On Sun, 9 May 2010 08:37:13 -0700, "james" wrote:

If you reseed your lawn, what is the proper way to cover the seeds with a
thin layer of soil so that the seeds can be kept moist and are not visible
to birds?

Last time I had the idea of seeding the lawn in 2-foot stripes so I can
shovel some soil aside before I spread the seed, and then sprinkle the soil
back on top of the seeds. However this results in stripes of lawn with
different grass density.

Some people says to rake the seeds into the soil. I tried that but some
seeds would still be visible, plus raking would disturb the distribution of
the seeds and may cause uneveness.

Suggestion?
How do sod farms do it?


Grass seed (like most seeds) need to be in direct contact with soil.
If not, much will rot, carried off by ants, etc. If the area is not
too large, I like to sift garden soil over the seed but this is not
necessary. Raking in LIGHTLY is better than no raking at all--this
will not make the seed uneven. Protect the area with straw and keep
moist (water/mist every day or every other day). I can not think of
anything better than a layer of straw to protect the seed/seedlings.
Do not use hay.