Tired of babysitting your grass seed and chasing the bird away from your seeds? Or perhaps you’re sick of planting your seeds at the incorrect time and having weeds take advantage of their delayed sprouting. Learn how to get grass seed to germinate faster.
Grass seed is an inexpensive way to develop or replenish your lawn. The sole disadvantage of sowing is that it takes more than eight weeks for grass seeds to germinate.
Grass seed falls short of what every homeowner desires: instant gratification. Let’s look at some methods for accelerating grass seed germination for a lush lawn.
How to get grass seed to germinate faster
1. Pre-germinate the grass seed
Pre-germination is the process of encouraging your lawn grass to shed its seed coat to speed germination by exposing the seeds to a steady amount of fresh water. The grass seed will sprout soon.
Furthermore, pre-germination will ensure that your seeds receive enough water when compared to watering once the seeds are already in the soil. However, once you begin this process, you must lay the seeds immediately, or else they will die; in the meantime, preserve the seeds in the refrigerator to extend their life.
This procedure takes about four to five days. It may appear to be a difficult task, but it will quickly establish your lawn. All you have to do is measure out the appropriate number of seeds for your space and place them in a cheesecloth or permeable fabric. Tightly tie the top and place it in a water-filled container.
The size of the container will be determined by the number of seeds you have. The container should then be properly sealed and kept in a warm environment, ideally between 65- and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Change the water after every 12 hours to prevent the seeds from rotting or getting mouldy. Once the germinations start remove the seeds and place them on a newspaper or any clean sheets for them to drain. Note the seeds should not dry out completely plant them while they are slightly moist.
2. Prepare the soil
Getting the soil ready before you plant will have a larger part in faster grass seed germination. Begin by loosening and breaking up at least 4 inches of soil to a fine consistency. Remove all debris while doing so. Finely tilled soil improves seed-soil contact, resulting in faster germination.
Fertilizer or compost will also speed up germination. Work one inch of fertilizer or compost into the soil. If you do decide to use fertilizer, I would recommend a beginning fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 1-2-1.
Preparing your soil for seeding not only ensures speedy germination but also ensures a flat lawn. You don’t want a lawn with dips that could trip your guests.
See also: Adjusting pull behind bush hog
3. Consider the temperatures while planting
The temperature has a significant impact on the germination of your grass seed.
Cool-season grass seed, for example, will take longer to sprout if temperatures rise over 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but warm-season grass requires temperatures ranging from 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Don’t bury your seeds
One of the mistakes that many homeowners do that causes their seeds to sprout slowly is to heavily cover the seeds. Seedlings require light to germinate, as you may recall from science class. Light will be obstructed by the heavy canopy.
When you give your seeds a strong cover, the possibilities are that they will not germinate at all or that the grass will sprout but will run out of steam before being able to break through the thick cover to access enough light.
This is why many lawn professionals would suggest you cover your seeds with a light mulch layer of straw, compost, or other acceptable covers that is no more than 1/4 inches thick.
5. Lightly Watering
Grass seed will perish if it is planted in a dry place, which is why watering your seed is critical for speedy germination.
Watering will aid in the germination of your grass seed by causing the cells to expand and sprouting to occur quickly, but you should water softly so that the surface is moist but not puddled with water.
To keep the soil moist but not soggy, water twice or four times a day for 10 minutes, depending on the weather in your area. After a week, reduce the watering to once a day.
Watering the lawn at night puts your seeds at risk of becoming mouldy. Watering your seeds early in the morning or late in the evening is ideal.
See also: Heavy duty tow behind grader
6. Add a Coating to your seeds
Coating your grass seed before laying it down offers numerous advantages, the most important of which is that it accelerates germination.
The coating contains an active component, which is typically a microbial inoculant that clings to the seed via binders or a filler that mimics a carrier. The coat improves moisture retention and offers the nutritional boost that your grass seed requires to germinate faster.
Coating grass seeds for a small lawn is simple; all you need is a seed coating, such as Soil Moist seed coat which has proven to be effective; it works well on all types of grass seeds and is inexpensive.
Then all you have to do is take the coating and set it in a bucket, add the seeds, and stir until the seeds take on the colour of the coating.
Always follow the manufacturer’s directions and wear protective equipment when working with the product.
See also: Tow behind spreaders
Immediate pleasure has been a part of human nature since the beginning of humanity, and planting grass seeds on lawns keeps us from experiencing it.
Aside from the annoyingly sluggish sprouting, utilizing grass seeds to grow a new lawn or to cover bald spots on your lawn may offer you a lawn that beats your local ballpark. This has enticed many homeowners to become fascinated with this approach to obtaining a lawn.
Nevertheless, don’t allow the lengthy delay to deter you from utilizing the grass seed. This article has already shown you how to shorten the sprouting time and achieve a green lawn in a short amount of time.
Reference
Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station: Scarification and Vernalization
