My Newly Planted Lawn Seeds are Germinating Very Slowly or not at all. What am I Doing Wrong?

Do you water your newly planted lawn regularly?

Did you plant your lawn very early in the spring or very late in the fall?

Did you till your soil before sawing?

Did you plant the grass seeds deeper than 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch into the soil?

Did you receive the seeds from an unreliable seller?

Once they have been planted, grass seeds require constant soil moisture to germinate. If the soil stays dry for too long your seed or seedling will die. Spray your lawn evenly on a daily basis, but be aware that too much water can cause seeds and seedlings to rot or cause damping-off disease. You can use sawdust mulch on the lawn to conserve optimal soil moisture.

Grass depends heavily on warm temperatures to grow healthy. If the temperatures are cold, grass seed may fail to sprout. Warm-season grasses like St. Augustine should be planted in late spring or even summer when the daytime temperatures are around 80°F, and cold-season grasses like perennial ryegrass should be planted in early fall when the daytime temperatures are around 60-75°F.

Grass seeds need to be in direct contact with the soil to germinate. If you haven't prepared the soil for sowing, a seed will not sprout. Good contact with the soil is ensured by shallow tillage before planting. Rake the soil after tillage to remove sticks, debris, and old grass. You should also use compost to enrich your soil for better grass growth.

Seeds planted too deep in the soil usually won't sprout. After sawing the grass seeds you should gently rake the soil to mix the seed in the top 1/4 of an inch into the ground.

Some seeds in the market are improperly stored and some are just too old, so they will sprout slowly if they sprout at all. Always get your seeds from a reliable source, and always check the seed testing date before making a purchase.

Your grass might be affected by the damping-off disease. This disease often affects plants that are planted in too moist or nitrogen-rich soil. Since it is caused by fungi, spraying fungicide during sawing can help in preventing the disease. You should let the soil surface layer dry between two waterings, this will prevent too much damp conditions which fungi love.