Planting grass seed is the best solution for getting a beautiful lawn, ideal turf for sports activities or pasture for your horses. A lush lawn not only improves the landscaping around your house but also cuts down soil erosion and improves the quality of air. Before undertaking a project for creating a new lawn or improving the quality of an existing lawn you need to consider several factors that are directly related to getting the best results.
Selecting the Right Grass Seed
There are various types of grass seed available, as there are different types of grass, which can be grown. You should consider several important factors while selecting grass seed. You need to consider the climate of your area, topography of land, soil type, rainfall and the purpose of growing the grass. Let us consider each of these factors and see how they influence the growth.
General Climate and Temperature
Grass seed is mainly categorized into two types; one meant for warm seasons and the other for colder temperatures. Warm season grasses flourish well in temperatures between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the other category grows well in temperatures that range between 65 and below 80 degrees. So if you have long summers and mild winters, you will be choosing the warm season variety and vice versa. If you happen to be in a region which is typically called a transitional zone where the weather is extreme, then you can select a variety according to the time you would like the lawn to be dormant or in bloom.
The best grasses for cool season are Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescues, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. The warm season varieties are Bermuda grass, Buffalo grass, St. Augustine grass and zoysia grass.
Topography
The topographical aspect of your land is mainly considered to see the amount of sunlight the area is getting. Certain grass seed varieties can grow well in shady areas whereas certain types need direct sunlight to flourish. For example, varieties like perennial ryegrass, zoysia grass, Kentucky bluegrass and fescues can tolerate quite a bit of shade.
Soil
The type of soil will also affect the type of grass seed you choose. Certain grass types need a well drained soil, while others will grow well even in clay type or sandy soils. Buffalo grass, fine fescues, Bermuda grass, zoysia grass and tall fescue typically need a good drainage and they will not grow well if the soil is tight.
Rainfall
Level of rainfall is an important factor to consider, particularly if you are living in a drought prone area where it is difficult to provide supplementary irrigation. In such areas you will not be able to maintain grass types which have a high dependence on water for their growth. The best grass seed varieties, which are tolerant to drought conditions, are zoysia, Bermuda, Buffalo grass, and fine and tall fescues.
Purpose of Planting Grass Seed
Do you want to plant grass for creating a lawn, or sports turf, or for creating a pasture area for your horse? For each of these purposes, there are several things to consider further. For a lawn you need to consider the type of landscaping effect you want to create as each type of grass has different look and shade of color. Secondly, you need to consider the amount of traffic you are expecting on the lawn. For instance, Kentucky bluegrass, zoysia, Bermuda, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue are highly tolerant to heavy traffic. Level of maintenance is another important consideration, but all types will need regular trimming and seasonal aeration of the soil.
If you want to plant grass seed for creating a sports turf then you need to consider the type of sport you want to play. The ideal grass variety planted for playing golf will differ from the one used for baseball and so on. Grass seeds are now available in packs which are ideally categorized according to season and the type of sport you need it for. Some companies create an ideal mix of different seeds like fescue, meadow and rye, to get the required level of denseness and bounce.
When selecting grass seed for creating a horse pasture you need to consider whether you prefer natural varieties, or the ones, which are genetically modified to provide better nutrients, and improved growth. Genetically improved varieties promise reduction of toxicity, and more vegetative materials and proteins. Any type you choose should also confirm with your temperature zone.
Sowing Grass Seed
Once you have selected the variety, sowing grass seed is not difficult. Depending on the area, you can either do it by hand or by using a spreader attachment fitted on to your lawn mower. The important thing is preparing the area well before you do the planting. You need to clean the land well with a heavy tined rake. Remove all weeds and dead grass and properly aerate and loosen the soil before planting the seeds.