Lawn seeds usually germinate within a few days. However, if the conditions are unfavorable, the gardener waits a long time or even in vain until the first green tips appear. Causes of lawns not germinating and what can be done about them.
Why isn't my lawn germinating?
Lawn seeds may not germinate due to incorrect sowing time, compacted soil, inadequate moisture conditions, poor quality seeds or bird damage. To encourage germination, loosen the soil, monitor moisture, use high-quality seeds, and keep birds away.
Causes of lawn seeds not germinating
- Wrong time
- Compacted soil
- Too dry or too wet
- Inferior seeds
- Bird eating
Lawn sown at the wrong time
The best time to sow the lawn is September. Then the soil is still warm and moist enough to germinate the seeds.
However, the new lawn is often sown in early spring. In spring the ground is still too cold. Lawn seeds only germinate when the soil temperature is at least ten degrees.
The soil is too compacted
If the soil surface is too firm, the small grass roots have difficulty taking root. They remain on the surface and sink.
This problem can be prevented if the soil is thoroughly loosened before sowing. It is also a good idea to mix in some compost (€12.00 on Amazon) or, if the soil is very hard, some sand to make the soil surface looser.
The soil is too dry or too wet
After sowing, the lawn seed needs sufficient moisture to germinate. If it is very dry, the only thing that helps is to water the area regularly. This should be done very carefully and evenly so that no waterlogging develops.
If it rains heavily for days, the moisture can cause the seeds to rot. Then the only solution is to sow again at a later date.
Inferior seeds
It's worth paying attention to quality when it comes to lawn seeds. Cheap seeds germinate much worse than high-quality ones.
Bird eating
Birds love grass seeds and like to peck at them. To prevent them from doing this, it helps to stretch a net over the newly laid lawn.
Tips & Tricks
In practice, it has proven useful to lightly rake in the lawn seeds with a rake after sowing. This protects the seeds from being eaten by birds and does not dry out as quickly. Raking is also good protection from heavy downpours, which can wash away the seeds.
