If you have a rough patch in your yard that you want to cover with grass or simply want to start from scratch with a troublesome area, you might find that planting new grass is actually a little more challenging than many people assume. Not only is it a delicate process in which you have to take into account many different factors, but it’s also a long process that requires regular monitoring over a period of weeks or even months. With this in mind, here’s how to plant a new layer of grass from seed.


Step 1: Select what type of grass you would like to grow in your yard, and choose the appropriate seed. Before making your purchase, it’s a good idea to ask around or go online to find out what types of grass people have had results with in your area. If you have a neighbor with a particularly beautiful lawn, you can even ask them directly what they use.

Step 2: If you’re going to be replanting an area where there is some sparse existing grass, first cut the grass as short as possible, remove any debris or dead grass from the area, and turn over the soil. If you’re planting on an area that doesn’t have any existing grass, first remove any debris (stones, sticks, etc.) from the area, break up any large soil clumps, and make the area as level as possible. In either case, prepare the area with a gentle grass fertilizer.

Step 3: For large areas of grass, you can use a mechanical seeder to evenly spread the seed over the lawn. If it’s a smaller patch, you can easily do it by hand, making sure to spread the seed evenly, with about 16 seeds per square inch of lawn. Obviously, it’s not easy to measure this, so practice on a small corner of the patch first to get a feel for what it should look like, and then proceed to the rest of the area.

Step 4: Cover the grass seed in about a quarter inch of soil and, if you wish, use some grass seed accelerator to help the growing process along.

Step 5: For the coming days and weeks, make sure the grass bed is always moist but never too wet. Water at least once daily with a gentle sprinkler, being careful not to oversaturate the soil. Once the grass grows in, you can generally water less frequently, especially if you live in a rainy area. The grass should begin to grow in within weeks.