The Grass Doctor

Will my grass grow even though I did not rake it over after I seeded?

I am growing grass in my back yard. I have put down a 3-6 inches of top soil on a lot that is on a slope.... I didn't use a roller but I did pat the ground down a bit... next I evened it all out so it was nice and level... and I put down fertilizer and proper seed from a local (very experienced store).... next I used a spreader and I spread the seed all over..... the ground was last night so I did not water it... today I used my sprinkler to wet down the earth and let the seeds germinate.... the question is this... everywhere I look it says I should have raked the ground over after I seeded the back yard.... but I didn't; so will my seeds take even though I skipped that step? also... how much should I water the yard? I read 2-3 times depending on the weather... but I want to know to what extend should I be watering the ground? thanx for any suggestions!

Public Comments

1. Yes the grass will grow, a lot of water is good for them, I notice during the rainy season where I live the grass grows faster and longer, it grows in places where there was no grass before. Raking is probably done so the seeds aren't exposed to animals and such, out in the wild grass grows no matter what you do the ground.
2. If you don't want to rake soil over your seed, just buy a bag of topsoil and throw enuf over the seeded area to just cover the seeds. This will provide a bed for the seeds to grow in to as well as keep the birds from eating the seeds. And as you are on a slope, without the soil over the seeds, they will drain down the hill with the water as you water them, the soil will hold them in place. Water as often as it takes to keep the soil over the seeds moist. Maybe twice a day. Don't soak the area, just enuf to keep the seeds damp. It can take up to 10 days for germination. Then once a day, light watering is fine till the grass looks established. Then normal watering for your area. You don't want new grass getting dried out.
3. The seed has to have contact with the soil but does not have to be raked over to germinate. You did fine to spread it and press it down and water it. You need to keep the area moist until the seed sprouts. So whatever amount of water that takes. Frequent watering would be better for sprouting that one huge drenching. You might have to water lightly twice a day for a few days if weather conditions make the ground dry out quickly.
4. Yes ,your grass will grow, it does not have to be raked in. As to the watering I would suggest about every 4 hrs around the clock. The seed needs at least 2 inches of water a day to germinate on most types of grass. After it starts to show shorten your watering time.The best advice I can give you is WATER...WATER.....WATER!!!!! I worked for the parks and recreation department for 13 yrs and did many over-seeding projects ,water is the key.