Planting a lush and green lawn in your yard can be accomplished in several ways. When you don't have the budget to install a lawn of sod, here is some insight to help you grow your lawn from seeds.
Apply Hydroseeding Mixture
When you choose to install a lawn by hydroseeding, you will need to have your soil smoothed and prepared by removing any rocks, branches, and weeds. Use a broad-leaf herbicide to kill any weeds in your lawn. Talk to a hydroseeding company like Bark Blowers & Hydroseeding Inc to find out what type of weed treatments they recommend. They may have a weed elimination strategy they can include with the hydroseed application. It is also important to install downspout diverter tubes that deliver your roof's water away from your lawn, such as on a driveway or sidewalk. You don't want your hydroseed mixture being washed away by the first big rain storm.
After the hydroseeding company has sprayed their slurry mixture of grass seed, fertilizer, and fine mulch over your soil, you need to keep the mixture moist by watering it several times each day until the seeds have germinated. At that point you can reduce the watering to once each day. Your hydroseed professional will tell you exact rules to follow. You can expect the seeds to germinate within five to seven days and to have a fully-grown lawn within four weeks.
Plant Dry Grass Seed
When you are planning to plant your lawn with bagged dry grass seed, you will first need to prepare the soil for the new seeds. This includes killing any weeds growing in the soil. Weed growth in your lawn can disrupt the lawn seedlings taking hold in the soil and can also take moisture away from your lawn as it is becoming established. If weeds are allowed to grow too thickly, they can actually choke out your lawn.
Use a weed killer that will only kill broad-leaf plants. Because you will apply the weed killer onto the soil where your lawn will go, the poison will remain in the soil for a time and can kill your lawn if it is the wrong type of herbicide. Remove any large rocks and sticks from the soil, and, with a garden rake, rough up the surface of the soil to allow crevices for the grass seed to settle within.
Apply the grass seed over the surface area with a hand-held or a push-behind seed applicator. It is helpful to add a lawn fertilizer during application for new grass growth to help it grow strong, but it is not necessary. Be careful you don't miss any areas when applying the grass seed.
If any of your seeded soil is sloped or on a hill, you will need to add a layer of mulch to keep the seeds in place over the next several days. Lay down a thin layer of straw or peat moss to hold the seeds in place and prevent the wind from blowing them away. It is also recommended to install downspout diverters to divert rainwater away from your seeded soil, as mentioned in the above section.
Plan to water your seeds immediately after applying them onto the soil. Constant watering is important for the first days so the seedlings can germinate and take root, but you don't want to over-water, as this can wash the seedlings away. Water three times each day for ten minutes at a time for the first ten days. The seeds should be germinated by this point, and you can water once each day in the morning for 20 minutes at a time.
