WHEN TO SEED

Seed in Spring when the soil temperature reaches 15C – usually mid May to June

SOIL PREPARATION FOR NEW LAWNS

Establish a seedbed by working the soil with a rotor tiller or stiff rake to loosen soil.
Level and firm by dragging and/or raking
Remove dead grass and debris
If possible apply 3-5 cm of good top soil or compost
Spread 19-19-19 fertilizer in the seed bed at about 1kg per 40m2 (5lb per 1000ft2)
Rake fertilizer into the soil
Rake soil to a level even grade

APPLYING SEED

Apply at rate on the bag.
Hand spread or use a fertilizer spreader to evenly spread seed using two passes and crisscross each pass
Lightly rake to include the seed into the soil
Press the seeds into the ground with a lawn roller but do not bury too deep as seed should be within 1 cm of the surface. Seed buried more than 3 cm may not grow out.

WATERING

First 2 Weeks:
Keep lawn moist by light frequent watering until slight puddling occurs in footprints or small depressions.
Water lightly in the early morning or late evening. If only one watering is possible then water in the evening
Use a fine spray to avoid disturbing the soil

After the first 2 weeks:
Minimum 2.5cm of water per week. Use rain gauge or pie plate to measure amount applied
Once a week better than daily watering – daily encourages shallow roots which will increase burn during hot spells
Do not water at night – increases chance of fungus

MOWING

First mow should occur when the lawn is about 3 cm above normal lawn height or after 3 to 4 weeks after seeding
Keep off as much as possible for the first few weeks
Fertilizer after 6 weeks
Any patches should be heavily seeded promptly, to slow encroachment of weeds

WHEN TO OVERSEED

The time to overseed or treat your lawn is mid spring or in late summer.

PREPARATION

Mow the lawn as short as possible before over seeding.
If possible do a thorough raking of the lawn and remove leaves, cuttings and other plant material that may be on your lawn
Any bare patches may benefit from removal and replacement of new soil.
Top dressing the existing lawn is beneficial as well.

OVER SEEDING

Spread seeds evenly onto the lawn.
Rake lightly to mix the seed with the soil. Do not bury seed too deep into the lawn bed.
Rate of over seeding is about 1kg per 70m2 or (1lb per 1000feet2)

WATERING

First 2 Weeks:
Water lightly in the early morning or late evening. If only one watering is possible then water in the evening
Any patches should be heavily seeded promptly, to slow encroachment of weeds

After the first 2 weeks:
Minimum 2.5cm of water per week. Use rain gauge or pie plate to measure amount applied
Once a week better than daily watering – daily encourages shallow roots which will increase burn during hot spells
Do not water at night increases chance of fungus

FERTILIZER

Apply a 19-19-19 fertilizer in the early spring once you can get onto the lawn. Apply fertilizer again in the fall after the heat of summer is passed.

AERATION

Removing plugs of dirt from the lawn allows air, water and nutrients to reach the roots. Aerating in the spring and even the fall will help loosen hard compacted soil.

WATERING

Water your lawn weekly, even if a light rain falls during the week. During normal yearly conditions 2- 3cm are required to maintain your lawn.
During prolonged dry periods it may be necessary to water until 20cm or more of the topsoil is soaked.

MOWING

Mowing weekly is your best option, try to be consistent as cutting long grass rarely leaves a nice finish.
Keep the blades sharp to promote a clean cut.
As a general rule, try to leave 6-8 cm of grass after cutting. The longer the grass is above the soil is related to the length of roots below the soil.
Longer grass also blocks out the light that weeds need to germinate.
If you have normally dry, poor looking grass, try keeping the lawn a little longer than you usually do. The topsoil that you have in your lawn, or a certain patch of your lawn, may not be the best at promoting grass growth.
Likewise if you have fast growing grass it may be beneficial to cut the lawn a little shorter.
During spring, or when the soil is damp, pluck the weeds by hand or use a weeding tool. To prevent new weed growth spread some compost and grass seed on the spots you have weeded.