How to establish new lawns

Establishing New Lawns

How do I sow new lawns?

Preparation: Remove as many weeds as possible from the area you wish to sow then work so the surface is uniform with finely tilled soil or sand. The base should still be firm so that your foot does not sink too deeply when you walk on it. The following steps will help achieve this.

1. Spray the area to be sown and cultivate then if possible leave for re-growth of weeds, then spray again.

2. Remove any rock, debris  and weed material from the chosen area, leaving the soil clean and finely tilled ready for seeding.

3. Sow the seed, using a good strong rate  which is specific to variety used to ensure full cover with the least amount of weed invasion. Best results are from spreading seed uniformly over the area's surface, either by hand or with a commercially avialable spreader like the GTi Hand Spreader (pictured).

Tip: Spread half of the total amount seed over the whole area then repeat with the seed remaining. This can assist enormously in achieving a more uniform coverage. (The same tip applies when applying fertiliser or any other granulated products.)

4. Apply Turfmaster Starter fertiliser then lightly rake the surface to ensure maximum soil to seed contact - without burying the seed too deep.

5. Lightly roll the surface then ensure the area is moist thoughout the germination period by watering with a fine droplet sprinkler or by hand. (Don't over water!)

6. While the grass is establishing it is better to frequently water lightly than to infrequently heavy watering. Applying GTi Prolawn Aquaturf MAX G can greatly assist growth by holding moisture more uniformly in the newly sown surface.