Seed Your Lawn Like a Pro: Key Tips and Techniques

Are you seeking the right products and techniques to achieve that picture-perfect lawn? With our expertise in tow, unearth how and when to seed your lawn or plot of land. 

What are the benefits of seeding?

Weed Prevention

If you have a bare cluster of land or a patchy lawn, you’ll definitely need to seed as soon as possible. Otherwise, the weeds will swiftly take over what might have been a beautiful lawn. 

Foster Biodiversity (Under Certain Conditions)

Having grass spanning a sizeable area can foster your backyard’s biodiversity. However, biodiversity solely exists on account of your maintenance practices. To nurture biodiversity, you need to:

• rarely mow your lawn (kills invertebrates); and

• propagate essences (clover, bentgrass, fescue, rough bluegrass). 

By now, you’ll have gathered that having a lawn that fosters biodiversity is letting go of the idea of having golf-green grass and making peace with sprouting weeds (dandelions, nettles, etc.).

Is there a difference between sowing and seeding?

It’s the exact same thing. In agriculture, sowing and seeding designate the same action: planting seeds or crops in an open field. 

However, there’s a third term used, in horticulture this time around, and that's seedling. It means the same thing as sowing or seeding but suggests that the cluster of land to seed is much smaller. 

The Different Seeding Techniques

Manual Seeding

Once your yard is prepared (tillage was done, dirt was loosened with a garden claw, and organic lawn fertilizer was added), manually seeding consists of planting seeds by hand in a 2- to 3-cm deep furrow, dug around the cluster.

Next up: the broadcast seeding method. Once you generously seeded the area near the furrow, you can broadcast (scatter) seeds by hand using a cross-seeding technique. This means you’ll split the amount of seeds in two, scattering them in two different directions for better ground coverage. One half is scattered front to back, while the second half is back to front. 

However, there’s a much simpler method than to manually seed to achieve plush green grass over your topsoil.  

Hydro Grass Seed

This technique relies on the use of a pump to release the following: 

• Seed mix (e.g. clover, fescue, rough bluegrass)  

• Mulch

• Fertilizer

• Water

• Colourants 

Specially tailored for extensive surfaces of land, hydro grass seeds ensure rapid and uniform seeding. Another advantage of hydro grass seeds: they grow on non-topsoil (nutrient-poor soil).  

What is the best way to seed a lawn?

Manuall vs. Mechanical Seeding Process

It all depends on the surface area in question. On an extensive plot of land, mechanical seeding is a far better option, as well as on sloping land requiring haying. 

However, a manual technique is a lot more suited to small patches of land requiring little work with a topsoil coat. 

When and How to Sow Seeds

For quick sprouting, the grass must be exposed to temperatures between 15°C (59°F) and 25°C (77°F) for six to eight weeks. In Quebec, said weather is typically experienced between mid-August and mid-September.  

Tips for Optimal Grass Growth

Adequate Watering

Natural grass needs to be watered regularly to ensure decent growth and prevent it from drying out. Dampen the soil with a fine mist for 21 days, ensuring your seed mix is sprouting evenly, but avoid overwatering. Too much water, which leads to runoff, will wash away a portion of your seeds.  

Avoid Trampling on the Surface

During that three-week sprouting period, avoid treading on the growth patches. Otherwise, you risk disturbing the growth process of the new grass, which may rip out the stems. 

This is especially useful should you want to transform your grassed area into a playground. Repeated trampling will turn your yard bare of grass, even if it’s mature grass. 

Lawn Mowing and Fertilizing

The first round of mowing typically happens one-month post-seeding when the grass has reached 4 inches (10 cm) of height. You can delay the first mowing if the weather doesn’t allow for it—if it’s raining. Indeed, you have to wait until the grass is completely dry prior to mowing.

To make things easier and save you some time, make sure your mower’s blade is properly sharpened. 

Another Way Around a Decent Lawn: Sod Rolls

Instead of looking for a mix of clover, fescue, and other seeds and specific products, you can always opt for sod rolls.

Rolls of sod are ready-to-use. Simply prepare your yard, unfurl the sod rolls to then benefit from a brand-new lawn from day one. For natural-looking grass, it's best to stagger the rolls. Don’t forget to properly compact the sod into the topsoil to ensure the roots take properly and grow sufficiently.

However, pre-order your rolls ahead of time from your local garden centre as such retail stores typically don’t stock sod rolls, as rolled-up grass doesn’t last for very long. 

The Key to Proper Seeding

In a nutshell, properly seeding your lawn is a vital step to creating a lush and inviting outdoor area. Following the appropriate tips and techniques can genuinely transform your yard into a luxuriously lush peace haven. Whether it be by choosing the right seeds, properly prepping the soil, or shielding sprouting grass, each step matters to ensure the right outcome in the end. Keep in mind that patience has a lot to do with it since a perfect lawn requires a ton of time, attention, and care.