Proper seeding of lawn grass – step by step instructions with photos and videos
The main stages of preparing the site for the sowing of lawn grass. How to sow the lawn properly?
The main stages of preparing the site for the sowing of lawn grass. How to sow the lawn properly?
June 14, 2016 / Editorial LePlants.ru / Rating:
Content
- 1. Site preparation
- 2. Leveling the surface of the terrain
- 3. Drainage (if necessary)
- 4. soil treatment, crushing and final cleaning
- 5. Stomper
- 6. Earth ripper
- 7. Pre-sowing preparation
- 8. How is a lawn seeded?
- 9. The first watering of the grass
Once you’ve decided on the type of lawn for your garden, you can start sowing your grass mixture. But even the best planting material will not work well without proper lawn preparation.
site preparation
The following recommendations apply to the laying of the lawn.
From the place under the lawn it is necessary to remove construction and household debris, uproot snags and the rhizomes of shrubs. Woody debris left in the ground can cause pockmarks on your future lawn.
Remove turf with a shovel or a turf cutting machine. PICTURE: The easiest way to remove turf from an old lawn is to cut it with a shovel. But it requires good physical training and some effort.
FILE: Cutting the lawn with a special machine, however, makes the job much easier and reduces the time it takes to prepare the lawn.
An area overgrown with weeds is treated with Roundup herbicide and then the dead plants are removed.
PHOTO: Dandelion and creeping clover use herbicides well to remove large areas. Hand weeding often leaves the roots and rhizomes of the weeds in the ground, giving new “crowns.”
Leveling the soil surface
Before sowing a lawn, the area should be leveled as best as possible. Masters of English lawns use a construction level for this and at the stage of tamping, and this is justified if you want to get a perfectly even green carpet. Planning of the relief is carried out in clear weather, when the soil is dry and loose. It is not necessary to remove the preliminary load, if it is present. On the contrary, it will ensure the drainage of rainwater, which is especially important in the last summer seasons with heavy precipitation. However, it is also necessary to compensate for this misalignment.
Beds and lowlands on the site leveled in two ways: remove soil from the mounds (hills) and bring it into the beds, or fill the lowlands with fertile soil from other parts of the garden. If the plot is fresh and it does not yet have a fertile layer, it is replaced with purchased peat soil. Heavy clay soils are mixed with sand to make them more permeable to air and water.
Foto: It is better to use purchased peat-based soil for pits on the plot.
- pH: 5.5-6.5;
- Humus: 2.5-3.5 percent;
- Nitrogen and its compounds: 10 mg. per 100 g of soil;
- Phosphorus: 15-25 mg. per 100 g of soil;
- Potassium: 20-30 mg. per 100 g of soil;
- Micronutrients: copper and zinc control.
drainage (if necessary)
Every instruction on how to properly plant your lawn includes instructions on drainage. If the site is in a good location and is not flooded by rain and rising spring water, it is sufficient to simply dig it over, flatten it, and fertilize it. In other cases, it is necessary to create a drainage system, which is carried out together with the leveling of the topography.
In the photo: If rainwater stagnates on the plot, then drainage is simply necessary.
For this purpose, two drainage layers are laid on the fertile layer, which has worn down, of which the lower one consists of coarse gravel or crushed stone, and the upper one of small stones or sand. Thus, a three-layer base is formed on the construction site:
- the top 15-20 cm of the fertile layer;
- below 10-15 cm of sand (gravel fraction);
- In the base 10-15 cm of stones.
When laying each layer is thoroughly tamped.
In the photo: a general view of the construction site immediately after laying the drainage under the lawn and garden path.
The type of lawn drainage depends on the size of the surface, the proximity of groundwater, already laid compositions and many other factors, which we will definitely discuss in a separate article on drainage.
Pictured: In some cases, especially in close proximity to the foundation, a French drain can be laid under the lawn. This kind of drainage can easily be done by yourself, especially if the plot is small.
Soil treatment, shredding and final cleaning
Processing can be done on a small plot, in a country house or in the garden with a pitchfork or shovel. The depth of the grave is 20-25 cm. Or less (with a thin layer of humus). At the same time, organic fertilizers and sand are put into the soil, as it is in vain to plant a lawn on the depleted soil.
If before planting the lawn at the cottage or in the garden do not break up the clods of soil, then an even and smooth surface, as in the photo below, will not turn out, as the soil settles unevenly.
- Lumps can be easily removed with your own hands by breaking them with a heavy rake or hay fork; stones, weed roots and rubble are removed from the ground.
- It is more convenient to work large surfaces with a power tiller.
- If spring sowing is planned and the place is prepared in autumn, the remaining clods can be left until the time of sowing (for better drainage of the place) and just before sowing the lawn grass in spring.
- Before tamping (the next step), the plants are circled around the construction site and a rope is pulled through them. As you move from one corner of the construction site to the other, you must hit the handles and pull the rope until a perfect line, i.e. 180°, is formed. It is advisable to have a construction level to achieve this result.
In the photo: hand tractor, pitchfork, rake and cart for debris (rhizomes, etc.) – the minimum norm for processing the construction site before planting the lawn.
Tamping
- Tamping the soil has an important purpose: it removes voids from the thickness of the bottom, so that later on the already grown lawn is not uneven.
- Tamping is done using feet and a garden roller. It is also suitable for any heavy, rounded (but with a full surface) material, such as a tree trunk with a radius of at least 20 cm, a large metal or concrete pipe Paul tamped on a dry day.
- Footprints are smoothed with a rake after work is completed.
- At regular intervals, it is necessary to look at the height of the driven wedges with a rope. If it turns out that somewhere the corner is skewed, a hill or, on the contrary, a gap is formed, it is better to go over this part with a roller, add soil or remove the excess.
In the photo: Visitors from Central Asia are rolling the ground for the lawn at a dacha near Moscow. Note that you are doing everything right.
The ground is broken.
This step is often skipped because. It requires extra time and effort. However, it has obvious advantages:
- Waste (fallow seasoning) is important for freeing the area from weed seeds and wheatgrass rhizomes.
- If the lawn is seeded, it is best not to skip this step. If the lawn (sod) is laid, there is no need to keep the soil in the shallows.
- The ripening period is one to one and a half months. The method is to regularly remove germinating weeds and treat with herbicides just before the last preparatory phase.
In recent years, instead of wasteland, sowing grasses in a green manner has been successfully practiced: rock clover, lupine, white mustard, vetch and Co. They are sown 1.5 months before the lawn, and before laying the lawn or planting the seeds of lawn grasses green mass becomes plowed (digging the floor directly with the plants). This improves soil structure and enriches the soil with nitrogen and other substances in a more digestible form.
Preparation before sowing
- 7-10 days before sowing the lawn, mineral fertilizer should be spread on the surface of the plot: 40-60 g per square meter.
- This fertiliser should be worked into the lawn using a rake to a depth of 5 cm.
- A final loosening is carried out, after which the lumps should not exceed the size of a wheat grain.
Advice for those looking for an answer to the question of how to plant lawn grass with their own hands: Before planting a lawn on a construction site, it is better to leave the prepared soil for three months, so that it gives shrinkage. This is a classic working method used by gardening professionals around the world. Because of the short growing season in our country, this method is of course only relevant for the southern regions.
The most suitable day is chosen just before sowing the lawn grass. Choose a dry clear day on which the top is already dry and the floor is still wet. You should also pay attention to the peculiarities of sowing in the fall, spring and summer:
- When and how to sow lawn grass in the fall? Sowing is carried out on a prepared plot from mid-August to mid-September. This period is cheap in central Russia, in other regions it is slightly shifted.
- Spring sowing can be carried out in late April – early June.
- Lawn in the summer months requires watering, which is not easy to implement: young grass is prone to drying out and erosion. Large-scale seeding in the summer is impractical because of the difficult maintenance.
Many people can not decide when it is best to sow lawn grass, so that the work is not wasted. Basically, it is possible from early spring to late fall. The main thing is that the grass has time to germinate before frosts.
How to sow lawn grass?
Now directly about how to sow lawn grass with your own hands. Let’s imagine that you already have a bag with a suitable grass mixture for the lawn. Begin:
- Loosen the surface of the soil with a fan rake, leaving small furrows in the soil. Mix the seeds thoroughly in the bag – if the bag is large, roll it up and run your hand several times from the bottom of the bag to the top. When sowing, remember that you need to go beyond the edge of the lawn by about 8 cm on each side, which means you will need a little more seed than you have planned for the area itself.
- If there is no indication on the package, count on 30-60 grams of seed per square meter of soil. If you sow less frequently, the weeds will break through the lawn grass and reveal ugly bare patches;
- Divide the entire amount of seed you’ve prepared into four parts and sow a quarter of the area in each case. If you have a planter, sow half the seeds along the furrows and half across. Cover the seedlings from above with a fan rake without going over the seeded area.
FILE: A fan rake is one of the most important tools for preparing your lawn for seeding.
The first watering of the lawn
The emergence of seedlings is observed after an average of 7 to 21 days. At this time, water the lawn every few days if it is not raining. Water very gently – a watering can with a small sprinkler or sprinkler spraying water in thin streams is suitable. When the young grass has reached a height of 8-10 cm, it’s time for the first cut.
Caution: When watering, avoid strong water pressure – strong jets can wash the seeds to the surface.
If you know how to sow lawn grass (see video of the main steps of the process below), you will be able to create a perfect lawn on the plot, which will bring joy all season long, without requiring special care.
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Lawn seeding – a complete guide
A cottage, a two-story house or a dacha look very beautiful and attractive if there is a green area next to the building, which has a neat and tidy appearance. Lawn will fit harmoniously into any landscape design. Grass planted on the site, unpretentious in care, if it is properly planted. And now you will learn how to properly sow grass on the territory, how to choose the planting material, how to take care of the greenery, so that it was bright and strong.
After you can decide what kind of lawn will grow on your plot, it is necessary to sow the ground with seeds of the chosen variety. Before planting the seed into the ground, it is necessary to properly prepare the site for sowing, because without this procedure, the seeds will not give the desired results.
It is necessary to sow the prepared area during the warm months of the year. In different regions, the climate has different characteristics and peculiarities, for this reason, it is necessary to plant the lawn, taking into account some planting rules. If you sow grass at the wrong time, at best the seeds will grow low and weak greenery, which after some time will dry up.
Follow the rules for sowing your lawn:
The soil should be warm and warm. The temperature should not drop below 10 degrees Celsius at any time of day on the road.
The soil should not be dry. It is necessary for the soil to be moist, as it is due to moisture that the seeds will begin to germinate.
It is best to plant the planting material in windless weather, otherwise the seeds will unevenly take root on the ground.
It is not recommended to plant the soil in rainy weather, as excess moisture is bad for the plants, and raindrops wash away all the plant material.
Conclusion: You should plant your lawn on a sunny day, with no wind or heavy rain.
Seed varieties
In the country lawns are planted for different purposes, several varieties of seeds are created for this purpose. On the territory you need to mark out the areas to be planted with lawns, according to this you need to choose the appropriate seeds. If after a few years you decide that you no longer need a lawn, you will hardly be able to free the land from the grass, as the lawn in a few years will become very strong and dense. Rural or suburban areas are most often decorated with the following types of lawns.
Ornamental
This type of lawn has a decorative function. The greenery is very soft, bright and dense, but you should not step on it, as the grass is easily damaged and can not be restored. The grass must be carefully cared for. Decorative grass is usually planted in prominent, eye-catching places.
Landscaping
A garden lawn is less attractive than a decorative surface, but it is resilient and highly regenerative. You can plant a lawn in an area that has a seating area. A landscaped lawn is easy to care for.
Sports
A sports lawn has dense and permanent landscaping on which you can run, jump, walk and play sports. If a person suddenly falls on the lawn, he or she will not suffer any damage because the greenery attenuates the fall. This variety is often planted in areas where children play. The lawn needs to be cared for.
Meadow .
This is a type of lawn that consists of several plants that live for more than 2 years. In appearance, the lawn resembles a forest glade or meadow, which is decorated with small and beautiful flowers. Meadow lawn looks beautiful and is also easy to care for.
Calculation of grass seed per 1 m²
Lawns need 30-60 grammes per 1 m². On the back of the package, manufacturers write instructions for the use of planting material and indicate the seed calculation. Seed varieties are sold in different packaging, and the weight of seed packets can range from 1 to 5 kg.
Sawgrass
You don’t need special skills or high quality equipment to prepare your plot for sowing. You need to find and bring with you the following:
A shovel for the ground and items;
Construction carts for transporting the soil;
Equipment for leveling the surface;
Piles of wood or plastic to tie the plants together;
For the best growth of greens, it is necessary to use fertilizers and fertilizers, which fill the grass with necessary micronutrients, also pesticides for seeding can be useful.
Step-by-step instructions for growing lawn plants
Site planning
It is advisable to mark the boundaries of the future lawn with a pencil and draw a string on it, because through this action it is possible to measure the area of the plot and calculate the necessary amount of planting material. Fences should be removed when the grass has grown and grown strong. Hedges help protect greens from damage.
Determination and weed control.
Before sowing, the ground should be dug up and cleaned of sediment that rots and forms bumps. In addition, fungi can grow on the residue, which makes a green lawn unattractive.
If you want to plant seeds in the soil covered with old grass, you need to remove the top layer of soil – the lawn. It is necessary to dig a layer of soil 15 cm thick. If you are clearing the area, spray it with a weed killer, then uproot it and throw it in the bin. This is how to get rid of weeds completely.
It is necessary to remove all kinds of debris and tree debris from the ground. If this is not done, young greenery can be infested with fungus, and wild and poisonous mushrooms can grow on a wooden stump.
The top layer of soil can be removed with special devices or an ordinary shovel.
Surface level
The surface of the ground must be leveled so that it is perfectly flat, as the level of the lawn depends on this. English specialists use tampers to achieve the desired result. In hot weather, the soil should be leveled if there is no rain. If there is a slope on the floor, it should be leveled.
Pits and depressions on the site are disposed of in different ways. In the first case, the holes are filled with soil that is taken from the slopes. In the second case, purchased fertile soil is poured into the hollows.
The fresh layer of soil should be covered with peat. If you have a clay surface, the soil is mixed with sand, so that water and oxygen can better penetrate into the ground.
Ideal country for seeding:
Humus: 2.5 to 3.5 percent;
Nitrogen compounds and pure element: 10 mg. per 0.1 kg. Country;
Phosphorus: 15-25 mg. per 0.1 kg. Country;
Potassium: 20-30 mg. per 0.1 kg. Country;
Micronutrients: copper and zinc control.
Drainage installation.
The site should be very level, because the beauty of the green area and the even moistening of the ground depends on it, and it is not very convenient to mow the uneven surface of the green lawn. If the area is in a place where water does not accumulate, the ground should be dug up and fertilized, in other cases it is necessary to build a special system.
The soil is digged over, with clumps of earth being broken up until the place is homogeneous. After that, the bumps are leveled with a rake, and the hollows are backfilled with earth.
To build a drainage system, you need to do the following:
Remove 0.2-meter of fertile soil.
Lay a 0.15-meter layer of special stones or broken bricks and thoroughly tamp everything down.
Backfill the resulting layer with sand.
Cover the protective layers with previously excavated fertile soil.
There are various drainage systems, which are selected taking into account the type of soil, the location of the area and other factors.
Tamping
The earth must be tamped, so that later on the future green area does not form irregularities. This process is carried out with the help of feet, special devices or heavy objects with a smooth surface. The manipulation itself should be carried out in hot weather.
If you level the surface of the ground with your feet, then after the process is completed, remove the traces arisen with a rake.
Pay attention to the condition of the piles. If one of them is deflected or uneven, you need to carefully check the site for depressions and irregularities.
The ground is broken.
Very often the plot is not broken because it costs extra time and effort, but this procedure should be done to eliminate weed roots.
The procedure is carried out within 60-90 days. The essence of the method is that weeds are regularly removed from the construction site, and after the process is completed, the site is treated with herbicides.
There is also an alternative solution to the problem. Modern gardeners plant green manure plants and grasses in the ground. These greens are rich in minerals and other components. When you dig the ground with the vegetation, the soil is saturated with nitrogen compounds and chemical trace elements.
Using fertilizer
For a beautiful and dense lawn, the greens are fertilized with fertilizer and dressing. 50 g of fertilizer mixture per 1 m² is put in. The soil should be saturated with useful microelements 1-1,5 weeks before sowing the lawn. If the floor has a strong structure, 10 g of sand is added to the fertilizer mixture.
Seed sowing
Planting material is placed in a dry bucket or glass, after which the seeds are mixed thoroughly, as the material may lose uniformity during storage. Stir the seeds completely, even if there are a lot of seeds in the bag. Remember not to overstep the edge of the lawn by more than 8 cm.
Read the instructions on the package. If not, plant 30-60 g of seeds per 1 m² of soil.
Divide the total number of seeds by 4. Fill the floor along vertical and horizontal lines with plant material. Then cover the seeds with earth using a rake, without stepping on your toes.
Watering
The very last step in sowing seeds is to properly moisten the soil. The first grasses appear 1 to 3 weeks after the lawn emerges. If it is not raining outside, the floor with the seeds should be irrigated every 3 days. On a construction site, watering should be done from a watering can or hose with a spray nozzle. If you water the ground with ordinary water, puddles and bumps appear on the surface.
The depth of watering – no more than 10 cm, the floor is watered depending on the weather. If it rains regularly, do not water the ground, when it is hot outside, water once every few days. The floor should not be dry or too wet.
Where to buy and how much seeds cost
Buying planting material is one of the most important points in creating the perfect lawn. The fact is that some manufacturers sell low-quality seeds in packages that do not germinate or dry out quickly, forcing a person to waste time and money. For this reason, it is recommended to buy seeds from reliable garden stores.
If you buy low-quality material, you will not get the desired results. In addition, there is a high probability that you will have to sow the place again, as it is difficult to free the country from weeds and low-quality seeds. Therefore, do not save money when buying planting material.
The approximate cost of different types of lawn seeds is described below:
Universal – from 170 rubles per 1 kg;
Durresistant – from 230 rubles per 1 kg.
Sports – from 250 rubles per 1 kg.
Cottage – from 250 rubles per 1 kg.
Manufacturers of plant material usually mix several types of grass in different conditions, which leads to the creation of an interesting and lively lawn. The cost of the material depends on the variety and number of plants included. Breeders combine only those plants that grow well with other plants.
Conclusion
If you follow all the above recommendations, you will grow a beautiful and bright lawn that will inspire you with its beautiful appearance. The growing grasses should be watered once a week. Your lawn will not cause you any problems and will beautify your suburb beautifully.
