Sowing the lawn in October / November – this must be observed

A dense green lawn gives the garden a neat appearance. In order to achieve this, not only proper care and the time of sowing are crucial. The possible uses and uses are as individual as the properties. It is precisely these requirements that the lawn has to face. You can get a large selection of lawns from well-stocked specialist shops.

Each variety consists of different grasses that have different properties. The right mix is ​​essential for a well-growing lawn. If necessary, use different varieties for your garden. Only rarely do all areas of the property have the same requirements.

Usable lawn : This variety is moderately resilient and requires little maintenance. Well suited for normal house gardens, the soil of which is only exposed to low loads. Grows slowly and can withstand drought better. Vulnerable to the increased growth of weeds and moss.

Ornamental lawn: an even, dense green is the flagship of this type of lawn. The grasses are not very resilient and are used more for representation purposes. Regular grooming and plenty of watering are required. Not suitable for children playing or pets. The area should not be stepped on all the time.

Garden lawns: This term covers selected types of grass that are robust and not very undemanding. The lawn thrives even on sandy soils, and weeds and moss find it difficult to assert themselves. Minimal maintenance effort.

Sports turf: Grasses that are hard-wearing and insensitive are used on sports fields and in kindergartens. This type of lawn can withstand heavy loads and is firmly rooted in the ground.

Shadow lawn : An optimal variety for locations that are in the shade or receive little sunlight. The shadow lawn can cope with the areas with little light and has nothing to object to a certain basic moisture in the ground.

Sun and shade lawns: The grasses of this variety are suitable for properties with tall deciduous or coniferous trees. The result is a hard-wearing and dense surface that is very tolerant of shadows. This type of lawn can withstand extreme drought and cold without any problems.

Flower lawn : A lawn does not always have to be uniformly green, as the flower lawn shows. The seed mix not only includes different grasses, but also a variety of different flowers. The surface is stable and at the same time brings color to the garden. Flower lawn is only partially suitable for sowing in autumn.

The ideal time

Autumn is a varied and multi-faceted season. When the first leaves change color in September, the garden is being prepared for the upcoming winter. But in addition to cutting back dead shoots and moving sensitive plants to frost-proof quarters, the right period for the lawn has now begun. The following requirements must be met so that the lawn seeds thrive and grow quickly:

• Temperatures above 8 ° C
• Sufficient moisture
• The soil must not dry out
• No strong sunlight

Optimal conditions, which are given in October and November. During this time, the existing lawn can recover from the stresses and strains of summer. Use the opportunity during these months to repair bald spots in the green area or to completely rebuild a lawn.

The advantage: seeds sown in autumn germinate quickly and in the warm spring they appear as a dense carpet of grass. If the seeds are not planted until March, freezing can delay the growth of the grasses.

Preparation of the site

A few steps must be taken before sowing and reseeding lawn seeds. This already starts with choosing the right variety. If you want to green an existing lawn more densely, you should use the same seeds. This makes maintenance easier and saves you from unpleasant surprises. Planning a new lawn requires different preparations than repairing bald spots. Have the following tools ready for sowing:

• Rechen
• spade
• Gritter
• Rasenwalze
• Garden hose

There should be between 10 and 14 days between preparing the soil and placing the seeds. This time is sufficient for the substrate to settle sufficiently.

• Stake out the area
• Sufficiently remove stones and dead roots
• Pierce the soil to a depth of approximately 15 to 20 cm
• Weed residues accumulate
• Enrich the excavated earth with compost
• Mix a loamy substrate with sand
• Fill back the soil and rake smooth with the rake
• Pour on vigorously

It is important to completely remove existing plant residues, including their root network. Debris in the soil can lead to an undesirable increase in weeds in the lawn. Giersch and chickweed in particular tend to sprout from root remains. If you have already struggled with the vigorous plants at the selected location, you should resort to a trick.

However, this requires patience and time: In summer, dig out larger nests of weeds generously with the spade. A dark plastic film is then applied over the selected area. The above-ground parts of the plant wither. After digging, the tarpaulin is put back over the ground for a few weeks. Due to the lack of light and oxygen, many roots die. Then prepare the soil for planting the seeds.

The sowing

You can only start sowing the seeds when the soil has settled due to wind and weather. Take another look at the weather report and make sure that there is no risk of frost in the following days. Almost all types of grass are insensitive to cold. The seeds need a moist environment to germinate. Frozen ground dries out the substrate and at the same time prevents irrigation water from seeping into the ground.

If you are still surprised by the frost after the seeds have been planted, do not panic: do not lose patience and do not step on the prepared area. In March or April you can look forward to the freshly germinating lawn. A potential drop of nostalgia: You may have to re-sow in bare or poorly growing areas.

• Spread the seeds over the area using a spreader
• Weigh out manually applied seeds beforehand
• Distribute the fine grass seeds evenly

In strong winds there is a risk that the fine grains will blow away or be deposited on small protrusions of the earth. This makes the lawn look uneven. To prevent this, you should wait for a moment of calm before sowing. The spreader makes an effective contribution to the optimal distribution of the seeds.

The grasses need light to germinate successfully. As with all light-germinating plants, the seeds must not be covered with substrate for this reason. With the lawn roller, you can press the small grains of grass into the ground and thus protect them from being blown away or washed away. With the device, which can also be found under the term “garden roller”, the seeds are firmly bonded to the soil.

The roller creates a uniform appearance even after mowing, scarifying or creating new beds. If you don’t use the roller regularly, you can borrow it by the hour from many hardware stores. After pressing the seeds into place, the area is generously but carefully poured.

• Avoid waterlogging
• Water in the morning and afternoon on warm days
• Do not use a strong jet of water

Avoid stressing the area for approximately 6 to 8 weeks. Also keep pets away. The dug up area exerts a magical attraction especially on house cats. Prevent the four-legged friends from using the freshly prepared area for their legacies. Only when the grass has a height of approx. 4 to 5 cm will the lawn withstand light use.

Mending

The months of October and November are not only suitable for creating a completely new lawn. Use autumn to freshen up an already existing area of ​​grass. There are always factors that lead to bald spots even on a well-manicured lawn. In addition to drought and waterlogging, an incorrect supply of nutrients and strong weed growth can lead to an unclean appearance. There are special lawn mixes for mending, which are ideally similar to the type of grass already used.

• Mow the lawn briefly
• Remove moss cushions with a scarifier and loosen up the soil
• A rake helps to remove the pulled out plant debris from the lawn
• Loosen the soil in the affected area
• Mix with sand and humus
• Grassamen aussäen
• Press down lightly and pour on
• The substrate must not dry out

In order to press the seeds into the ground, you do not have to use a garden roller for this work. Use a 1.5 liter PET bottle that is 2/3 full of water. Drive it evenly over the treated area. Similar to the creation of a new lawn, the area is not load-bearing. Wait until the individual grasses are firmly rooted in the ground.

The optimal care

It is not enough to sow the grass in autumn. If the temperatures outside allow it, the maintenance of the lawn should not be neglected. One of the most important measures is the regular watering of the freshly created or re-sown green area. Laying a lawn sprinkler would be ideal. Regularly check the moisture content of the soil and re-water immediately if necessary. As robust as the selected grass variety may be, brief drought during germination can lead to the death of the young plants.

Waterlogging is just as counterproductive. Pay attention to the consistency of the soil before sowing. A very loamy substrate should be loosened up permanently with sand or small inflatable balls.

With suitable weather and rapid growth, the first cut may still be imminent in late autumn. When the grass has reached a height of 10 to 12 cm, you can reach for the lawn mower. Cut the lawn back to a maximum of 6 cm. Too deep a cut increases the risk of drying out. You can fill gaps in the green area with fresh seeds after mowing the second time. Proceed as described above and do not strain the affected areas.

• Remove clippings immediately
• The lawnmower blades should not be blunt
• The 2nd cut may only be made after 14 days

Turf turf is the alternative to sowing. This is a preferred green area that is peeled off the ground with special knives after purchase. If the roots of the grasses are well developed, the turf will quickly bond with the prepared substrate in the garden. Spreading takes place in late summer or early autumn. It’s easy to move the mat-like pieces, but it can be a drain on your wallet. When it comes to subsequent care, turf does not differ from conventional grasses.

Conclusion
Sowing lawns in October and November has many advantages. Due to the mild temperatures in autumn, the maintenance effort is reduced. Grass seeds are robust, so that even premature frost cannot damage the future green space. However, there is no avoiding the preparation of the soil and the selection of the right type of lawn.