Lawn Seed

Now Is The Time To Over Seed Lawn Borders And Curbs

One area of a lawn that can often frustrate gardeners is that which borders garden beds, paving areas, and curbs. Grass often thins out in these areas for a number of reasons, one being the amount of water and fertilizer they receive. When watering, there are two problems, especially if hand watering, the first is the habit of only watering the central area in front of us – the furthermost and closest areas generally get the least water. The same is true for fertilizers, especially if we are applying it by hand.

Curbs and paving areas generally receive a lot of traffic as well, and you’ll be surprised at how often people step off onto the grassed area, if it it’s only for a step or two. When over seeding in these areas, it’s often a good idea to use a grass mix that includes low maintenance traffic friendly grasses. Fall is the best time to thicken these areas in your lawn. You can also try to thicken and thin areas under trees, especially if they are (or have) dropping their leaves. These trees are starting to go dormant for the winter (which means less competition for water and nutrients) and, with fewer leaves to obstruct the way, will allow more sunlight through.

To over seed these narrow areas, use a lawn seeding tool to prepare the way. Sow your seed generously across the prepared area then water lightly. Try to keep all foot traffic away from these freshly seeded areas until the seed has germinated and developed a solid head of grass. You may only need to mow this area once before winter sets in, however, this will encourage the new grasses to sink deeper roots.

Those thin areas are a constant problem and will most likely require repairing every fall. Get a good thick lawn growing now and it should maintain that thickness until next summer – that’s when it will start to thin out again. If you have a good lawn repair tool on hand, then you can thicken any weak areas as soon as they appear, otherwise, keep plenty of seed on hand for next fall.

Grass Stitcher
USA bryan@imaginegrafix.com

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Are You Having Difficulties Establishing A New Lawn?

Late summer and early fall is a popular time for starting new lawns. The weather is perfect and if you can get a good stable lawn established before winter, then you’ll most likely have a great lawn come spring. One problem that many gardeners face when trying to establish a new lawn is the variable germination rate of grass seed. Wind, rain and too much pressure when watering can result in a lawn that is very thick in some places, and very thin in others.

The solution is not a difficult one to fix, however, you will need to ensure the soil has stabilized a little before taking any corrective action. If the soil is stable, then a lawn seeding tool can be a real aid in helping to thicken any thin or bare patches in your lawn. Use the lawn seeding tool to perforate the surface, then sow more seed.

If hand watering, keep the pressure down to a fine spray, this will settle on the seed rather than pushing the seed away from the area you want to repair. One of the benefits of using a good lawn seeding tool is that the seed will collect in the perforations made, and not be swept to areas that are already showing good growth. This will help to provide a more even cover of germinating grass.

On another note, check to ensure your lawn seed is fresh. If you have had it in your tool shed for a considerable time, you may need to replace it with fresh seed. Stale grass seed can have a very poor germination rate, especially if it has been exposed to humid air. You should also ensure the seed you buy is well suited to your area, and not just a generic all purpose grass seed. Generic seed mixes often contain grass types that won’t grow successfully in your region, and this too can lead to thin areas in your lawn.

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Grass Seed Germination – Get It Right And You Only Have To Seed Once

Of the biggest problems facing many gardeners is the poor germination rates of seeds. All seeds need a few basic requirements in order to germinate. However, germination is only half the battle. All new seedlings (the first stage after germination) have their basic requirements as well. When it comes to lawns, the situation is no different to a flower or vegetable bed, it’s just on a larger scale.

Lawn seeds have simple needs. In fact, you could say they only have the one need – a warm moist bed to lie in. That could be on a piece of damp cotton wool on a window sill – of course, it won’t grow into a lawn because the seedling stage requirements won’t be met. For a good lawn, you don’t want cotton wool – your grass seed needs soil, warmth (not necessarily direct sunlight), and the occasional watering to keep it moist. With the right conditions, and if the grass seed itself is fully viable (able to germinate), then you should get 100% germination rates.

As your grass seed germinates, it will continue to need water, but less of it. It will need direct sunlight and it will need soil that its roots can easily penetrate. It will also need to find food in that soil in order to feed its rapid growth. If you can get the balance right, your grass seed will germinate and continue to grow into a thick and healthy lawn.

So why do many gardeners have such a low germination rate? It does start with the seed – you should be buying in good quality seed and storing it properly. You can test seed using cotton wool – just place a spoonful on some moist cotton wool and place it on your window sill. If you don’t have many seeds germinating then you know the quality isn’t there. If your seed is good, and your germination rates are low, then check those requirements. Is the seed touching soil, staying moist without actually drowning – and staying warm?

If you are over sowing a lawn, don’t expect to be able to cast seed and expect it all to germinate. You need to prepare the way first and you can do that easily with a lawn repair tool. That will open the soil ready to accept the seed – water lightly each day for a week and you should have a great germination rate.

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Why Bagged Lawn Patch Products Perform Poorly

Over the years there have been many gimmicky lawn repair products released. Most proclaim quick and effective results for their products, and while some do produce grass, the end result is often far from satisfactory. One of the major reasons why these products perform poorly is really quite simple – they fail to provide the basic requirements for repairing lawn patches – soil, moisture, and warmth.

These products often work against these requirements. Using secondary products such as pulp to germinate the seed often means the germinating seeds roots can’t find the soil below to sink its roots. Without that soil, the new grass seedling cannot find food and so withers away and dies. You finish up with a real patchy finish that requires a second or third application.

With many of these lawn patch products, the initial cost is quite high compared to just buying a bag of lawn seed. If you have to apply the product two or three times to get anywhere near a decent fill of new grass, then that cost is multiplied even further. In most cases, you would be better off using a hard rake over the damaged lawn and hand sowing.

We have an even better method than any of those. The Grass Stitcher creates perfect perforations in the soil, even through existing thatch. This provides an ideal environment for the sowing of lawn seed. The perforations are the ideal size for lawn seed, they provide contact with the soil, and they allow air and moisture to help in the germination process. If you do perforate and sow through an existing thatch, then that thatch will act as a security blanket keeping warmth in, the hot sun out, and keeping at bay any weeds that try to find a free home.

Bagged lawn patch products are costly, do not perform well, and rarely do a complete job. Compare the costs and performance of those products against the Grass Stitcher and the Grass Stitcher wins hands down every time.

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The Quickest, Easiest, And Cheapest Way To Thicken A Thin Lawn

Is your lawn looking a little thin? It can happen, especially around new homes or where a new lawn was sown late in the growing season last year. In other cases, it could be the lawn is old and the soil a little tired, especially if you have been a little too free with your use of chemical-based fertilizers.

For the latter, a simple solution is to spread a half to one inch of fresh composted vegetable matter across the top of your lawn. Rake it across so it has an even finish, then give it a light roll if you have access to a light roller. If not, then water it lightly and leave it for a week to ten days.

In either case, the easiest, quickest, and by far the cheapest way to thicken that lawn is by over sowing with fresh seed. If you just walk around sowing seed, you’ll find your germination rate is most likely going to be quite low. Instead, you need to prepare the way first, and that’s where a lawn repair tool like the Grass Stitcher is your best friend.

The Grass Stitcher is the only tool that brings speed, cost, and ease of use together. Use the tool to perforate the soil through your existing grass, then sow your seed and water. Before you know it, your lawn will start to thicken and be ready for mowing. The Grass Stitcher perforates the soil, creating an ideal place for lawn seed to make contact with the soil, one of the leading requirements for a high germination rate.

Because you are leaving the existing grass in place, your lawn seed will find protection from some of the elements that can damage emerging seedlings. This protection gives your lawn seed the best chance in life – the end result being less seed waste and a much thicker lawn.

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Is A Quick Lawn A Good Lawn?

There are times when home gardeners want to develop a quick lawn. It can be done and you can have a good looking lawn by the end of the week if you really want to. This is done by laying down fresh sod that has been grown elsewhere, then cut and lifted and trucked in. Are these quick lawns as good as the home grown varieties?

Sod looks reasonably good, although obviously sod, and can be developed into a great lawn over time. It does take some care and you may run into difficulties related to the environment. Sod is grown in optimal conditions – full sun, water when required, and fertilizer at various stages of the growing cycle. Once the sod has been cut, there are issues such as damage to the root system and lack of sunlight when transported.

You should have your soil well prepared before your sod arrives. This means tilling and amending the soil, then leveling and lightly rolling to create a lightly compacted and even base on which to lay the sod. The sod should then be laid as soon as it arrives. The longer it stays stacked or rolled, the more damage it may suffer. When laying, each strip must be butted up hard against the previous strip to ensure an even cover. Give your new lawn a light rolling and there you have – an instant lawn.

Once you have laid your sod, you will need to water it every day or two for two weeks before reducing to once a week. Once you have a good head of growth, you can start to mow your new lawn.

The problem most gardeners have with sod is trying to repair damaged patches at a later date. If you purchase sod that has been created using the one grass type, you will need to obtain some seed of the same type and variety. You can then use a lawn repair tool to over sow with seed to repair that damaged patch.

While you may have a quick lawn, gardeners are divided as to whether it is the best way to grow a new lawn. The reality is that it’s personal taste and what you feel works best for you. If you properly maintain a lawn that has been grown from sod, it will look no different than a lawn grown from seed.

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Archives

Now Is The Time To Over Seed Lawn Borders And Curbs

Are You Having Difficulties Establishing A New Lawn?

Grass Seed Germination – Get It Right And You Only Have To Seed Once

Why Bagged Lawn Patch Products Perform Poorly

The Quickest, Easiest, And Cheapest Way To Thicken A Thin Lawn

Is A Quick Lawn A Good Lawn?

Grass Stitcher Testimonials and Reviews