Anyone good with lawns/planting grass seeds?

[Crusher]

I have some bare spots in my lawn that I'm trying to revive and make it look good again. I always buy Scotts brand seeds and fertilizers and follow the directions noted, but I seem to be hit or miss when it comes to getting the grass to grow again. Anyone have any tips or tricks to help me grow a really nice lawn? Some other questions I had are:

1. Is it OK to walk on the area that the seeds were just planted to help the seeds set into the soil better? Or is just raking them over good enough as the package suggests?

2. Is it necessary to put up string around the area to try to keep birds from eating the seeds? Or will they not try to eat them since the seeds have fertilizer on them?

3. I also have a huge area of grass with maybe a 4 ft. patch that is dead grass. The existing grass around it is fine, but has a few weeds in it. Would it be OK to plant new seeds in the bare area then try to carefully put some weed killing fertilizer (Scotts Turf builder w/Halts) around but not into the new area with fresh seeds? Or will it spread underground to the newly planted seed area?

Thanks!!

[nuclear banana]

In order -

1. Leave the area alone. Rake over the area before and after planting the seed. Water until the area as surface water, then water some more...Seriously water more than you think.

2. Stringing it won't matter. If you're worried about birds cover the area with straw.

3. If you're going to replant at all stay away from any weed kill or fertilizer in the
general area, at least for a while prior to planting and certainly after....

Hope this helps,

Bill

[semagic]

(this is what i've read) you can try plugs of grass. usually two to three sheets of plugs in a checkerboard pattern 6" apart will take about 6-8 mos of care, but in the end it will completely cover your lawn. (great topic BTW) i would like to read other ways as well.

[khabibissell]

I had the same problem... Last summer I over fertilized my lawn, killing it the process. When spring came, I had basically nothing for a lawn with every type of weed known to man growing in it. It looked VERY ghetto. When it warmed up a bit, I watered it, then physically pulled all bigger weeds by hand (a time consuming pain in the ass of a job), then over saturated it with grass seed (the quick growing Scott's brand). Once the seed was down, I watered the crap out of it (to the point where it was puddling in spots as stated above). Then used weed and feed. I let that sit for a few days (per the instructions on the bag), then watered the crap out of it some more. About two weeks later I used the liquid weed killer stuff that you connect to your garden hose and spray on. Watered some more. Now, my grass is rockin'! Thick and green.

All the stuff I used only cost me about $50. Of course, my front lawn is small (approx. 20 x 20).

[Deneb]

Hank Hill has a sweet lawn.

[DonP]

Top soil is your friend.

[Budman68]

I need help in this area as well, but

[semagic]

here's the plugs i was referring to....




this is the way i'm going try... we shall see...

[Spaceace]

I have two words for you Al... green asphalt

[GodOfRhythm]

Practically living on the border with Holland, I definitly know how to plant Grass. Don't know if it's suitable to walk on, though.

[quakana]

Loosen the dirt up where you want to plant the seed so it has a couple inches of loose soil to plant in. Use Scotts best seed you can find (sun and shade mix if the areas are in both sun and shade) and buy some starter fetilizer (you can also use their patch product which comes with mulch, seed and starter fertilizer all in one but I prefer just seed and fert) Plant the seed and then fluff it in so its mixed in with the dirt, then follow the instructions on the starter fertilizer and water right away. Water twice a day and make sure you dont flood the area because the seeds will displace or float away...the more you water the better the results. Walking on the area is fine but if you can avoid it would be better. You HAVE to at least use Scotts 4 step program and grub controll every year if you want nice grass with no weeds. Here are some pics to prove my method works, The first is a brand new 30X15 area I planted just 6 weeks ago, the second is my back yard. Notice the back left corner of the back yard is where the new grass is....third is the LTD on the back lawn
Good Luck Man

[semagic]

dude... that's fantastic looking... hopefully mine turns out half as good.

[Crusher]

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate it. I'll let you know in a week or so how I'm making out.

[RickStar]

yeah dude. top soil and water the hell out of it. stay off it as well.

[DonP]

The first is a brand new 30X15 area I planted just 6 weeks ago, the second is my back yard. Notice the back left corner of the back yard is where the new grass is....third is the LTD on the back lawn
Good Luck Man

That looks great. How long has your lawn been established? My house is brand new (Sept '05) and as such the soil sucks (rocky clay). I had 2" of topsoil trucked in, but I think they did a bad job. They didn't level the yard worth a crap. I think they gave me crap seed as well. I'm going to overseed in the fall.

+1 on starter fertilizer as well. That stuff works great.