Using straw to cover grass seed is a common practice among homeowners. Although it’s a popular choice, straw is not the only material you can use as a grass seed cover. There are several other all-natural alternatives to straw that will provide similar benefits when used as mulch on newly sown grass seed. The best…
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t mix grass seed with topsoil, nor should you use topsoil to cover grass seed. Topsoil is too heavy of a medium for young tender seedlings to push through during their early stages of growth. Your grass seed also requires sufficient access to direct sunlight to trigger and sustain its growth; a…
The most effective ways to loosen hard soil for grass seed are to till or core aerate the planting area. After this initial aeration, you should then add amendments that will ensure the longevity of the softened soil; suitable substances to amend hard soil include compost, sand, lime, and humic acid. The planting area will…
When used correctly, cayenne pepper can be an effective treatment for your lawn. This substance works as a natural solution to repel unwanted animals and pests from your lawn, at the same time as attracting birds to it. In short, cayenne pepper will not kill grass, nor will it kill any other plant that comes…
Although you can do it, planting grass seed over existing weeds is not a great idea for the health of your new grass. Grass, particularly young new grass, will struggle to grow alongside invasive established weeds; the weeds will rob them of nutrients and water, choking out your tender seedlings at this delicate stage of…
Many homeowners consider making their own homemade lawn fertilizer to save themselves the money and time spent on a trip to the store. After some research online, you may have found several different homemade fertilizer recipes that all promise greener grass; you should take care when following these recipes to avoid adverse effects on your…
As soon as the warm weather hits, you’ll want to get out and start enjoying your lawn as nature intended. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to frolic barefoot on a lawn full of dry, crunchy, or otherwise coarse grass. Creating a lush, dense lawn that feels soft underfoot relies on having a soft grass species maintained to…
When fertilizing your lawn, you can gather the right equipment, pick the perfect fertilizer, and wait for the ideal time to apply. However, the one condition you can’t control is the weather. If the forecast has turned against you, you may be wondering whether it’s okay to apply fertilizer to wet grass before or after…
In theory, fast-growing grass is something that you would want on your lawn. However, the quicker the grass grows, the more maintenance is necessary to keep it healthy. Fast-growing grass requires more irrigation, mowing, and fertilization. In other words, you need to invest a lot more time and money into a fast-growing lawn. To slow…
Baking soda will kill grass, particularly if the grass is wet or stressed from issues like drought and disease. On plants, baking soda behaves as a ‘phytotoxic’ substance; an application of baking soda will slow down the growth of mature plants while preventing the germination of new seed. This makes baking soda an effective weed…
