How to Plant New Grass Seeds

Overview

When planting a new lawn with grass seed, preparation is everything. If you choose appropriate seeds and take the time to properly prepare your lawn, you will have a vibrant, even lawn from day one. Your grass will grow evenly and resist weeds with relative ease. If you are careless, however, you'll greatly increase the amount of work you have to do later to repair and maintain your lawn.

Step 1

Select a type of grass appropriate for your climate. Grasses are broadly divided into cool-season and warm-season grasses. Consult a grass climate zone map to help you choose the perfect strain for your area.

Step 2

Remove weeds, rocks, sticks and other debris from the soil.

Step 3

Work the soil with a rototiller to break up large clumps. Run a rake over it to break up smaller clumps and even out the surface.

Step 4

Apply a starter lawn fertilizer to the soil according to the directions on the bag.

Step 5

Place half of your grass seed in a seed spreader. Apply evenly by walking back and forth in rows across the lawn. Dump the other half in the seeder and apply it by walking back and forth in a perpendicular direction. According to Greenviewfertilizer.com, you should aim for a density of about 16 seeds per square inch.

Step 6

Fill a cage roller with peat moss. Briskly roll it across the lawn until you have covered the whole surface with between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch of peat moss.

Step 7

Lightly water the lawn with a gentle spray every day. Keep the grass moist, but not soaked, until it reaches 2 inches high. Once it has reached that height, cut back gradually to watering once a week.