Learn the secrets to planting a lawn. A lawn of luscious green grass is a beauty to behold.
No matter how beautiful a house may be, if it has an unkempt yard and dying grass it will be an eyesore. A lawn of luscious green grass is a beauty to behold and joy to walk, play and enjoy. The value of your home will be increased greatly if you have a lush green lawn in front of it. There are three necessary elements in order to have a beautiful lawn; rich soil, good drainage and high quality grass seed.
For your lawn to prosper you must have good, rich soil. Soil is important because it not only provides the water for your grass to grow, but it also provides nutrients and a place for the roots of the grass to anchor. You must test your soil to see if the PH, or alkalinity and acidity, is correct. Buy a soil testing kit at a garden center. Collect samples of your soil by going at least 6 inches deep and mixing the soil from several different locations in
the dirt plot. The PH reading you need is 7. If it is below that then your soil is acidic and you need to add , limestone or oyster shell lime. If your PH is above 7 then your soil is alkaline and you need to add sulfur to make it more acidic.
When you are preparing the plot for putting in the grass seed or sod, you must design it for good drainage. Make sure the plot is level and there are no low spots that will end in puddles. Make sure the lawn is sloping out toward the street, not toward your house.
During the bed preparation you will want to pull all old weeds, get rid of rocks and sticks. Rototill the plot and mix in the fertilizers and mulch. Level the bed and rake it
smooth.
Choosing a good grass seed is very important. Beware of cheap grass mixes that may have a lot of weed seeds and inert materials. Each bag of grass seed will have a purity
analysis on it that tells the percentage of grass seed compared to weed seed in the bag. Choose a type of grass that is suited well to your climate. Planting grass seed in the spring, before the heat of summer sets in is wise. It will be easier to get the grass started in cool, clear weather. If there are heavy rains in the spring in your area avoid planting during this time as well because the seed will be washed away.
Sprinkle the grass seed onto the prepared bed at the rate that the manufacturer suggests. Use a spreader to distribute the seed for even coverage. Now spread a new lawn fertilizer with plenty of phosphorous to help develop a strong root system in the grass. Rake the seed gently into the soil. Cover the seed with hay, burlap or mulch to protect it from the birds and keep it from drying out. Water the grass lightly several times every day. Keep
the soil moist.
If you choose to sod your lawn you still need to prepare the dirt plot in the same manner as you would for seed. Laying sod is the easiest way to establish a lawn, but it is more expensive. Lay the sod by the straight edge of the walkway) or wherever your starting point is), butting the edge up tightly. Lay down a new piece of sod and stagger the seams. Press the sod closely to the previous piece. Water the newly laid sod everyday for a month to prevent drying.
