When sowing a new lawn or invigorating an existing patch, prepare the area in advance by eliminating any weeds or existing lawn with glyphosate spray. After about a fortnight the grass and weeds will have died — this may take longer during winter — clear the area by raking material out.
At this stage, if you want to incorporate some drainage or irrigation into the area put it in now. Once that’s done, dig over the area and rake it level. Ensure the area is well-compacted, and there are no soft or spongy areas. If you don’t compact the area well, you will end up with uneven lawn development and areas which will pond and stay soggy when wet.
Establishing a lawn is like building a house — you need a good foundation. Add a five centimetre layer of Tui lawn preparation mix before sowing lawn seed. The fertilisers and essential nutrients ensure the lawn seed has the perfect base for fast and healthy growth.
At this stage, you can also apply Saturaid granular soil wetter, which channels water to the root zone and promotes even water distribution.
Choose a lawn seed that suits the needs of you and your family. If you have sport-mad teenagers you will need a coarse lawn to withstand wear and tear and Superstrike hardwearing is best for this situation.
For sandy or drought tolerant areas, such as coastal properties, choose Hot N Dry lawn seed.
However, for shaded areas of lawn the only option is Superstrike shady places lawn seed.
All Superstrike seeds have a revolutionary coating that speeds up germination time — seven days in the right conditions.
Choose a fine, calm day to spread lawn seed and for even coverage cast seed in a north-south direction, then again in an east-west direction. Rake over to ensure seed is lightly covered in soil.
Keep the soil moist throughout the germination process, which may require daily watering especially as temperatures increase. The key is to water gently and avoid creating puddles, as this will move seed about and cause patchy growth. Give it a real good soaking when seed is first sown.
For a strong, healthy lawn apply Scott’s lawn builder + weed kill, which feeds your lawn and has herbicide to control broad leaf weeds. To keep your lawn looking healthy, fertilise in early spring, early summer and again in autumn.
Let grass grow to about five centimetres so the root system has time to develop, then lightly mow. Set mower blades high and ensure they are sharp.
