How to reseed a lawn

A beautiful lawn doesn't just become that way by itself! Even if your freshly seeded or turfed lawn is luscious at first, it will need regular maintenance if you want it to stay healthy and green for a long time. Of course you'll have to routinely mow and water your grass. But if you're looking to keep your lawn in top shape, there are a few other steps to follow. Here are a few of the main things you can do to give your lawn a boost:

• scarify: allows the surface of the soil to breathe;

• core aeration: works to inject air right down to the roots;

• add sand: helps with root development;

• apply lime: to eliminate moss;

• spread fertiliser: provides the grass with the necessary nutrients;

• overseed: to fill in any bald patches.

These maintenance tasks are all related and you'll have to think carefully about what it is your lawn needs at certain times. For instance, reseeding is often done after scarifying once the lawn is free of moss and weeds.

If your lawn is really past its best and there's no hope of saving it, reseeding is your best option. For optimum results, it's important to apply the seed in a specific way. Here are nine essential steps to follow for successful reseeding.

1. Before you start, check that the ground is clear of old grass, weeds, moss, pebbles, roots and so on. It's important to begin with a clean surface.

2. Next, you should loosen up the soil prior to reseeding. The soil can be aerated using a mattock, hand cultivator or garden fork.

3. Add some compost or top soil. You may need to add some river sand if your soil is acidic.

4. Cover over any holes and flatten out the soil.

5. Pack the soil down gently using a lawn roller or simply by tapping it lightly with the back of a spade.

6. Now move onto the grass seed. Apply the seed at right angles at a rate of about 40g of seed per metre squared of ground (bearing in mind that a handful weighs about 25-30 g).

7. Go over the surface of the soil with the back of a rake to lightly bury the seeds.

8. Use the lawn roller once more or gently tap down your surface with the back of a spade.

9. Water the lawn using a hose on fine spray setting.

It's worth noting that you don't have to reseed your entire lawn in one go – you can simply can apply the seed in any spots where the lawn looks a bit sparse. This process is known as overseeding. To do so, scarify the lawn and add some top soil before applying grass seed to any bald spots (about 10-20 g per square metre should do). Just remember to use the same grass seed as the rest of the lawn!

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