How to Plant an Eco-Lawn

This past week, my husband and I embarked on a lawn seeding project. We want to convert our existing lawn to an eco-lawn, one that requires less water, mowing, and weeding. It took us three full days to complete it but it was definitely worth it.


Want to plant your own eco-lawn? Follow these steps.

1. Buy the grass seed. We purchased an eco-lawn seed from one of our local green houses. There are many brands out there to choose from. 
2. Prepare the soil. In order to make sure that your seed with germinate properly, you must prepare the soil. You can do this if you are planting a new lawn or over-seeding an existing lawn. For a new lawn, loosen up the the top 2 inches of soil and make sure you remove any debris (sticks, stones). Then, break up any big clumps of soil and level the area. Make sure to not use any fertilizer where you plan to put seed. If you want to over-seed an existing lawn, mow your current grass as short as possible. Then loosen the top 1/4 inch with a de-thatching rake. This will remove any dead grass as well as loosen up the soil, getting it ready for seed. 
3. Spread the seed. You can do this with your hands or a seed spreader. Either method will work well. Use approximately 16 seeds per square inch. This ensures the most even growth as well as the strongest. 
4. Cover the seed with 1/4 inch of soil. You can spread the soil over the seed using a light rake. Make sure to not rake too hard as to rip up and displace the new seed.
5. Water every day. In order for your seed to germinate properly, it must be watered for short spurts (15 minutes) every day for 2-3 weeks. The moist environment encourages growth. The best time to water is early in the morning in order to prevent forming fungus. 
6. No cutting. You will not be able to cut your new grass until it is a minimum of 3 inches tall. It will get to this length approximately 1 month after being planted.