What is the difference between the grass in the football stadiums of this world and the meadows in most allotment gardens in Germany? Exactly. The professional greenkeepers of the best football clubs regularly roll out fresh and meticulously manicured turf in a carpet look. Not only do allotment gardeners have more time – they also love to work on their plot themselves. That is why most of them create their private greens themselves. In addition, it is significantly cheaper than turf. Sowing a lawn is laborious, but not rocket science – and yet there are a few things to consider if you want to lounge around undisturbed in the sun on the green later or play football with the children over the summer.
We explain when it is best to sow a lawn, what is important when choosing seed, how the soil must be prepared and what lawn seeds absolutely need to germinate.
“If you see yellow flowers outside in March, you can confidently scatter the seeds” – says an old farmer’s rule. And that’s exactly how it should be. The spring months of March and April, and May depending on the weather, are ideal for sowing new lawns. The same goes for overseeding the lawn. Although lawn seeds are hardy, they only develop their full potential if they germinate as quickly as possible. And for that they need a constant soil temperature of over ten degrees. Sufficient moisture gives additional impetus to the germination process.
Before the lawn seeds are scattered, the future lawn must first be free of weeds. To do this, the soil should be meticulously worked through with a spade (and your hands) and roots, larger clods of earth and stones should be removed. Sounds tedious – and it is. Alternatively, a so-called motor hoe, which you can borrow on a daily basis from well-stocked specialist shops, can help.
In the next step, the rake makes its grand entrance. Because the grasses feel most comfortable on fine-crumbly, loose and permeable soil. With the widest possible tool, the surface must be raked as smooth as possible. Otherwise, rain or irrigation water can easily collect in bumps and holes. With a roller, which can also be hired from DIY stores, it then goes lengthways and crossways over the ground to compact the earth. So that the ground can settle a bit, the lawn area “in the future” should rest for a few more days. Only then does the hour of the seeds come.
Anyone who has ever stood in front of the shelf with lawn seeds in a hardware store or garden center should have been amazed at how many different seeds there are. Inexpensive, very expensive, some for ornamental lawns, others for play lawns or shady lawns. The whole thing in various packages ranging from one pound for smaller lawns to more than ten kilograms for larger lawns. High-quality seeds for an area of around 100 square meters cost between 30 and 40 euros, depending on the provider. While cheaper seeds germinate faster, the high-priced granules later form a denser and at the same time more robust turf. In addition, the cheaper ones are less productive. That’s why you shouldn’t save at the wrong end here.
Important! Lawn seeds should not be stored for too long. Some species are often no longer viable after a year. This includes the red fescue.
When buying the lawn seeds, you should also pay attention to the imprint “RSM” on the packaging. This stands for a high-quality “standard seed mixture” that only contains lawn seeds of first-class grass varieties.
The ground for the new lawn is optimally prepared. The right seeds are ready. Good this way. Then the actual sowing of the lawn can begin. To do this, the seed must first be measured according to the information on the packaging and filled into a seed trough or spreader. Above all, less experienced hobby gardeners should choose this variant. You need a bit of skill, but the seeds can be distributed much more evenly than if you scatter them by hand. Incidentally, strong wind is not helpful when sowing lawn seed. Once the seed has been applied evenly, they are lightly raked in lengthwise and crosswise with a rake. This way you get more ground contact when rolling and grow better. The roller should also be used lengthwise and crosswise to achieve a clean soil contact.
The following four days are crucial for the subsequent quality of the lawn. If there is no precipitation during this period, the soil should be watered several times a day for about ten minutes with a shower head or a sprinkler.
Important! Lawn seeds are particularly sensitive to drought during and immediately after germination. As a rule, the seed germinates after six to 28 days, depending on the weather.
In addition to sufficient watering, young lawn grasses need one thing above all: rest. At least eight weeks should be planned before the meadow can be fully used. During this time, water is the be-all and end-all. The better the soil has been prepared, the fewer lawn weeds such as dandelions, daisies or clover will establish themselves in the first few weeks. A dense lawn should develop within two to four weeks. If the stalks are about eight to ten centimeters long, the young lawn must be mowed for the first time. Ideally at a cutting height of about five centimetres. Then spread some long-term fertilizer so that the grasses branch out and the turf can easily and persistently cope with raging children.
Sources: gartenjournal.net; mein-schoener-garten.de; plantopedia.de
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