Tips for planting, maintaining a thicker lawn at your home this spring

Sometimes the best defense is a better offense. Crowding out weeds by planting grass is a great way to prevent weeds from ever making their way into your lawn.

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Specifically, sowing grass seed in bare patches around your lawn will make it much more difficult for pesky weeds to ever become established.

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WHEN TO PLANT:

Early fall is the best time to plant grass seed in Ohio. The ground is warm, but you’re generally out of the intense summer heat. Also, heavy dews and cool mornings in the early fall help the germinating process. The next best time to plant grass is in the early to mid spring. You’ll want to attempt to plant after the last frost as a hard freeze can kill off the seedlings.

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HOW TO PLANT:

To plant the grass seed, simply rake the dirt where you’d like the grass to grow. Add the seeds. Add a garden soil packed with nutrients on top of the seeds. Rake evenly. Water or plan accordingly with the weather. If a strong storm or heavy rain is expected you may want to wait as the seeds can literally be washed right down the drain.

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HELP IT GROW:

In order to help the grass seedlings grow it’s very important to water regularly. It is recommended to water once or twice per day for about 10 minutes or until the soil is saturated. Keep an eye on the weather as Mother Nature typically does most of the watering for you in the spring.

Once the lawn is established, it needs about 1″ of water per week. In the spring that’s typically how much rain you can expect. However, in the summer months you will likely need to water to maintain a healthy, green lawn.

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