Your lawn has aged, it is invaded by weeds, it has many holes without grass? It is quite possible to redo your lawn without having to turn over the entire surface of the earth, or using a tiller. We detail how to do it.
Which month to choose to redo your lawn?
Grass seeds need mild temperatures and regular showers to germinate well.
2 periods of the year are ideal for sowing a lawn :
In the spring, in March or April , once the earth has warmed up. Germination is then faster, but the weeds are numerous and the lawn must be given time to settle before the arrival of the first heat.
In autumn , the ideal period is in September , until around mid-October. If you sow your lawn too late, the onset of cold weather may slow germination. Thus, a lawn sown late often germinates the following spring, but, in the meantime, some of the seeds have disappeared due to winter or birds.
How to prepare the soil before sowing grass?
You can very well sow your lawn without having to turn the soil deeply with a tiller because the installation of a lawn is quite superficial. It is therefore useless to remove the previous grass: you will be able to sow over the existing grass .
- Simply pass the scarifier over the areas to be relined to remove the vegetable felt and the moss , then loosen the soil well to a depth of 10 cm using a claw to aerate it.
- Do a good weeding: remove dandelions, dock or wild sorrel, couch grass.
- It is important to level the ground: the hollows and bumps will not be very aesthetic later. Level and rake, then depending on the surface to be sown, pass the roller or use a wooden board nailed to the end of a handle to pack the soil on the surface.
- Finally, water the soil a first time in a fine rain so that the small seeds of the grass adhere well to the moist soil.
How to sow grass on existing grass?
You can use a spreader or sow the sod cover on the fly. Depending on the type of lawn chosen, rustic grass or relining , it is necessary to count 30 to 40 g of seeds per m².
If you choose to sow by hand, divide your pile of seeds in two: you will sow the first part in one direction, then the other in the opposite direction, which will allow you to obtain an even and dense sowing.
Once you have finished sowing, lightly rake just the surface of the soil to cover the seeds. Tamp down again with the roller or board.
Then keep the soil cool by watering every day in fine rain to promote rapid germination.
Tips :
To prevent birds from pecking the seeds, you can place a scarecrow or if the surface is not too large, you can place small branches over the entire sown area.
If you want to get a nice result, you have to pay the price! Grass bags always seem expensive but their quality and composition vary enormously from one brand or range to another. Choose a sod refill instead or a rustic lawn of recognized brand which will give an almost indestructible lawn.