Get Your Grass in Gear: the Best Grass Seed and More

With the drought we had last year, it’s more than likely your lawn is looking a little worse for wear. Luckily for you, with a little TLC and a bit of help from us at Royal City Nursery, that’s an easy fix! Here’s how to get your grass in gear in four easy steps.

1. Prepare Your Yard

Your new grass seed won’t take if your lawn isn’t properly prepped!

Make sure the soil under your grass is damp or dry, not squishy. If you walk on your soil and you hear a squelching sound, you’ve got to wait!
You won’t always need to dethatch your grass before laying seed, but a stiff raking will help to remove the dead stuff in your lawn so your new grass seeds can reach the soil.
If you’re prone to crabgrass or weeds in your yard, get your hands on some Evolve Corn Gluten. It’s a seed inhibitor, which prevents the seed coat from cracking open; however, it doesn’t distinguish between good and bad seeds. If you put it down too late, you’ll fertilize the weeds and get the biggest dandelions of your life! It’s a long-term approach, but over time your lawn will thicken and you’ll have less room for weed-seeds to grow. Once the forsythia starts blooming, you have two to three weeks to lay your corn gluten down for the best results. Then wait sixty days until you lay your fresh seeds.
Once you’re ready to lay seeds, give your lawn a good stiff raking, then toss some topdresser soil down—we recommend Viva Lawn— and smooth out the lumps and bumps, then the seed goes down, and finish with an organic fertilizer. If you have synthetic fertilizer, wait a while so you don’t burn the seeds!

2. Overseed

Once you’ve got your lawn prepped, it’s time to put down your grass seed. We carry all kinds of grass seed and lawn alternatives for any conditions in our Garden Centre.

Here are a few of our favourites:

Hardilawn Grass Seed is a personal favourite of ours. It doesn’t contain any bluegrass, which means it’s both pest resistant—especially if you struggle with grubs and chinch—and drought tolerant. Most grass seed blends are made for lots of sun, but we also have a SuperShade Seed, a shade-loving blend so you have even, gorgeous grass in your whole yard.
If you’re interested in an alternative to grass, try an alternative ground cover seed or seed mix, like micro clover or white Dutch clover seed! Stop by the garden centre, and we’ll help you pick the perfect lawn alternative seed mix for your yard.

3. Fertilize

Don’t forget this step! Mid to end of April is the best time to begin your fertilizer program, which can save you 20–30% on your annual fertilizer costs!

Order online or come in and visit, and we can set you up with the best one for your lawn’s unique needs.

Patchy lawn? Our Repair Fertilizing Program is the perfect solution to boost your lawn’s health and help new grass seeds establish strong roots.
Weeds taking over? Fight back with our Weed Suppression Fertilizing Program, designed to help you reclaim the beauty of your lawn.
Wanting to green up your lawn? Our Standard Fertilizing Program is the way to go—it helps new seeds take root and keeps your lawn looking thick, vibrant, and healthy all season long.

5. Water & Enjoy!

After overseeding and applying your fertilizers, remember to keep your lawn watered to encourage seed germination and ensure its success! One of the reasons we like seeding now is because it’s cooler at night and we have a fair amount of dew, so the moisture content stays higher. You don’t want to keep it damp, but you don’t want your seed to dry out either.

Once your lawn is established, you’re better off watering irregularly with about ¾ inch of water all at once. Set up your sprinkler and put a saucer out on the lawn; once the saucer has about ¾” of water in it, it means you’ve watered your lawn to an 18” depth. Your lawn will bounce back from infestations and summer heat easily if you water this way!

Now that you know what you need to succeed, let’s get that grass in gear! Visit Royal City Nursery in Guelph in person or online for all your lawn needs—including the best grass seed—today.

fertilizing grass seed, grass seed in Guelph Ontario, growing grass, how to water grass seed, lawn care infographic, newly planted lawn, prepare yard for grass seed, royal city nursery, spring lawn care, spring lawn care in Guelph Ontario, steps for proper lawn care, the best grass seed, what is overseeding?