How to Plant Grass Seed (A Step-by-Step Guide)

by Lyn Lomasi; Owner of Intent-sive Nature & Brand Shamans Content Community

Oh no! It will soon be time for summer fun in the yard. Excited to begin but your lawn isn't? Whether you have missing patches of grass to fill or need to seed an entire lawn, this easy step-by-step guide will help you learn how to plant grass seed.

Before planting grass seed, keep in mind the best temperatures and seasons for planting. A temperature of above 70F is optimal. Anything below (especially freezing temperatures), will create a longer wait time for the seedlings to start sprouting. Late spring and early summer are the best planting seasons for starting new grass seed.

Loosen Soil

The first step in planting grass seed is to loosen the soil. For smaller areas, a regular garden hoe will do the trick. For larger areas, you may want to use a till. Your goal is to bring up the second layer of soil to the surface.

Prepare Soil

Prepping the soil comes in a few steps. First rake the soil to clear it of any leaves or other unwanted items. Next, mix some topsoil in with the original soil from the ground. Spread that mixed soil over the area where the grass seed will be planted.

Fertilize Soil

The next step is to fertilize the soil. This can be done with the use of a handheld spreader for small areas. For larger areas, use a traditional spreader. Spreaders can be purchased at a fairly decent price at home improvement stores and warehouses, such as Home Depot.

Spread Seeds

Now that the soil is ready, it is time to spread the seeds throughout the planting area. For smaller areas, this can be done by hand. Just as with the fertilizer, a spreader can be used if necessary.

Water Seeds

Now that the seeds have been spread, it is time to water them. Be sure that the seeds get plenty of water. Soil should be moist and the water should run deep into the soil. Watering daily will help the seeds germinate properly. It may take up to three weeks for the planted seeds to grow into grass. Once it has grown to almost 3 inches, it is safe to mow, but never mow off more than 1/3 of the original height.