Sowing Seeds

Sowing grass seeds for a new lawn is something that should be done after your garden has been prepared, by removing all unnecessary debris and stones along with weeds and any other garden matter that is of no consequence to the task at hand.

To sow grass seed so that you achieve a liberal covering it is recommended that you multiply the size of the area to be covered (in either square yards or metres) by the recommend sowing rate - this is the amount of seeds per square metres or yards.

Hand Sowing

There are two ways you can sow grass seeds for your lawn; the first is by hand. Sowing seeds by hand requires that you do the following:

• Partition the site to be covered into small areas of equal size (normally 1 square metre or 1 square yard). This can be done using pegs and string to mark out the partitions and it will make it easier to sow the seeds in an even pattern.
• Using the recommended amount of seeds, you should measure out one half of the quantity and then place it in a cup or small receptacle - this is designed to make it faster and easier when it comes to sowing the seeds.
• Using this unit of measurement you should then scatter this half measure (equating to a full measure in your chosen receptacle) in one direction in as even a manner as possible. You should then repeat the procedure at right angles with the other half before moving on to the next partition.

Using Machinery

If you wish to sow your grass seeds by using machinery then you should use the following method(s). It is a faster and much simpler way of covering larger amounts of garden area.

• Firstly measure out the relevant amount of seed required for the entire area of space to be covered then divide this into two.
• Place one half of the seed into the machinery, ensuring that the holes used for spreading the seeds are closed beforehand.
• Again - as with hand sowing - sow the first batch of seeds in one particular direction, working up and down the area in a strip formation. It is important that each strip should join, but if possible do not overlap the strips, otherwise you will have uneven patches of grass forming. Again it is worth measuring out the strips with pegs and string beforehand to ensure even strips as you go.
• Once you have done this - again just as with hand sowing - measure out the remaining half and sow this at right angles to your initial strips.
• After sowing you should remove all pegs and string and lightly rake over the surface of the area you have covered.

After Care

It is important also that you protect the area sown from birds by gently placing some netting or wire mesh over the area sown or by using the old fashioned method of using old foil pastry containers on canes placed intermittently around the space used.

Water the area with a watering can fitted with a sprinkler nozzle or a sprinkler system if you have one. Do not use a hose directly onto the area covered as this will greatly increase the chances of patchy growth as the water pressure will scatter the seeds. Water regularly if there is no rainfall and continue to do this until the seeds begin to germinate.

It is best not to try and cut your new lawn until it is about 5cm in height. Use a rotary mower if you have one and cut the grass back to 2.5cm, repeating this procedure four or five times further.