The Grass Doctor

laying a lawn with grass seeds?

any suggestions on what i do, i have a front garden 12 foot by 12 foot which used to be covered in concrete. I have lifted the concrete now what do i do? I cannot afford to by rolls of turf

Public Comments

1. Get some grass seed and follow the manufactures instructions. You usually can just get a garden rake and loosen up the top layer of soil, sow some seed, and rake it again to even out. Water gently (mist) as to not wash the seed into bunches for a couple days. It should start growing with a daily misting in a week.
2. i did this 2 years ago and i didn't know that there were that many birds out there. about an hour after sprinkling the seeds i looked out and the whole garden was full of birds, and i mean full. they loved it, so i ended up turfing. but good luck
3. Ensure that the area is not prone to water logging, if it is then you need to add drainage. In general to sow grass seeds uou'll have to prepare the soil first, by digging it over with a garden fork. Then rake to an acceptable level whilst removing the surface debris. When the surface is smooth, divide the grass seeds into 2 lots and spread half the seed whilst walking up and down the proposed lawn, with the other half being spread whilst walking left and right across the lawn. Depending on the weather conditions your seedlings will begin to appear within 2 to 3 weeks. Germination of the seed is surprisingly fast in warm, moist weather
4. SEED IT AND PUT STRAW OVER IT TO KEEP MOIST AND KEEP OUT BIRDS MAKE SURE SEED MATCHES YOUR CURRENT GRASS OR IT MAY LOOK DARKER OR LIGHTER GREEN
5. Not really right time of year now to do it. Spring is best . Soil needs to be dug and raked, stones and debris removed. get a reasonably fine tilth . spread seed evenly, If birds are a problem eating the seed , cover with old net curtains or similar and peg down. usually soil will be moist but if really dry a gentle spray will help, Leave cover on for couple of weeks till seed germinated ,, Keep moist. do not cut till established , then very high . Will thicken and then can be cut lower , Takes 4 to 6 months to be fully established
6. You need to dig the area over, remove stones and rake it all as level as possible. Firm it with a roller or with your feet, and finally lightly rake to create a fine tilth. Broadcast your seed as evenly as possible, on a calm day. At 2ozs per square yard you will need 2lbs of seed. Finally lightly work the seed into the soil with a wire rake and water well.