How to Seed Your Lawn

How Do I Seed My Lawn? 

Once fall comes around, you should prepare to seed your lawn to promote the healthy growth of your property’s grass. The following are the steps to seed your lawn properly and effectively during the fall season: 

How do I prepare my lawn for seeding? 

Before you begin seeding your lawn, make sure that you mow the grass extra short and remove the clippings as well. If you don’t remove the clippings, they’ll end up blocking much-needed sunlight and water from getting to the seeds you spread. Once you’ve mowed the grass, rake the soil to not only remove the clippings, but also any thatch or debris that have built up. Raking the soil will also loosen it up and expose it so that it’s better prepared to receive the seeds. 

If your lawn has any problems, you’ll want to deal with them before you seed. For example, if there are serious flaws with the lawn that go beyond normal thinning, you should test your soil and add soil amendments if necessary. If you spot any disease or pest problems, allow Virginia Green to treat and address those areas before seeding.  

What is aerating?  

Aerating the lawn, which involves puncturing small holes into the soil, should be done prior to seeding as well. Lawn aeration will help ensure that your seeds reach the soil and that water, air, and nutrients will, in turn, reach the seeds. 

What grass seed should I use for my lawn?  

You can’t just use any grass seed. Not only do you need to choose a grass seed that’s appropriate for the Mid-Atlantic region, but you’ll want something of high quality. 

Here at Virginia Green, we use a special blend that contains 3% Kentucky Bluegrass and 97% Tall Fescue grass. This blend also happens to be 100% weed and crop free and will help to establish a dense and healthy lawn that’s extremely resistant to drought. 

NOTE: We also sell our special blend to customers. 

How do I spread grass seed?  

If you’re just seeding specific spots in your lawn that have thinned out, spreading seed by hand is relatively easy. 

However, if you’re seeding your entire lawn, you’re going to find that it’s much more of a challenge. You’ll need to use a drop or broadcast spreader to evenly spread your seed at its specific recommended seeding rate. 

What does lawn fertilizer do?  

Once you’ve seeded your lawn, you’ll want to fertilize it. A good fertilizer will help to provide your seeds with the nutrients it needs to grow healthy grass. 

A fertilizer that contains phosphorus to promote root growth and nitrogen to promote top growth and greening, is a good option. Phosphorus will also help to provide your new grass with the root support it needs all the way through winter and into the spring. 

How much do I need to water my lawn after seeding?  

It’s worth noting that you’re going to need to water your lawn more than usual after you’ve seeded it. This is because a newly seeded lawn needs regular moisture. For the first couple of days after you seed your lawn, provide your grass with light watering twice a day. Soil should remain damp to the touch over the next 21-28 days.  

Let Virginia Green Help 

Seeding your lawn is no easy task. There are a lot of steps involved, which require a lot of effort to execute properly. Because of this, you should strongly consider Virginia Green’s aeration and seeding program. 

Whether your lawn is in perfect health or poor health, you’re more than likely to see positive results with our program. The following are included with our aeration and seeding service: 

• We will perform a double core aeration of your lawn to ensure that sunlight, water, and air all reach your seeds to help promote the healthy growth of your new grass. 
• We will use six pounds of our specially blended seed for every 1,000 square feet of your lawn to ensure that your grass is properly seeded. 
• We will provide you with an additional five-pound bag of Virginia Green grass seed that you can then use to fill in any thinning or bare areas. 
• We will provide you with detailed instructions on how to prepare your lawn for seeding so that you can achieve the best results. 
• We will provide you with detailed instructions on how to mow and water your lawn after it’s been seeded.