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back to overview Sowing grass is an important part of maintaining your garden. A beautiful green lawn is what everyone strives for, especially as the weather gets nicer. Unfortunately, grass can sometimes be an eyesore because most lawns develop bare patches over time. Naturally, you want to do everything you can to prevent this, so let’s start at the beginning: when is the best time to sow grass? In this blog, we will discuss various factors you should consider when choosing the right time to sow grass.
Author: Isabelle Horneman
The soil temperature as an essential factor.
Temperature is one of the most important factors when choosing the right time to sow grass. Grass seeds require a minimum temperature to germinate and grow. Generally, the ideal temperature for sowing grass is between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too low, the grass seeds will not germinate, and if the temperature is too high, germination will be delayed or the seeds may even be scorched.
Ground moisture
Rainfall and watering are also important factors when sowing grass. The grass seed needs to remain moist until it germinates. During dry periods, you should regularly water the grass to prevent the seed from drying out and dying. However, make sure the soil doesn’t become too saturated, as it can cause the grass seed to drown.
How do you prepare the soil?
Another important factor in sowing grass is soil preparation. It is important to cultivate and loosen the soil before seeding. Remove all weeds and stones from the ground and optionally spread compost or manure over the grass to enrich the soil and provide the grass seed with the nutrients it needs to grow.
So when is the ideal time to sow grass seeds?
As you could read above, this depends on several factors. Since soil temperature is the most important factor, it is best to wait until March/April to sow. This is because the soil temperature drops significantly in winter. Soil life comes to a halt, and there is relatively little activity in the soil. You can imagine that the temperature in spring is still not very high. In March/April, the soil temperature has usually risen enough for the grass seed to germinate. However, it is necessary to consider how long it remained cold and what the actual soil temperature is, as it can still be too cold during this time of the year. The ideal time to sow grass is in August and September, as the soil temperature is highest, and there is also sufficient rainfall to keep the soil moist enough. These are favorable conditions for grass seed germination, as mentioned earlier.
If, due to the dry, sunny, and warm nature of the summer, the precipitation deficit increases significantly again this growing season, you can monitor soil moisture using soil moisture sensors and the ConnectedGreen platform. If necessary, you can keep your lawn in top condition by manually irrigating it with the right amount of water at the right time. Drought does not occur overnight but is a process that takes place over a longer period of time. After a few heavy rain showers, the grass may turn green again, but the groundwater level may still be low. Therefore, drought may still persist. It is important to continue monitoring soil moisture, even after a few heavy rain showers.
