Spring is one of the two good windows for sowing grass seed, as the soil warms and the showers do half your watering for you. Whether you are starting a whole new lawn or just mending the bald patches, the method is the same.
Prepare the ground well
Grass seed needs good contact with fine, firm soil. Dig or fork over the area, clear the weeds and stones, then rake it level and tread it down to firm it before raking once more to a crumbly tilth.
Sow evenly
Scatter the seed at the rate on the box, which is easy to underdo. For an even spread, sow half walking up and down, and the other half across, so any gaps in one pass are covered by the other.
- Rake the seed lightly into the surface.
- Firm gently so it sits in contact with the soil.
- Net it or criss-cross black cotton to keep the birds off.
Keep it damp
The one thing that ruins a new lawn is letting the seedbed dry out as the seed is germinating. Water gently with a fine spray and keep the surface moist, never washing the seed away, until the new grass is established.
The first cut
Let the new grass reach around five or six centimetres before its first trim, then just take the tips off with a sharp mower on a high setting. Cutting too hard, too soon, tears the young grass out by the roots, so be patient that first month.