5 reasons why your lawn is not growing well

You have chosen the grass seed that best suits your requirements. Then you prepared the soil properly and distributed the grass seed crosswise over your garden. But after all this preparation, you unfortunately notice that the grass seed is not coming up properly.... Now what! We list the 5 most common mistakes for you, so you can avoid them.

1. Grass sown at the wrong time

The spring and fall seasons are traditionally the ideal time to sow your grass seeds. Grass seeds like slightly warmed, slightly moist soil to germinate in.

Especially in the early stages, the grass seed needs sufficient precipitation to settle well in the soil. We therefore recommend sowing mainly during the spring and autumn months, from March to May and from early September to the end of October. This advice only applies if weather conditions are normal for that time of year. A soil temperature of 10° C is the absolute minimum for this, unless you use the special grass mixture SOS by Barenbrug or Famiflora. That grass mixture germinates as early as 5°C.

Especially do not sow at frost temperatures, or when there is heat (+25 °C). Prolonged periods of drought are equally to be avoided; in that case, the soil should be moistened for at least two weeks after sowing. Do you fail to take this into consideration? Then your lawn could end up like this:

Lawn gone bad

2. Grass sown on poor soil

A hard, exhausted soil will hinder the growth of your lawn. In this case, it is advisable to work the top layer of the soil (about 20 centimetres deep) by milling or digging over.

Shovel

While you are tilling the soil, it is best to also add a soil conditioner to increase the fertility of the soil. In a sandy soil, you can make your soil heavier by adding bentonite. In heavy clay soil, you can add perlite, lava dust or basalt meal to make the soil airier. More info about this subject can be found here.

In addition, it is valuable to incorporate a fertiliser rich in potassium. This will lay a strong foundation for a healthy lawn! Also make sure the fertiliser you use does not contain too much nitrogen, as this will cause the seeds to burn.

3. Grass not pressed on enough

By briefly pressing your grass seeds with a rake, they will settle into the soil, instead of staying on the surface. If you don't do this, the grass seeds won't take root, which means your lawn won't grow. Make sure that the grass seed does not get deeper than 2 centimetres into the soil so that it does not suffocate. You can also use a lawn roller if you want to be extra efficient.

4. Grass not watered enough

Is it not raining? Then give your newly sown lawn a small amount of water daily with a spray nozzle or swivel sprinkler. Do so for a fortnight. Especially during warmer periods, daily watering is absolutely essential! Even one day without adequate watering during a warm period can be disastrous for the health of your seedlings. Also avoid a hard jet, so that the grass seed won't get washed away.

5. Grass mat loading... Patience please

Certain grass mixtures (such as Water saver and Bar power RPR) are composed of very strong varieties, namely 'red fescue' and 'reed fescue'. These grasses root deep into the soil (which helps them stay healthier for longer even during dry periods) but this process takes time. Because their energy goes into rooting, it can easily take six to eight weeks before you can enjoy a green turf.

Extra tip: mow grass sufficiently

Has your newly laid lawn reached a length of about 10 centimetres? Then it's time to mow your lawn for the first time! Set your lawnmower so that you cut a maximum of half of the grass length, in this case about 5 centimetres. Frequent mowing maintains a nice density in the lawn and hinders weed growth. It is best not to use a riding mower for the first mowing, as your lawn is not yet mature enough for this.

With these tips, hopefully you can enjoy a fresh green lawn soon! Do you still have questions? Then feel free to give us a call!

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