A beautiful lawn cannot develop on poor soil. No grass will grow on building rubble with a covering of heavy acidic loam, whilst stubborn weeds will flourish. Loam and clay soil must be loosened up with sand and peat and allowed to dry. Lawn grasses do not like wet roots and water logging also promotes the growth of moss. Excessive amounts of sand can dry out the soil. Therefore water retention should be improved through the addition of peat and compost. If the soil is too acidic, i.e. if it has a pH value below 5.5, lime must be added. This also prevents moss formation.

Step 1 of 6: Loosening the soil

Loosen up compacted areas, ideally using a tiller or cultivator. Remove any stones or roots. If necessary, add sand or peat and rake it in roughly.

Step 2 of 6: Re-compacting

The soil must now be allowed to settle for a time. This re-compacting can be accelerated using a light roller on the dry soil to prevent subsequent sinking and unevenness.

Step 3 of 6: Levelling

Uneven areas should be levelled using a rake. The soil must be finely crumbled so that the grass seed can take hold.

Step 4 of 6: Spreading

Evenly spread the grass seed and starting fertiliser using a drop spreader or carefully by hand. It is better to sow too little than too much, approx. 15 to 20 g/m². Grass plants sown too densely are likely to impede one another.

Step 5 of 6: ‘Working in’

The evenly spread seed should be lightly worked into the soil to a maximum depth of 1 cm using a (hired) spiked or ridged roller.

Step 6 of 6: Watering

The various grasses in a grass seed mixture germinate differently. Ryegrass germinates within a week, red fescue takes two weeks and meadow grass around three. The topsoil must therefore always be kept moist with the finest possible water spray and small droplets so that the sensitive grass shoots do not dry out.

Helpful tip:

Refrain from walking on new lawns for as long as possible. Mow them infrequently to begin with and always water generously.