Planting grass from seed is the least expensive way to establish a new lawn in your garden. You can use lawn seeding as a means of lawn repair - by digging out poor patches of your existing lawn and reseeding just those spots, or you can sow an entire new lawn in your garden.

In this Garden How to Guide you'll get advice on how to choose lawn seed, how to prepare the soil for seeding and how to care for new lawn so that it grows into healthy green grass, more resistant to weeds.

When to Seed New Lawn

Spring (August to November) and autumn (March to May) are ideal times to plant new lawn seed. Seeds will generally germinate between 3-7 days during warmer months, but can take up to 20 days during the colder times of the year.

Selecting Lawn Seed

How the lawn is used will determine the type of lawn seed sown. Assess your needs, if it's a lawn that is for the family then choose a more hard wearing seed. If you are looking for a fine, manicured lawn then the finer seed will achieve this.

Grass seed is blended to suit a particular use.

• Perennial rye grass and clover is recommended where a tough, hard wearing lawn tolerant of some neglect is required.
• Perennial rye grass, fescue and brown top - recommended for a good quality, hard wearing lawn.
• Fine leaf rye, fescue and brown top - recommended for a top quality lawn.

Lawn seed mixes will come in two types:

• Coated - This is when the seed is coated in a fungicide, fertiliser and bird repellant. It can take a little longer to germinate.
• Uncoated - This is just the bare seed. It will germinate quicker.

The information on the seed packet will give you the amount of area that the seed will cover. Mitre 10 has a range of lawn seed that allows you to select the seed type which would be most suitable for your local conditions.

Browse a range of Lawn Seed online.

Preparation

Preparation is the key to success. Spray weeds such as couch, kikuyu and paspalum which are difficult to control. Do not dig weeds under, as many will reappear. Clear away all stones and builders debris. Work up the soil to a depth of about 10cm using a rotary hoe or garden fork until the soil is a fine crumble. If your soil is of poor quality you may need to add topsoil to a depth of 5cm.

Using a levelling bar and rake, work across the area in several directions removing all lumps and bumps. Contour the ground so that water runs away from the house and garden. A firm, fine top layer needs to be developed. Tamp the soil to properly compact it. Take care in this area if you want your lawn to remain level years from now. The soil needs to be firm enough so that when it's walked over, it doesn't leave deep footprints.

Before you sow the seeds, use your rake to loosen up the very top layer of the soil and create a seed bed.

Check out our Garden Hand Tools for an online range of rakes and garden forks.

Sowing Lawn Seed

Apply the seed according to the packet recommendations in even, broad strokes rather than just dropping it on the ground. (You can do this by hand but using a seed spreader can make the job and fertilizing later, far easier and more efficient.) Apply in small sections so you can keep better track of where you have been.

Keep some seed back to fill any patches later on.

Lightly rake to cover the seed. This will improve the germination as the grass seed will have better contact with the soil.

Watering

Once the seeding process is completed, give the area a good watering, ensuring the soil is saturated. It is important keep the lawn moist with regular watering until the seeds have germinated. Never let it dry out as the grass seed will die. Water uniformly and to a depth of at least 5cms. In hot weather you may have to water both in the mornings and in the evenings.

As the grass shoots emerge, reduce the frequency of the watering until you are soaking your lawn once a week after the third mow.

Mowing

Mow the new lawn when the grass is about 5cm high. Set the lawn mower on high and lightly trim only the tips off the new grass blades. This will enourage root growth and allow a dense grass mat to form. Continue cutting in this manner for the next 3 months.

Once the lawn is well established the mower blades can be lowered - but not too low - longer lawns can look more luxurious and are generally healthier.

Browse our range of Lawnmowers online.

Fertiliser

Don't apply fertiliser to new lawns for the first six weeks. Your lawn will only need fertiliser after the first mowing. Follow the packet recommendations.

Weeds, Moss, Disease and Pest Control

Some weeds will eventually find their way into your new lawn. Don't spray for at least 2 months after sowing – just weed by hand.

See our Garden How to Guide titled, Caring for Established Lawns for more advice on lawn mowing, fertilising and watering so that you can keep your lawn green, healthy and more resistant to weeds.

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