The Grass Doctor

How do you plant grass seed?

do i have to rake the entire yard before putting down the fertilizer? can't i just put the mower on the lowest level and scalp the grass and then spread the fertilizer and then the grass seed? will it still grow? I live in Oklahoma, and im plant fescue for fall. Not quite sure how im suppose to do this.

Public Comments

1. When I plant grass you can buy the little special tools that throw it out but the best bet is just go to Home Depot or Walmart and buy a big bag of grass seed. Then open it up and start taking hand fulls and scatter it all over the yard. If you have a bare yard like mud with no grass of a slope then scatter hay all over the area then spread grass seed everywhere. This keeps birds and other animals from coming along and taking it and it also keeps the wind from blowing the seeds away. Grass seed is cheap and if you want a thick yard of grass then don't use it sparingly just grab hand fulls and cover the grown as well as you can. If you want to after that take the water hose and spray to make the ground wet it will make the seeds penetrate the ground easier and soften up the surrounding area. Just make sure you don't flood it and wash all your seeds away.
2. You shouldn't use fertilizer when first germinating seed it could burn the tender roots. However they do sell a starter fertilizer that should be ok. I think the best way to do this would be to rent a core aerator or have someone do this job for you. The process is that a machine takes soil plugs from the ground. The new holes allow moisture and nutrients to reach the roots of the grass you already have and make a good place to start new seed. If your lawn is very bad you may have to start all over, then yes i would recommend raking the whole yard. I am assuming that you have a decent yard and are just over-seeding. This is the best time to do either. Good Luck
3. Yes you do have to rake the entire yard to make sure it is level. Then seed and cover with some type of cover like straw or grass clippings. Keep it moist until it germinates which usually take a week. Then fertilize it with a water soluble fertilizer like miracle-gro. Here are some links to help. http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2299/HLA-6420web.pdf http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1104/HLA-6419web.pdf http://www.outsidepride.com/resources/states/oklahoma.html http://osufacts.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-997/HLA-6418web.pdf