Anyone who takes on the trouble of sowing a lawn can hardly wait until the first green stalks finally sprout. The longer it takes to wait until a complete lawn is finally created. We explain which methods can accelerate the growth of your lawn and effectively shorten the unpopular waiting time.
Perfect conditions for optimal germination
Before considering how lawn growth can be accelerated through faster germination, you should consider what a lawn seed generally needs in order to germinate. If this process is to be accelerated, you can start with these factors and look for potential for improvement. The essential aspects of successful germination are:
- Soil temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius
- High air or soil humidity
- Availability of oxygen (especially after the first roots have formed)
NOTE:
A good supply of nutrients is not a prerequisite for actual germination. Since the seed initially draws its energy from the stored starch reservoirs, external nutrients are not absorbed anyway. Only after germination and the first roots have formed does the lawn switch its supply to the externally available energy sources from soil and, if necessary, starter fertilizer.
Ways to germinate quickly
If there is already an optimal framework, i.e. enough air, warmth and moisture, the speed of the first growth in the form of germination cannot be increased further. However, even without prophetic abilities, one can foresee that hardly any germination phase takes place without one or the other aspect temporarily being outside the optimal range. Both the required humidity and the constant temperatures above 10 degrees are practically impossible to maintain consistently. The weather, sunlight and amounts of precipitation fluctuate too much. It is precisely these deviations from the desired target that every hobby gardener has a real chance of having a positive influence on the germination time of the lawn through the following measures:
Cover
The simplest and at the same time most effective way to accelerate germination is a translucent but moisture and windproof cover made of foil. It creates a kind of greenhouse climate in the air and soil layer below, which significantly improves the basic needs of the seeds:
- Protection against drying out due to evaporation
- Increase in temperature due to a stagnant layer of air heated by sunlight between the film and the soil
- More uniform soil temperature through protection from cooling down at night
Which foil to choose?
The specialist retailer offers special growth films to cover lawn seeds. These are UV-permeable and at the same time perforated to ensure a minimum air exchange. On the other hand, most of the moisture is specifically retained under the film in the area of the seeds. Alternatively, you can also use any “normal” plastic film. However, it should be transparent so as not to block out sunlight. The perforation missing from standard films is irrelevant during actual germination. However, when using these materials, you should be careful not to leave the cover for too long so as not to interrupt the oxygen supply after root formation.
How is it covered?
After the lawn has been sown, the area should be watered intensively. The film is then laid flat on the ground and overlapped by around thirty centimeters in the joint area of the sheets. This ensures that no parts of the lawn are covered in wind or rain and later appear as blurred or poorly germinated seeds.
The film strips should be secured in their position at certain points with stones or boards so that they are not blown away by wind or float away due to precipitation. As soon as the first roots emerge, the film should be removed so as not to impede oxygen circulation. To recognize the right time, it's worth taking a regular look under the tarpaulin.
In addition to faster germination, a temporary foil cover also has other positive effects on lawn growth.
- The seeds do not wash away during heavy rain
- Prevention of bird damage
- Hardly accidental entry due to the signaling effect of the foil
Pre-germination of lawn seeds
Another alternative to accelerate lawn growth after sowing is to pre-germinate the seeds. However, this measure is quite complex, so it can hardly be implemented sensibly when creating new lawns. When reseeding partial areas, however, existing gaps can be closed quickly and safely in this way.
ATTENTION:
Pre-germination is ultimately not a real acceleration of germination. Instead, the germination process is brought forward and is largely completed before sowing in the desired location. In the end, this also results in faster grass growth in the garden, so that areas shine green again sooner and can of course be walked on and played on.
How do you pre-germinate?
In order to pre-germinate lawn seeds, they are provided with an atmosphere that promotes germination in a protected environment. The factors heat, moisture and air, which have already been mentioned several times, are once again involved. Proceed step by step as follows:
- Lay out kitchen paper or other absorbent surface on a waterproof surface
- Wet kitchen paper with water until absorption capacity is reached
- Spread the seeds flatly and without overlaying them on paper
- Choose a suitable, warm location, for example on the windowsill or (with underfloor heating) on the floor
- Avoid strong drafts
- Check the moisture of the backing paper regularly and re-water if there are signs of drying out, ideally use a spray bottle to avoid washing away
- When the first roots appear, sow seeds at the final place of growth to ensure nutrient supply via roots
Tip:
In addition, pre-germination can be further improved if the seeds are covered with a transparent film. Then a slightly cooler location, such as in the study or winter garden, can be used. The whole thing works well, for example, with a baking tray on which the kitchen paper is laid out. The tray catches excess water, while the edge of the tray is ideal for stretching cling film over.
Starting fertilizer
– A way to grow your lawn quickly? –
It was already mentioned at the beginning that the seed uses its own energy reserves during the germination process and only resorts to external supplies after the first roots have formed, i.e. after successful germination. In this respect, soil preparation with a starter fertilizer is not one of the measures for accelerated germination. However, it enables an uninterrupted and, above all, complete supply of nutrients directly after the germination process, so that starter fertilizer cannot accelerate optimal lawn growth overall, but in practice it can definitely increase the speed to take advantage of the speed-related possibilities.
Accelerating by avoiding errors
Another way to speed up lawn germination is to recognize and avoid mistakes. Although this does not increase the speed of germination, slowing factors are eliminated so that the effect that occurs is the same. These mistakes are made again and again, but should be specifically prevented for optimal germination:
- Uneven lawn: reduced germination speed due to puddles on the lawn and thus seeds lying in the water
- Uneven watering, resulting in temporary drying out of soil and seeds and subsequent stop of the germination process
- Sowing too early, due to nightly low temperatures and frost, germination stops, as a result of overall later and worse germination than with later sowing
- Seeds not rolled in, therefore poor contact with soil and soil moisture, resulting in drying out too quickly
