If damage from voles, skunks, ice, cold temperatures or other factors have left your lawn a bit on the thin side, mid-spring is a good time to thicken up the stand. Likewise, if your landscape has a bare area due to construction or a major change, turf establishment is probably on the agenda. After the soil temperature has warmed to 50-55 degrees F for several days, been prepared with a power rake or core cultivator, the seeds dropped onto the bare soil or opened up turf stand and raked lightly with an upturned leaf rake, the next step is water to start the germination process.

Using just the right amount of water is important no matter what the situation whether it’s watering a football field or providing for your patio planters and container gardens. The keys to success are 2 fold: 1. Watering to the bottom of the roots 2. Keep the roots moist, not soggy or dry.