Sowing season survival kit

So, what if you don’t have one? And what does the avid or aspirational gardener need to carry in their kit to overseed their lawn?

In this blog, we’ll tell you the steps you need to get your existing lawn ready for summer, as well as the equipment you’ll need to complete each step. Let’s get started!

1. Remove weeds and stones

What to reach for in your gardening kit: Spade, Gloves, Weedkiller

When overseeding your lawn, it’s best to start with as bare a canvas as possible—this means removing all debris, weeds, stones, or boulders that may be in the way of a fine seedbed. Put on your gloves to avoid getting any splinters or cuts in your hands, and depending on the size of the area, use a spade or trowel to dig up any weeds. Alternatively, you can use a weedkiller to do this.

2. Fertilise your soil

What to reach for in your gardening kit: Fertiliser spreader, gloves, or cup equivalent

It is important to keep your lawn regularly fed! Don’t forget that grass is a living thing – so it needs to be fed, too! Applying a nitrogen-rich fertiliser gives your lawn the best chance of establishing new strong seedlings and making your neighbours jealous of your envy-inducing emerald green lawn. You can apply a fertiliser using your hands as long as you are wearing a glove by spreading it with a cup or by using a fertiliser spreader. If you need more information on what fertiliser to use, you can find our handy guide on using fertiliser.

3. Water your fertiliser

What to reach for in your gardening kit:  Watering can / garden hose

If you are using granular fertilisers, like our fertilisers, in order for your fertiliser to start doing its work, you’ll need to water it in. If watering a small lawn / area, use a watering can. For larger areas, use a garden hose. Granular fertilisers need to be watered in so that the soil can absorb all those nutrients – if granules are sitting on the surface, they can scorch new seedlings when they come up, and if they haven’t been watered – they haven’t been activated and aren’t doing all that hard work they’re supposed to!

4. Wait 2 weeks

What to reach for in your gardening kit:  A cup of tea!

Here at The Grass People, we love a cuppa - enjoy more than a couple while you wait for your fertiliser to take full effect over the course of two weeks before taking further action. By leaving the soil to cultivate, you allow any further weeds to come to the surface whilst also encouraging the soil to settle in preparation for overseeding.

5. Scarify the lawn and loosen up the soil

What to reach for in your gardening kit: Spring tinned rake / electric scarifier

Should weeds appear, scarify the lawn with a spring-tinned rake; you can also use your spring-tinned rake to create a level seedbed and to loosen up the soil in preparation for sowing.

We recommend allowing the area to be cultivated for 10-14 days to encourage any dormant weeds to appear on the surface. You can then remove any newly-appearing weeds by hand.

6. Sow your seed

What to reach for in your gardening kit: Spreader / Spring tinned rake

To overseed your lawn, you’ll want to use our recommended sowing rate of 35g per m2. Depending on the size of your lawn, you can use a spreader (contact your spreader manufacturer for the correct settings). You can also sow by hand or use a cup [link to our video guide on this]. Ideally, your seed will be around 3 x £1 coin deep under the surface of your existing lawn. Rake your soil over to cover your seeds.

7. Firm down

What to reach for in your gardening kit: Roller / wellies!

Once you’ve raked over your seedbed, you’ll want to firm down all that good work so you have a level foundation once again. Now, if you’re awfully fancy and have invested in a roller, you can use this. If not, good old welly boots will do the job! Do your best penguin shuffle to firm down the seed.

8. Water well

What to reach for in your gardening kit: Watering can / garden hose

Grass seed needs water to grow, so whether you’re using a rusty old watering can or super helpful hose, you’ll need to water your newly seeded areas well. We recommend watering once daily – however, if it rains, you will not need to water.

Now you have all the steps, let's do a final checklist of what you’ll need!

• Spade
• Gloves
• Weedkiller
• Seed / fertiliser spreader
• Watering can / garden hose
• Spring tinned rake
• Roller
• Welly boots