have a lot of questions about the subject. What is the right time, what are the right tools and materials?
We show you here important technical terms and what you should pay attention to. Because a well-maintained lawn is created at the moment of sowing. So that you can enjoy a beautiful lawn, we show you here how to avoid beginner’s mistakes.
What is a newly established lawn?
If you want to learn more about lawn care, then the care of newly planted lawns is a special chapter. This is where you lay the foundation for your future lawn. In many cases, you will only have to replace small sections of the lawn. In the case of a new lawn, however, you can let your imagination run wild. New lawns need special care and attention. Because it is about the right time of sowing, the suitable subsoil, and finally you have to ask yourself whether you want to work with a ready rolled lawn or whether you want to grow your own lawn on the basis of your own sowing. Find out here, we’ll show you how it’s done.
What you should know before laying a new lawn
A new lawn creates uncertainty. Because in the situation to lay a new lawn, you usually do not come very often. Either, you have just bought a house and want to design the garden with the finished new construction.
Or you have been a garden owner for years, but are dissatisfied with your lawn and want to make a fresh start. Now many questions arise, you need tools and materials. We have compiled everything important for you.
When is the best time of year to re-seed the lawn – spring, summer, or autumn?
Basically, there are two ways to sow a new lawn. We’ll show you what to consider here.
- Spring
At the end of April and the beginning of May, the soil is at the right temperature for spring seeding. The soil is completely thawed after the winter and is not heavy with wetness or muddy. Temperatures are 10 degrees or higher, which is ideal for seeding the lawn. However, already 2-3 weeks before the actual date, you need to start preparing the soil. If you plan carefully, you can do it already in the autumn of the previous year. How to do it best, we will show you later in the article. On the day of sowing, the weather should ideally be dry and mild. Then your lawn seedlings will have the best chance to become a beautiful and resistant lawn.
Take these steps on the day of seeding:
- Remove weeds as meticulously as possible. Work the surface until it has a fine, crumbly texture.
- The seeds you have chosen must now be mixed vigorously and poured into a hand spreader. Alternatively, you can spread the seeds by hand.
- Now you spread the lawn seeds both lengthwise and crosswise. If you spread by hand, make sure that the seed is evenly distributed.
- Thinly sprinkle the fresh seed with peat or sand. It is important that the seed lies in the dark without being completely covered.
- The seedlings are now rolled, and the seedbed can be watered carefully with a fine stream.
- In the following weeks, you water the fresh lawn extensively. It is also best to place a barrier around the area so that no damage is caused by footsteps.
At this stage, the lawn is particularly vulnerable, footprints may not recover and cause irregular patches in the lawn.
- Autumn
The second opportunity to sow the lawn you have in the autumn. The best time for this is in September. Seeding the lawn in September has several advantages:
- Soil temperature: the soil is more heated in the fall, so the lawn seed germinates and sprouts roots faster.
- Rainfall: In the fall, the weather tends to be damp – rainy. You save the regular watering.
- Fertilizing: In autumn you should fertilize the fresh lawn with potassium. This increases the resistance to frost.
To prevent your lawn seed from being eaten by hungry birds in autumn and winter, you can stretch a close-meshed net over the lawn and protect the seedlings. This is because they are a special treat for birds.
Use green lawn seeds for autumn seeding; birds won’t detect them easily. Offer birdseed elsewhere to protect the fresh lawn.
So that you can see at a glance what you need to pay attention to when sowing in the fall and spring, we have compiled everything for you here.
| Spring | Autumn |
| Soil blocking necessary | Frost fertilization with potassium. |
| the area cannot be used | area use not necessary |
| accurate removal of weeds | weed removal does not have to be so accurate |
| water daily | green seed as protection from birds |
| – | potassium fertilizer |
How long does it take to lay a new lawn?
Depending on how much area you want to give your new lawn, the time needed to lay the lawn varies. In an ordinary garden of a family house, you can do all the preparations within one day. Another day is for seeding. You should allow enough time for watering the new plants. Because especially first days after sowing the seedlings must be kept moist, otherwise they will dry up.
Depending on the weather, young seedlings must be watered several times a day!
The lawn can be walked on and mowed for the first time after about a month. Then you can remove the barrier tapes and fully use the lawn. However, you should wait up to one year before dethatching!
How does lawn care work with the newly planted lawns?
For freshly seeded lawns, the most important thing is watering. Especially in the first days after sowing, you should water several times a day, depending on the weather. If the seedlings dry out you have to reseed!
Therefore, really make sure to keep the soil moist. If you are traveling for work, automated watering devices are very useful in this case.
Therefore, seeding in the fall is less complicated because you don’t run the risk of losing your lawn seedlings to drying out due to rising temperatures. In the fall, instead, you need to protect from hungry birds by stretching a net. In summer, fencing is also important, but against footprints. Do not walk on the lawn for at least four weeks, and then gently.
Before the next garden party, allow up to half a year for the lawn to grow!
When can you walk on and mow the lawn after planting?
You can walk on the lawn for the first time about four weeks after sowing. This depends on the type of grass and how long it takes to germinate and grow. We have compiled a table for you above. If in doubt, ask for advice at the garden center. The first cut is especially important for the lawn. When the new lawn has grown 2,5-3 inches high, cut it back by a third. Never cut the lawn more than a third! If you have waited too long, then you need to cut back the lawn gradually.
To ensure that your lawn receives enough nutrients, you should fertilize it regularly. An alternative is mulching. This involves leaving a fine layer of mown grass on the lawn after mowing. By the way, the first cut is particularly gentle with a robotic mower. These are much lighter than large machines and therefore cause less damage to the tender plants.
What to do when replanting the lawn: tips
Lawn care is a special topic in the garden. After all, in many German gardens, the lawn covers the largest area in the garden! So you don’t have to meticulously take care of your lawn later, the lawn seed is crucial. Here you can consider buying a low-maintenance lawn. You will rarely need to fertilize it. Some varieties grow especially slowly, so you don’t have to mow every weekend. To help you make the right decision and get it right from the start, we’ll show you how.
What do you need to lay a new lawn?
If you want to lay a new lawn, you will need lawn seed and a few tools to make the job easier. We have written down here what you need.
List of tools:
- a spade to prepare the ground
- a power scythe/power hoe, to dig up the soil
- a garden roller, to level unevenness in the area
- a spreader, to distribute the seeds regularly
- a rake, to prepare the area in the best possible way
- Lawn sprinkler, for thorough watering
List of materials:
- Lawn seed of your choice, depending on the location and lawn use
- Lawn soil, to ensure ideal growth
- Lawn fertilizer, for maintenance and to evenly maintain the nutrient content in the soil
- Sand (river or quartz sand) to prepare the area
- Garden/lawn lime, to prepare the soil
The better the tools, the more fun you’ll have gardening.
Many things from the tool list you need, not only for laying a new lawn. If you have a garden, these tools will provide you with important services again and again. That’s why it’s worth investing in your garden.
How do you prepare to plant the new lawn?
If you work with sensitive lawn seeds, then they are demanding to their environmental conditions. In order to make it germinate, you need to carefully prepare the soil. If you want to plan especially well, you can start the preparation in the autumn of the previous year.
- Loosen the soil with a spade or a power hoe. Sand and special turf soil provide a great foundation.
- Use a roller to level out uneven areas and create a nice, smooth surface.
- Seed your lawn. Ideally, you should use a spreader.
- Water your lawn well and block it visibly.
If you have ongoing problems with your lawn, it may be because the soil is too acidic. Lawns do not thrive well when the pH is below 5.5, and a little garden lime can easily solve this problem.
How can you replant a lawn without giving weeds a chance?
If you don’t want to give weeds a chance in your new lawn, there are two moments when you need to be especially careful. The first moment is in the preparation of the soil. Here you remove old grass and carefully also the roots of weeds.
The second moment when you need to be careful is during germination. Here the lawn seedlings have not yet grown, but are watered continuously.
This also makes the weeds happy! Therefore, remove weeds continuously so that they have no chance. Pay special attention to flowering herbs around your lawn.
Give the weeds a corner in your garden, because bees, butterflies, and other insects need so-called weeds to survive!
How can you replant a broken lawn?
If you want to create a new lawn without digging, there are solutions. Often, in the spring, the lawn is damaged, covered with weeds and moss. Therefore, give the lawn a deep cut so that only 7-8 millimeters of grass remain.
Use a weed killer to remove weeds, and there are also special solutions for moss. After that, the soil is scarified. You can plant new seeds in the scarified area and protect them from drying out with a layer of potting soil or garden soil.
What does tilling and scarifying mean when laying a new lawn?
Cutting the lawn only makes sense if you want to completely replant it. In this context, tilling means that you remove the entire top layer of soil.
Scarifying is the aeration of the soil. For lawns with a lot of moss, felt or weeds, special equipment ensures that more air gets to the roots. This makes it difficult for weeds and the lawn grows back more beautifully.
How To Plant Grass Seed-FULL Tutorial – Video
FAQ - Replant lawn
❓ What month is best to put grass seed down?
Generally speaking, you can plant grass seed any time of the year, but fall is the best time to seed a lawn with a cool-season turfgrass variety. Spring is the best time to plant warm-season turfgrass seeds.
❓ Can you just sprinkle grass seed on the lawn?
If you simply toss the grass seed onto the soil, you will end up with poor germination.
❓ Can you walk on the lawn after overseeding?
Avoid walking on a newly seeded lawn and any new grass that is under 3 inches tall.
