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Laying out a new lawn is not rocket science, but it does require a systematic approach. Of course, the main questions are when? and how? the crucial roles. And finally, it is also about when the newly laid lawn should be fertilized and mowed for the first time. If you do everything right, you can usually look forward to a wonderful, lush green after just six to eight weeks. And this joy should last as long as possible.
New lawn: when?
It all depends on the right time: If you want to successfully lay a new lawn, you should not do it at some point in the year, but concentrate on two periods. The month of April through to early May is particularly recommended here. Alternatively, you can sow from the end of August to mid-September. It is simply important that the soil is warm but not dried out. On the one hand, lawn seed needs a certain temperature, but on the other hand it also needs enough moisture to germinate. These conditions are usually met both in spring (April) and in late summer (end of August). However, you should be guided by the actually prevailing weather and temperature conditions and not just fixate on the time.
notice: There is absolutely no point in sowing lawn seed in April when there is still frost or even snow in the garden. Sowing at the end of August or beginning of September is also not recommended when the soil is still dry and high summer temperatures prevail.
New lawn: how?
prepare ground
The preparation of the soil plays at least as important a role in laying out a new lawn as the right time. It is undoubtedly the most important work step and contributes decisively to the success or failure of the undertaking. In this case, preparing the soil means thoroughly loosening and leveling it. The following step-by-step procedure is recommended:
- Cut off existing lawn parts cleanly with a spade
- Dig up lawn parts in the ground or throw them on the compost
- Loosen the soil thoroughly with a spade or motor hoe
- break up larger clods of earth in particular
- level the surface with a wide wooden rake
- remove any existing rocks and roots
If the soil is particularly clayey, it is advisable to install drainage to facilitate water drainage. For this purpose, a layer of sand about five centimeters thick should be spread evenly over the entire surface.
notice: The drainage made of building sand also reliably prevents moss from spreading particularly strongly later in the finished lawn. It therefore contributes to a beautiful lawn in the long term and saves you work.
The preparation of the soil for laying the lawn is then completed by a first compaction with the lawn roller. Then the area should rest for at least a week so that the soil can sink and cavities are filled.
tip: If the first weeds form during the dormant phase of the soil, it is best to pull them out immediately by hand and dispose of them on the compost or in the garbage can.
grass seed
There are countless mixtures of lawn seed in garden shops and hardware stores. Unfortunately, there are huge differences in quality. However, only high-quality seed should be used when laying out a new lawn. In order to be able to find these out from the mass of offers, you inevitably need some information. A good guide is the so-called RSM seal. The abbreviation stands for standard seed mixture. Mixtures that bear this seal are recommended without reservation, as they only contain selected grass seeds. The fact that the seeds of these mixtures later germinate relatively slowly and the grass grows slowly at first is not a defect, but rather a sign of quality. A beautiful lawn takes time to get started.
Sow lawn seed
Finally, after about a week's rest for the soil, the seed should be sown. Now it's time to actually sow the lawn. It is best to choose a dry, largely windless day for this. How to do it:
- First, lightly roughen the floor surface with a rake
- Pour seeds into a bowl or bucket
- Remove seeds by hand
- then distribute evenly over the entire surface with wide arm swings
- use a spreader for very large areas
When sowing, you should definitely proceed very carefully and purposefully. An even lawn surface is crucially dependent on the seed being distributed as evenly as possible. It is therefore advisable not to walk randomly across the floor, but to follow a certain system so that no section is forgotten or overlooked.
rolling and watering
The laying of the lawn is now almost complete. In a penultimate step, the soil now only has to be compacted with a heavy roller, which is best borrowed from a garden center. The aim is to create perfect contact between each individual seed and the soil. The way it is rolled is of great importance. It is imperative that the rolling is done evenly in both longitudinal and transverse lanes. One rolling pass is sufficient. Finally, the entire area must be thoroughly watered. The best way to do this is to use a lawn sprinkler, which you may need to adjust from time to time.
fertilizing and mowing
Of course, with a new lawn, the question immediately arises as to when the lawn can be fertilized and mowed for the first time. Mowing depends above all on the actual length of the blades of grass. They should have reached a height of at least five to ten centimeters before you start the lawn mower for the first time. It is advisable to delay the first mowing a little further and aim for a blade of grass of ten centimeters. You can initially do without fertilizing. Immediately after sowing and in the first few weeks thereafter, the soil still contains enough nutrients to provide the grass with sufficient nutrients. If the lawn was newly laid in the spring, it can be fertilized for the first time in the fall. Basically, fertilizing depends on the condition of the lawn. A heavily used lawn requires more fertilizer than one that is hardly walked on.