When considering how to prepare a new lawn for sowing, you should always check with your local weather forecast to ensure growing conditions are favourable before sowing grass seed. We recommend waiting until temperatures are reaching 10 degrees consistently for two weeks; this should be during the day and at night.

So, how do you prepare a new lawn for sowing?

If only sowing a new lawn was as easy as just scattering quality grass seed across the soil, we would all have lovely-looking lawns all year round! Before sowing, we recommend you consult our how-to guide on sowing a new lawn. This will help you get the process right every step of the way and ensure that you do not miss a trick when creating your dream lawn.

To properly prepare your seedbed, there are two main steps that you need to complete.

Step 1 – Remove the unwanted extras!

Before starting to sow, you should remove any weeds from your seedbed. If you only have a small amount, then these can be removed using a weedkiller or a trowel. If you have a larger amount, you can try using our 3 IN 1 Lawn Rescue product. It’s a feed, weed and moss killer product that will help to remove any weeds or moss before you sow. It will also give your soil a boost of nutrients that will help the new seedlings once they have been sown. Once your seedbed is free from weeds, it’s time to move on to step 2!

Step 2 – It’s time to level up!

A level seedbed will help your lawn in more ways than just improving the look of it! If your lawn dips in certain places, water can gather in these areas, causing puddling and encouraging moss buildup. To achieve a level seedbed, you should start by breaking up any larger clumps of soil sitting on top using a garden fork.

Take time to do this across the top layer of your soil to a depth of about 20-25cm. Your seedbed should be like cake batter, we don’t want to see any lumps, clumps or bumps! During this process, you might notice some stones making an appearance, so make sure to remove these as you go. Using a rake, you should begin to level out your seedbed and make sure everything is lying evenly across the soil in preparation for sowing. If you find that your lawn is quite unlevel and needs an extra helping hand, you can use topsoil to level these areas out. Avoid using compost to top up your lawn level, as this will break down over time.

And just like that, your seedbed is now prepared! So now that you have all the know-how, it’s time to make sure you have all the gear to go with it!

Tools at the ready!

Like most other jobs around the garden, you can find yourself at a loss without your tools! Taking time to look into what equipment is needed before you start your sowing will give you a head start. You might find that most things are hiding in your garden shed somewhere, but it is best to check ahead of time in case anything needs to be purchased.

We recommend having the following tools to hand before you begin sowing;

• A garden trowel or weedkiller
• A pre-seed lawn feed
• A garden fork or rotavator
• A rake
• Bamboo canes or string
• A cup
• A watering can, hose, or sprinkler
• Net covering or old CDs
• A lawnmower

And last but certainly not least – lawn seed! When you are sowing a new lawn from scratch, it is important to take time to understand what lawn seed it is that you need.

Fast-growing and durable grass seeds

For an all-rounder lawn seed that is ready for the everyday play of family, friends, and kids, try our Fast Grow Family Lawn. To combat the clay conditions of a new build home, try our New Build Dream Lawn seed, designed to thrive in clay soils and produce an insta-worthy lawn!

Durable and hard-wearing grass seeds

If your garden is a hub of activity for your dogs, you might want to try our Tough Stuff Lush Lawn, a lawn seed that will bounce back after your playful pooch heads back inside.  If your lawn suffers from shade, our Shade Supreme Lawn contains specialist seeds that will grow brilliantly in little light. Or, if your garden is the main attraction of your home, you might want to try our Super Fine Luxury Lawn seed. It will leave you with a fine lawn with the neighbours peering over the fences!

If you’re still unsure about what lawn seed will work best for your garden, make sure you head over to our how-to guide on choosing the best lawn seed.