A lawn belongs in every garden, whether as a sunbathing lawn, as a visual haven of peace between flowering plants or as a play area. When a lawn is created, the question of the right time and how long the seeds germinate arises in addition to the right seeds. The following article explains what needs to be considered when sowing in terms of season and temperature.
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Create a new lawn
If you want a new lawn, you should think about this first and only then start working. Because the area should first be well prepared before the seed is then spread here. And even after sowing, there are a few things to consider in order to accelerate the germination period and have the new lawn available quickly. Therefore, before sowing the lawn, the following should be carefully observed:
- ideal season
- Preparation of the lawn
- ideal temperature for growth
- sow the lawn
- germination time
ideal season
To sow the lawn, two dates can be chosen that are ideal for this. On the one hand, these are late spring and early autumn. Lawns germinate in the light and therefore the area needs sun, light and heat above all for healthy and rapid growth. Nevertheless, you should not sow too early in spring and not too late in autumn, because the night temperatures are also decisive here. Because even at night it must not be too cold, otherwise there will be no germination. The ideal season looks like this:
- in May after the ice saints
- at the end of September at the latest
- on a windless day
- otherwise the seeds could be carried away
- the lawn later becomes asymmetrical
- also on a dry day
- when it rains, seeds are often washed away
- there could also be holes in the lawn
- better water regularly later
- with a light lawn sprinkler
Preparation of the lawn
Before the seeds can be spread on the desired area, the soil must be prepared here. Ideally, the entire area is dug up once or milled with a machine and compost is used as the first fertilizer. A little sand can also be added at the same time for better ventilation. This always depends on how compacted the earth is on the desired area. Then the following should also be considered during preparation:
- remove all stones
- also old roots and weeds
- Soil should be loose and permeable
- Prepare at least a month before sowing
- then compost can already decompose
- Nutrients are readily available
- use long-term lawn fertilizer as an alternative to compost
- then level the ground well
- pull it over the ground with a rake
- ideally level on a dry day
Ideal growing temperature
There is also an ideal temperature for the growth of seedlings. So the soil should not cool down below 10° Celsius at night if it has just been sown. In spring, this is usually not the case until May. But then the outside temperatures can often reach the 30° Celsius mark, which then causes the seed to dry out quickly. In autumn, the soil is usually still quite warm from summer, but the outside temperatures then drop to a pleasant 20° Celsius, which is well tolerated by the seeds. Therefore, sowing lawns in autumn is often more successful than sowing in spring. The following can be said about the ideal germination temperatures:
- Minimum ground temperature at 10° Celsius
- Air temperatures around 20° Celsius
- Morning and evening sun ideal
- otherwise area should be in shadow
sow the lawn
If the lawn is to be sown on an optimal day, then a few things should also be considered. Seeds should be spread over the area as evenly as possible. A spreader can also be used for this purpose, which can be rented in stores. Otherwise, always throw a handful of seeds forward. During sowing, you should also pay attention to the following:
- stretch the net over the area after sowing
- so no birds can get to the seeds
- watch out for anthills
- these animals also carry away the seeds
- water well every day after sowing
- only in the morning or evening hours
- no sun should shine on the surface
- then the seeds burn
- sprinkle with a shallow water sprinkler
germination time
The germination time of a lawn depends on various factors. These include the soil conditions, sufficient watering, sufficient light and warmth. A constant climate over several weeks is ideal here. So it should not get colder in the meantime or start a rainy season. All this affects the germination time. The germination period can be limited as follows:
- with nutrient addition from seven days
- enough watering
- enough light and sun
- if these factors are missing, it takes longer
- Germination can take up to three weeks
- with too much sun especially at noon it takes longer
- with too much shade as well
