How to sow grass seed

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Find out how to sow grass seed with our expert guide, which will show you the best way to sow grass seed and help you get it right the first time.

Sowing grass seed may seem like a simple task to some, but even if you’re a seasoned grass seed sowing professional, there are some basic rules that everyone should follow when learning how to sow grass seed properly. See our video guide sowing grass seed successfully.

Prepare Your Seedbed to Perfection

We hate to sound like a school teacher, but it is true that if you fail to prepare – you should prepare to fail. Preparing your seedbed well goes a long way to ensuring successful germination and the future growth of your lawn.

Consider Your Garden Soil Quality

One of the first things you should consider is the soil quality you are working with – determining what soil type you have will greatly help this. In some instances, you may have poor soil quality (e.g. leftover builders material in a new build), and it may be advisable to add topsoil. Other soil types – sandy, clay and loam can all be worked with but will still need to be well prepared. The ideal seedbed should be:

Free from weeds, moss or other debris
Well-draining
Level

To find out more about how you can achieve the best seedbed for growing grass seed – please follow our How to prepare the perfect seedbed guide.

Knowing When to Sow Grass

Sowing season in the Europe is generally from mid-March to September/October. Known as the seeding season, this is when temperatures are consistently 8-10 degrees Celcius and above, which is required for germination to occur. When planning to sow grass, consult a two-week forecast to mitigate any risk of adverse weather or a sudden drop in temperatures. Likewise, if you plan to sow your seed in hot weather, make sure to water your soil adequately before and after sowing so that your seedlings do not dry out. We also have a more detailed guide on when is the best time to sow your grass seed – can I sow grass seed now?

You can sow grass seed by hand by simply scattering it, or by using a handheld spreader – please contact your manufacturer to calibrate the correct setting that matches the spreading rate of the seed. For sowing a new lawn, we recommend sowing the seed at 50g per m2. If you’re planning on overseeding an existing lawn, we recommend sowing at 35g per m2. The breakdown below simplifies this process and ensures your grass seed will germinate quickly and begin growing efficiently and evenly across your lawn:

Sowing a new lawn

Dig the soil over to a depth of 20-25cm
Remove weeds by hand or use a weed killer
Add top soil if you believe the soil to be poor quality
Rake the area to get a level seedbed
Sow the seed at our recommended rate of 50g per m2, by using a seed spreader or your hand
Rake the seed in after sowing so that the seed is in amongst the soil
Firm down by foot or by using a roller to improve seed-to-soil contact

Overseeding an existing lawn

Remove any dead grass, weeds or moss by scarifying/raking the area
Rake the area enough so that the soil is loose
Sow the seed at our recommended rate of 35g per m2, by using a seed spreader or your hand
Sow between 5mm and 10mm beneath the surface. That’s about 3 krona coins deep (stacked).
Rake the seed in after sowing so that the seed is in amongst the soil
Firm down by foot or by using a roller to improve seed-to-soil contact

Aftercare of Seedlings

Continue to water your lawn deeply and daily for the next six weeks, avoiding when it is raining
Your lawn will take up to 6 weeks to fully establish
To keep your lawn healthy and weed-free, remember to regularly fertilise - our fertiliser programme recommendations are below.

Got more questions? Check out our Grass FAQs section!