OT Ping Chris Hogg

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

After 7 years of mostly failing with the 4 flower beds on my front lawn, I've decided to fill them in with soil and chuck some grass seed on them. When would be the best time to do this?

Thanks.

[Cursitor Doom]

Daylight hours, I would imagine.

[Chris Hogg]

Spring or autumn. April or October is when I do it. Lightly dig the beds over and remove obvious perennial weeds. Rake the soil to get it level and to remove stones, then tread it all over, back and forth, side to side, walking on your heels, to firm it up. Lightly rake again just to even out the heel-marks. Add more soil where needed to bring it up to the level of the established lawn and to fill any obvious depressions that appear after the heel-walking. Tread and lightly rake again until you're happy it's as level as you want. Scatter the grass seed. I never worry too much about instructions on the packet saying how much per square yard etc. Just scatter it on evenly and fairly thinly. Re-rake lightly after sowing, to cover the seed and hide it from the birds. It will germinate in ten days or so. Stay off it for as long as you can. Give it a preliminary cut after it's been up for six to eight weeks; set the blades high, and make sure they're sharp, otherwise you'll just drag the seedlings out of the soil. Make sure it stays moist in dry spells during the summer, as the seedlings won't have developed roots deep enough to survive a drought. It will take a couple of years before it becomes indistinguishable from the rest of the lawn.

More detailed instructions here

With luck, they'll be similar to the above!

[Chris Hogg]

Not necessarily!

[Tim Watts]

Spring.

[harry]

Traditionally April or September. These months have the optimal conditions for germination & establishment. But the weather/climate has gone mad these days.

[Bod]

Gardening - Gardening Guides - Techniques - Sow a lawn

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