When and how to sow a lawn?

Advice before sowing

• If you thought of sowing and going on holiday straightaway: forget it! A young sowing needs constant attention and, above all, a lot of water — lawns need watering!
• Before sowing, check water restrictions in your area, and if a heatwave is forecast: in both cases, postpone sowing until autumn!
• Short grass meadow means maintenance: clearly define the area to be turfed before sowing; better to be realistic if you want to avoid spending your weekends mowing
• There isn’t a single type of lawn seed: make sure you define intended use and exposure of the short grass meadow (play area, ornamental, shade or full sun) because each use requires a specific lawn
• Consider installing an automatic watering system!

When to sow grass seed?

It all depends on region you live in. There are two favourable periods for sowing: spring and autumn. Mild temperatures and regular rainfall are keys to successful sowing of your short grass meadow.

In mild regions of southern France, it is possible to start sowing from late February–early March through to May. In autumn, sowing of short grass meadow can be carried out from September until late November.

By contrast, in colder regions, sowing takes place from April to June and from September to October. Temperature must be above 10°C.

As a general rule, it is preferable to sow short grass meadow in autumn rather than in spring: soil is still warm, periods of severe drought have passed, rainfall is more abundant and frosts will not occur for 5 or 6 weeks, which will give your short grass meadow time to establish well before winter and to be robust for following spring. Short grass meadow is very water-hungry: lack of water can compromise shoot development. Grass seeds are more threatened by summer drought than by cold. In spring, short grass meadow will need more attention and, above all, more intensive watering.

How to prepare the soil in 6 steps?

Good soil preparation is essential. Well-tilled, clean soil will make lawn germination easier.

1. Mark out area to be sown using stakes
2. Turn soil with spade or rotavator to depth of 15–20 cm to prepare lawn
3. Clear soil of stones, roots and other weeds; to dislodge roots, use suitable tools
4. Rake soil to a fine tilth
5. Firm and level soil with a lawn roller
6. Leave soil to rest for a few weeks — this is called false sowing — so you can remove again any adventive plants that have reappeared

Remove all adventive plants before sowing!

→ Consult our advice sheet : « False sowing: an effective technique to reduce adventive plants »

How to sow a lawn properly?

If you can find seed sowers, broadcast sowing remains the most recommended method. Prepare required quantity of lawn: about 30 to 50 g/m2 seeds. Follow doses indicated on packet.

• Once you have your bag of lawn seed in hand, before starting, mix the seed mixture well. Do this regularly throughout the operation to ensure a perfectly homogeneous mixture.
• Rake with a hand rake to level the surface.
• Choose a day with no wind and a temperature not exceeding 20°C.
• Divide area to be seeded into strips 4 to 5 m wide; optionally use a string line.
• Proceed by sowing in crossed passes: make two crossing passes, sowing first in one direction, moving up then down along each strip, then in the perpendicular direction. The idea is to create a checkerboard.
• Rake gently to a depth of a few millimetres to bury seeds.
• Give a final roll to press seeds into soil to prevent them blowing away and to favour germination.
• Water with a fine spray then keep soil moist with regular waterings, especially in dry weather, until seeds emerge, which takes between 1 and 3 weeks depending on weather.

When and how to do the first mow properly?

Allow about 3 weeks before you can walk on your short grass meadow and 6 weeks before the first cut.

When herb blades reach about 10 cm, you can carry out the first cut.

Optionally give one last roll to reposition young blades that may have been uprooted by the mower.

Further reading

Discover our other tips:

• Top-dress a lawn
• Overseed a lawn
• Lawn: essential tools for maintaining it
• Get a beautiful lawn: 10 questions and answers
• How to choose the right lawnmower?
• Robot lawnmower: for or against?

Also read:

• Replace a lawn: ideas and solutions
• Alternatives to lawn: 10 groundcovers to replace short grass meadow
• Lawnmower breakdown: benefits of letting herb grow
• 5 good reasons to choose a manual lawnmower