Planting Grass Seed
Now is a good time to take care of some of those lawn maintenance chores.
Yesterday, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, took on the task of seeding a small area adjacent to my allee of Lindens. The space is already planted with a variety of spring blooming daffodils, but the area also needed some green grass. Chhiring cleared the space of any debris, raked the soil, dropped the grass seed and organic fertilizer, and then gave it a good drink.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- In spring, the area on one side of my Linden allee is filled with gorgeous daffodil blooms, but I decided this garden bed would look even better on a bed of grass to cover any bare spots in between the daffodil varieties.
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- Now is a good time to seed the space while everything is dormant underground, so the area was first weed-whacked and cleared.
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- We use grass seed made by Scott’s. This versatile mix stays green through the year in either dense shade or full sun. You can also find some of Scott’s other products on my new e-commerce site at Martha.com.
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- Chhiring uses a STIHL backpack leaf blower and goes over the area once again to make sure it is completely clean. We’ve been using STIHL’s backpack blowers for years here at my farm. These blowers are powerful and fuel-efficient. The gasoline-powered engines provide enough rugged power to tackle debris while delivering much lower emissions.
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- I did not want any grass growing in the beds directly beneath the lindens, so Chhiring measures the space, so it can be well marked.
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- Chhiring uses jute twine and sod staples to indicate the section to avoid when seeding.
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- Chhiring pulls the jute twine along the length of the allee.
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- The area on the left will be seeded and the garden bed on the right will not.
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- Next, Chhiring uses a soft rake over the entire space to loosen the top layer of soil. This gives the grass seed direct access to the soil so it can root more easily after germinating.
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- To ensure no grass is seeded in the garden bed marked, Chhiring uses a piece of plywood to divide the two spaces while applying the seed.
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- He carefully starts dropping the grass seed on one side of the board – there is absolutely no grass touching the area behind the wood.
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- Scott’s wraps each seed in a unique WaterSmart® PLUS Coating that absorbs more water and provides added essential nutrients to help protect the seedlings from disease. The light blue coating also helps to see where seed has been dropped during the process.
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- Chhiring does this along the entire side of the bed. This is an easy way to create a straight and clean border.
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- Next, Chhiring fills the Scott’s hand-held broadcast spreader with more seed.
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- And then drops the seed in the middle of the space. This spreader has an ergonomic design and is easy to use and operate.
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- The next step is to rake the area again, so every part is evenly covered with seed.
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- Then, Chhiring applies an appropriate fertilizer. We’re using The Happy Lawn™ Fertilizer – a custom mix of never-burn ingredients like wheat flour, feather meal, and molasses, all designed to enrich the soil this time of year. It’s available on my site at Martha.com.
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- This granule fertilizer is safe for all grass types and completely safe around people and pets.
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- And finally, the area is watered. We use my trusted Gilmour oscillating sprinkler. These sprinklers are easy to control in a variety of areas – they provide thousands of square feet in water coverage and feature a tube with multiple openings that move back and forth to provide even watering. I use several around the farm for gently watering ground covering plants and lawns.
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- When watering new grass seed, it must watered deeply every day to get the best results.
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- We’re also using the Gilmour tripod sprinkler. The adjustable tripod can reach a height of 58-inches and can water everything from above. Once all the watering is done, it’s important to turn off the water at the source. Just turning off at the sprinkler puts a lot of pressure on the hoses and pipes.
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- This Linden allee is a favorite spot on the farm – I only wish it was longer. Right now, the leaves are this gorgeous dark green color. In autumn, they turn a beautiful shade of yellow. I’ll be sure to show you more photos as the foliage changes and when the new lawn is grown. Stay tuned.
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