Hundreds of grass seed varieties are available today.  However, many of these are not suited for your climate or specific application.  Turf Perfect blends and mixtures include only improved varieties designed specifically for your region and application.  Each seed formulation is a result of worldwide scientific research, regional performance evaluations, and application-specific considerations.  We design each formula to exceed your expectations.

Seeding a new lawn can be done in spring or fall, although fall (September) is the absolute best.  If necessary, summer seeding can be done as long as you can keep the area you’ve seeded moist at all times.  Grass seed can also be sown in late winter.

PREPARING THE SEED BED

For NEW Lawns:

• Rake and grade the area fairly smooth.  Remove rocks, twigs, and construction debris.

Renovating ESTABLISHED Lawns:

• First mow the existing grass as short as possible. If you simply need to over seed or to reseed bare spots, rake the areas so they are crumbly, then skip to the fertilzing section.

• Spray with Glysophate to kill off any remaining seed.

• Wait 7-10 days for the vegetation to brown and then proceed with the raking out process.  Use a thatching rake or a stiff garden rake to remove all thatch and other loose vegetation.  It is not necessary to remove the dead grass.  It is necessary to prepare the soil so that the grass seed will make contact with the soil when it is planted.

• If there are any bare spots, chop the soil 2″ deep leaving the clods between golf ball and marble size.  You can rent a slit seeder which will make preparing the soil for larger areas much easier. Run the slit seeder  East and West and the North and South to create a grid pattern.  On a hillside, run the slicer horizontally across the slope.  DO NOT ROTOTILL!!  If you do you will turn over thousands of weed seeds that will be happy to grow all over your lawn.

FERTILIZING

Now you are ready to apply your fertilizer.  Use a low nitrogen formula such as Greenview Fall Lawn Food, which is best applied with a broadcast spreader.  A drop spreader can be used, but be careful not to over apply.   If you are re-seeding in the spring, DO NOT apply Greenview’s Crabgrass Control plus Lawn Food as a fertilizer while seeding.  Crabgrass Control plus Lawn Food is the first step in Greenview’s 4-step program.  This product will kill germinating crabgrass AND regular grass seed.  If you need to re-seed a lawn in spring and you would also like to apply a crabgrass preventive, then you will need to apply Greenview’s Starter Fertilizer Plus Crabgrass Preventer.  It “knows” the difference between crabgrass seed and regular grass seed and is safe to use.

SEEDING

At Dayton Nursery we will be happy to assist you in making the right seed choice for your yard.  Seed can be applied by hand, which is fine for bare spots, or with a spreader, which is best for larger areas.  It is extremely important for the seed to make soil contact, it simply will not grow if it doesn’t.  A seed mix is generally better than sowing just one variety.   Fairlawn brand is excellent for the sun while Fairlawn Shady or Dura-Shade is good for shade areas.  Seeding rates are 5-8 lbs. of seed per 1000 sq. feet depending on the type of mix.

Grass Seed Calculator

WATER

Grass seed must be kept moist until it germinates.  Water thoroughly.  At first provide fairly short but frequent waterings.  As the seed begins to germinate, you will not need to water as often, but remember not to let the seeded areas dry out for long periods of time.  Try to water early in the day or early in the evening.

MOWING

When the new grass is 3-4″ tall it is time to mow.  Set your mower at a mowing height of 2 1/2 – 3″ high.  Cutting the lawn high is a good, natural weed control, as cooler soil temperatures discourage weed seed germination.   Mow often!  The more cuttings you make, the faster the new lawn will mature.  Mow as late into fall as necessary. Your last cutting of the season should be 1 1/2 – 2″ high.  This will help prevent lawn disease such as Snow Mold.  Remember to rake up as many leaves as possible before the ground freezes.  Leaves left on the ground will smother the grass trying to live beneath it, which means you’ll have new bare spots in the spring.

USING STRAW

At this time, a light covering of straw can be applied.  Although straw is optional, it does help keep the area moist, which is essential to seed germination.  One bale of straw should cover between 500-600 sq. feet.  You should be able to see 50% soil and 50% seed.  When straw is applied correctly it does not need to be removed later on.