Grass Seed Germination

You have brought a new house and you wanna add greenery to its surroundings. Imagine your garden abounding tall palm trees and a narrow path with pebbles, clearing across the garden. Seasonal flowers and ornamental plants blooming, spreading their fragrance. Still something is missing and its absence renders the greenery nude. Don't you think that your dream garden is incomplete without a lush green lawn? The velvety carpet of lustrous green grass spread over your lawn looks exotic. That's fine, to have this green grass carpet you need to knit the thread with care and perfection. It means, in order to get a luxuriant growth, you have to grow grass seeds and germinate them. Then maintain them with proper care to get dense growth.

Grass Seed Germination - Conditions

Grass is a surface plants and germinates from very tiny seeds. Grass being so low to ground and extremely small in size has to fight the elements of nature for its survival. They can be easily eaten, washed away or downed by changes in weather. Thus extreme care is necessary, so that the seeds can overcome the obstacles and germinate properly. Temperature, time, water, oxygen and light are few of the important parameters that need to be maintained for optimal grass seed germination. Go through the following content to get the details.

Moisture
Adequate moisture is essential for germination and growth. The seeds must be moistened in the initial phases of growth and also throughout the growth phase. The baby sprout fails to grow and germinate from the seeds if adequate moisture is not provided. Rainwater is always better than tap water as it is laden with minerals.

Temperature
Maintaining the soil temperature is very important for complete germination of grass seeds. The temperature should normally be above 60 degrees for hot season and 40 degrees for cool season seed types. It is also important to know the climatic conditions prevailing in that particular geographical location for maximum germination.

Oxygen
Oxygen supports the life of the sprouts. Once it has come out of the seed casing, oxygen is needed for its growth. Make sure that the soil is aerated properly to support the root system. Water logged and compact soil is not conducive for its growth.

Light
The sprout must break though the support in order to get maximum light. Adequate light is needed for photosynthesis to enable the plant make food. Make sure you do not bury the seeds too deep and the sprouts fail to reach the surface.

Points to Remember

Soil Preparation
You can start on a bare lawn or renovate the existing lawn. The most important thing is aeration. Make the soil loose for optimal oxygen supply. Composting on top and introducing organic matter increases the growth rate. Spread it evenly and avoid clump formation. A very thin layer of mulch helps to retain moisture. Bedding the soil with straw is also beneficial.

Right Seed
Select the grass species that is ideal for a particular location and climatic conditions. Some grass types are adapted to warm temperature while others to cool climate. You can specify them as cool season grass and warm season grass and plant accordingly. You can also select the species depending upon the soil conditions favorable for its growth. Avoid mixing of different species as this can give you unequal growth, low viability and poor germination rate.

Protect Naked Seeds
Seeds when left uncovered can be eaten by birds. Take maximum protective measures to cover them. Also restrict activity of kids and pet during the germination period. Prevent them from stamping over the grass seed bed.

Germination Rate
The label on the seed pack provides information about its germination rate. Germination rate varies from species to species. Germination rate of 90-95% is usually preferred which means out of 100 seeds planted, 90 or 95 will germinate if favorable conditions are provided.

Germination Period
Germination time varies for different species. For example, Bentgrass take 10-15 days for germination while Bermuda takes 10-30 days. Buffalo Grass takes 14-28 days and Rye Grass 5-10 days only. So be patient and observe the process till successful germination has taken place.

Chemical Free Soil
Check the waiting period on the label before sowing grass seed into soil. The soil must be sprayed with pesticides, fertilizers, weed killers, etc that may not be suitable for grass seeds. So just wait the appropriate length of time mentioned on the pack.

Follow these conditions and care tips to get a lush green luxuriant grass bed on your lawn.