There are many reasons for planting new lawn:

• after new construction or a major home renovation
• replacing thin areas that need rejuvenation
• repairing areas damaged by dog pee patches, snow mold, salt damage or insect damage
• replacing compacted, worn areas caused by heavy traffic 

Sod is more expensive than seed, but the results are instant and require less maintenance to establish. Sod can be applied anytime sod is available. The selection of grass blends is more limited with sod. Sod is a good choice for difficult areas like slopes. 

Seeding is inexpensive but it takes about 2 weeks for seeds to germinate and become mature enough to mow and walk on. Grass seed germinates best when soil temperatures are above 10°C. Since soil is cooler than air temperature, wait for daytime temperatures of 15°C for best results. Spring and late summer or early fall are good times to seed lawns on the prairies. For smaller repairs, seed in spring to prevent weeds from taking over bare areas.

Site preparation for new lawns

• Ideally, there should be 30 cm (12") of good topsoil amended with compost or well composted manure.
• Tip: for new home construction, ask your contractor to stock pile soil removed for construction until it is needed for the new lawn
• Grade the site to slope 2% - 5% away from buildings, walks and driveways.
• Allow the new topsoil to settle for a couple of weeks. Covering it with black plastic will prevent weeds from germinating.
• Fill and repair any low spots that may appear after settling. Rake if needed to smooth the soil surface and break up any soil crusting.
• Remove all perennial weeds such as dandelions, thistle or quackgrass.
• Water well one or two days before applying sod or seeds. Soil should be moist but not overly wet.

Site preparation for existing lawns

• Give your lawn a thorough raking to remove any leaves and other plant debris from last year. Place the material in your compost as long as it is herbicide-free.
• De-thatch the lawn if thatch is thicker than 1 cm (1/2"). 
• Repair and loosen compacted areas before seeding. 
• Remove perennial weeds such as dandelions, thistle or quackgrass.
• Spread 1 - 2 cm (1/2" - 1") of topsoil and/or compost over the area to be seeded. Tamp it down with the flat side of rake. For larger lawns, use a lawn roller. 
• Seeds can be scattered and pressed right into the topsoil/compost mix. It's important for the seeds to make good contact with the soil for good germination.

Over-seeding a new or existing lawn

This method can be used to establish an entire lawn or to over-seed an existing lawn. Over-seeding thickens thin lawns and reduces weed competition. This method works for repairing smaller areas too.

• Select a a blend of high quality Canada No. 1 grass seed suited to your site (sunny, shady, irrigated, non-irrigated). Add 5% white clover seeds to your lawn seed mixture.
• Over-seeding is best done when soil temperature is at least 10°C for germination. Since soil is cooler than air temperature, wait for daytime temperatures of 15°C for best results.
• Seeds can be scattered and pressed right into the topsoil/compost mix. It's important for the seeds to make good contact with the soil.
• Seeds need to be consistently moist for germination. Water daily or even twice daily to keep the area moist until the seeds have germinated.
• Once grasses are 7 - 10 cm high, decrease watering to once every 7 - 10 days at a rate of 2.5 cm (1") of water.

Site preparation for installing sod is the same as for seeding lawns. (See the "From seed" tab.)

Good quality sod should be dense, weed-free and hold together when handled. the ends and sides should be sharply cut and the sod should be uniform in size and thickness. Sod that is less than 2 cm (3/4") thick establishes more quickly than thicker sod. 

For best results, sod should be harvested, delivered and laid within 36 hours. Keep sod shaded until ready to install. 

• Rake and moisten the soil a day or two before installing sod. Soil should be moist but not soggy. 
• Set the first row of sod along a building, sidewalk or driveway. Or set it along a straight string line.
• The sod should be level with sidewalks and driveways.
• Lay the sod in a brickwork pattern. But ends close together without overlapping.
• Try not to leave gaps, but if you do, fill with topsoil and tamp down.
• Use a sharp knife when cutting sod.
• Once the sod is down, use a roller to ensure good contact with soil.
• Water sod thoroughly and deeply. 

Grass seed blends

Blends for irrigated lawns

• Sun mixture contains up to 70% Kentucky bluegrass, with the remainder made up of fine fescues and perennial ryegrass. Best for full sun.
• Shade blends usually contain a shade-tolerant cultivar of Kentucky bluegrass (about 25%) with the remainder made up of a blend of fine fescues and perennial ryegrass.

Blends for non-irrigated lawns

• Sun mixtures for non-irrigated lawns contain much less Kentucky bluegrass (about 35%) with the remainder made up of a blend of several fine fescues and perennial ryegrass.
• Shade blends for non-irrigated lawns contain mostly rough bluegrass.
• Xeriscape blends contain no Kentucky bluegrass at all and are made up entirely of a blend of 6 or 7 fescues.
• Tip: When seeding non-irrigated lawns, sow seed more thickly and time sowing when rain is expected.

Clover

See the "From Seed" and "From Sod" tabs for initial care to get the lawn established.

• Water deeply but infrequently to encourage deep root growth: apply 2.5 cm (1”) of water every week to 10 days unless it rains.
• Do not cut grass too short. Set the blade of your lawnmower to 8 cm (3”) or higher. Use a sharp blade and mow often so that no more than 1/3 of the height of the grass is cut at one time.
• Leave clippings on the lawn when you mow. This will provide up to 50% of your lawn's need for nitrogen.
• Top dress your lawn with 1 cm of compost every year. This can be combined with over-seeding.
• Thatch that is thicker than 1.5 cm (1/2") can impede the flow of water, air and nutrients into the soil.
• Scout for weeds and pull them as you find them. Sprinkle a teaspoon or more lawn seed in the bare spot left when you removed the weeds and water it in. 

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Mowing

• Set the blade of your lawnmower to 8 cm (3”) or higher. Mow often so that no more than 1/3 of the height of the grass is cut at one time.
• Keep your blade sharp to make clean, straight cuts to your grass blades. Dull lawnmower blades tend to tear the blades which which increases water loss through evapotranspiration.
• Use a mulching blade if you have one and leave the clippings on the lawn. Clippings do not contribute to that but they naturally break down and provide up to 50% of your lawn's need for nitrogen.

Equipment

There are a variety of lawn mowers available. Choose the right one for your needs:

Non-irrigated lawns

Note that it's perfectly okay not to water your lawn at all. Watering may not practical on farms, acreages and cottages where water for irrigation unavailable. Some people choose not to water for other reasons like reducing home water consumption costs, or simply because they can tolerate a lawn that is periodically more brown than green. 

Some types of grasses are more tolerant of dry conditions and go dormant during dry periods instead of dying. See the "Cultivar" tab for selecting the right lawn seed blend for non-irrgated lawns. 

Irrigated lawns

Water lawns deeply but infrequently to encourage deep root growth. A deep root system makes your lawn healthier and more resistant to diseases and insects. Most importantly, lawns with deep root systems are more resistant to drought.

How often and how much

• Ideally, water should moisten soil to a depth of at least 20 cm (8"). How water penetrates soil depends on the type of soil you have.  Water permeates sandy soils quickly but tends to dry out more quickly too. Water moves more slowly through clay soils but clay soils tend to hold on to moisture longer. 
• Apply 2.5 cm (1”) of water every week to 10 days unless it rains. 
• Set an empty tuna fish can under the sprinkler: when it is full, it equals about 2.5 cm (1”) of water
• The best time of day to water lawns is early in the morning before temperatures get too hot. This gives the lawn a chance to dry off which helps prevent disease and insect issues. Evaporation is low at this time of day.
• The second best time is in the evening. Temperatures are cooler and there is less risk of water loss through evaporation.

Inefficient watering

Watering between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm on a warm summer day is very inefficient: as much as 30% - 50% of the water applied is lost to wind drift, evapotranspiration or can evaporate on the surface before soaking in. 

• Water loss through evaporation is greater when the relative humidity is low, which is common in the arid prairie ecosytem. In effect, you end up applying much less water than the lawn needs.
• Water loss through evaporation is greater on windy days.
• If water is not soaking in and is running off the soil, stop watering and investigate the cause which   could be thatch that is too thick (more than 1.5 cm thick). If so, correct the thatch problem by de-thatching or aerating.
• Set up sprinklers so that water does not land on sidewalks and driveways.
• Turn sprinklers and/or automated systems off when rain is expected. 
• Lawns that are cut too short lose more water through evapotranspiration than lawns that are cut at the recommended 7.5 cm (3")

Lawns primarily need nitrogen fertilizer. One option is to use a granular commercial fertilizer; alternative options are are listed below. 

Alternative ways to fertilize

• Leave lawn clippings in place when you mow the lawn. Clippings break down and compost, thus providing nitrogen to the soil. A mulching blade on your lawnmower breaks up clippings into smaller pieces than a regular blade. However, regular lawnmower blades do an adequate job too.
• Add 5% clover to your lawn seed mix. Clover is a legume which fixes nitrogen in soil.
• Used together, lawn clippings plus clover provides all the fertilizer your lawn needs.
• Apply a thin layer of compost (1 cm or 1/3") over your lawn. This can be done anytime and provides slow-acting nutrients as well as organic matter to your soil.
• Corn gluten meal is used to inhibit weed seed germination in lawns. Although somewhat expensive, corn gluten contains about 10% nitrogen by volume. Do not use corn gluten if you are over-seeding your lawn, because it inhibits germination of grass seeds too.

Granular fertilizer

• May 15: 27-14-0 or 26-13-0
• July 1:  34-0-0
• August 15:  34-0-0
• Do not fertilize in the fall on the prairies or far north because lush grass may not harden off properly for winter 

How to apply granular fertilizer

1. Measure your lawn and calculate the total area. Read the fertilizer label to calculate total amount of fertilizer needed for the given area.
2. Before you apply the fertilizer, first divide the total amount of fertilizer needed in half. Set the fertilizer spreader at the lowest setting and then fill the hopper with one half of the total amount of fertilizer.
3. Do one application by walking north-south over the lawn area. Fill the hopper with the other half and then walk east-west. This will give an even distribution and reduce the possibility of "burning." If you are hand-broadcasting, follow the same procedure.
4. Water the lawn after fertilizing to wash the nutrients off the grass blades and into the soil.

What is thatch?

Thatch is a matted layer of living and dead stems, leaves and roots that accumulates between the layer of actively growing grass and the soil underneath. Thatch occurs most often on lawn that are excessively fertilized and watered, and when soil is compacted. Grass clippings do not contribute to thatch - they break down and become compost, and in turn provide nitrogen to the soil.

A thin layer of thatch is normal, but too much (more than about 1.5 cm or 1/2") restricts the movement of air, water and fertilizer to the root zone. Thick thatch provides a warm, moist environment for insects and disease organisms. Grass roots tend to grow into thatch rather than into deeper soil. Thatch also tends to be hydrophobic (resists water), which prevents water from percolating into the soil.

De-thatching is good for your lawn but does not necessarily have to be done every year. Check your lawn to see how thick the thatch is – slice into the lawn with a sharp spade, lift a bit of sod and examine the thatch - if it is more than 1.5 cm (1/2"), it needs de-thatching. Thick thatch can impede the flow of water (and fertilizer if using) into the soil. Spring is a good time to de-thatch your lawn.

How to de-thatch

To de-thatch by hand, use a hard rake or a de-thatching rake to bring up the thatch. Put the old thatch in the compost as long as your lawn is herbicide-free. Doing this yourself is a good workout too.

A less strenuous way of removing thatch is to purchase a special de-thatching blade for your lawnmower. The blade has tines or springs that scratch up the surface of the lawn and brings up the thatch. How to use:

1. Before you use the de-thatching blade, cut the lawn short - about 5 cm (2").
2. Install the de-thatching blade and set the mower to its lowest setting before running the mower over the grass.
3. Rake up the thatch. It can be composted provided that no herbicides have been used on the lawn.
4. Replace the de-thatching blade with a regular blade, or better yet a mulching blade, and then set your mower to its highest setting.
5. If you have bare spots on your lawn, this is a good time to apply some compost and over-seed your lawn.

Alternatively, look into renting a de-thatching machine or hiring a company to de-thatch and/or aerate your lawn for you. The de-thatching machine rakes off the thatch and the aerator removes small, round plugs of lawn and soil. Aeration is good for compacted lawns. The removal of the plugs loosens the soil and allows water to penetrate into the soil. It's best to leave the plugs on the lawn where they will break down.

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