The Grass Doctor

Do I use fertilizer when planting new grass seed?

I have tilled my yard a couple times the past couple months and the ground is real soft and fine right now. I am going to start a new lawn and there is nothing "living" in the dirt. It is ready to be seeded. I bought some new bluegrass/fescue seed and some scotts turf builder. Should I put the fertilizer first then the seed or do it at the same time? Is there anything else I should do to the dirt to make sure I get a nice new lawn?

Public Comments

1. Ideally, you'd get a soil test done, first. Rake in any amendments (lime, peat, compost, etc) suggested by the soil test. If you can't get a soil test, at least talk to some neighbors that have established new lawns, to see what they had to add. Your new seed will do best if you use a starter fertilzer, but make sure it's labeled "Starter" fertilizer - they are less harsh and are specifically formulated for establishing new lawns. I would put it down first, along with the other amendments. Rake the area smooth, then spread the seed in two passes (at half the recommended rate). The second pass should be perpendicular to the first. Once the seed is down, gently cover the seeds with dirt by raking over the area with the BACK of a leaf rake. Or you can gently tamp the area with the back of a garden rake or lightly roll the area. Cover the whole area with enough straw that you can only barely see the soil. Then lightly water every morning for two weeks. Check for more info on the web from your county/state/province extension offices. Most state universities also provide information like this. Most importantly, they tell you what seed mixes do best in your area for your needs. Here is an example from Florida: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh013
2. Yup, you can do them together. If you can come up with a roller to pull over the lawn after sowing the seed , it would help , also a gentle watering won't hurt any.
3. You can but until the grass is established it can't benefit from it because seeds have no roots to absorb the nutrients yet. Usually by that time the fertilizer has dissipated and you would need to re apply. When you lay down your seed put a layer of organic weed free manure. This will keep your seed in place and generate a warm environment for rapid germination. And it is a natural fertilizer that will not quickly dissipate.
4. There are many different methods that can be used for planting lawns. Ideally all grass seeds have the best results when planted into a freshly prepared, tilled, firm, pure soil (no plants or weeds present) seed bed. The key with getting grass seeds to germinate is to have good "seed/soil" contact. By good soil contact that means that soil (not grasses) is in direct contact to the surface of the seeds. Ideally the best seed/soil contact is where the seeds are completely surrounded by soil. Three Planting Issues should be observed when creating good seed / soil contact and thus insuring proper germination of your seeds: 1. The primary one is that seeds must be planted (covered by soil) at the correct depth. With most grass seeds that depth is 1/8 to 1/4 of soil above the seed. With other types of seeds, planting depth can be deeper, but with grass seeds, this depth is often a critical factor in obtaining good germination. 2. Second is that good seed/soil contact also means that the soil has good moisture and that the soil is in CLOSE contact with the seeds allowing moisture in the soil to enter the seeds. Often slightly firming the soil after planting with a light roller presses the soil tighter around the seeds thus improving the germination of seeds. 3. Third and a key factor in getting seeds to germinate is that the temperatures (and season) must be right for the particular type of seeds (see when to plant) planted AND there must be adequate soil moisture for the seeds to germinate. Depending on the soil type, watering may be required for multiple times daily in order to keep the top inch or two of soil moist (not wet) for the seeds and seedlings (germinated seed plant) to grow. With good soil underneath no fertilizer is needed when planting new grass seed. fertilize after germination.