For many people, the idea of lawn care begins and ends with their lawnmower. Giving the grass a good trim every so often is usually enough to maintain a healthy lawn, but if you want to thicken your lawn, resolve any patches, or just bring some new life to your garden, sowing new grass is the best way to go about it.
Wondering about the best time to plant grass seed in NZ? In this blog post, we’re exploring everything you need to know. From seasonality to grass types to a step-by-step rundown of how to sow your new lawn, we’re covering it all. Read on to build the lawn of your dreams with Paramount Gardening.
Best Time to Plant Grass Seed in NZ
In New Zealand, we’re working with two different islands. While the South Island is known for being cooler most of the year, the North Island is generally warmer across the year, which means it can be easier to grow grass year-round on the North Island.
Summer is too warm, running the risk of drying out the seeds before they have a chance to grow. Winter is too cold, making it tough for the seeds to germinate properly and potentially making the soil too hard to accept new growth. Across the board, the best time to plant grass seed in NZ is in autumn or spring. These in-between months are the best for growing new seeds and giving them a chance to survive.
One of the most important things to do is to pick the right type of grass for your local climate and the style of lawn you’re growing.
Your Lawn Seed Options
- Bent Grass & Browntop: Finely textured and ideal for ‘show lawns’, this grass is not generally for walking on, but it looks beautiful in the cooler months.
- Kentucky Blue Grass: Usually blended with other cool season species, this dense, deep green lawn is self-repairing.
- Couch Grass (a.k.a. Twitch): A hard-wearing grass that survives in the warm seasons with barely any care. That said, the seeds only germinate in warm weather.
- Kikuyu Grass: Fast-growing grass that needs a regular mow to keep it neat. Drought resistant, resilient, and will tolerate a little bit of shade.
The former two grasses are best during autumn and spring, while the latter two shine best in late spring and summer. For you, the best time to plant grass seed in NZ will depend on when you want it to look best, so consider your lawn’s needs before picking up the seeds.
How to Sow Your New Lawn
Once you’ve got your new seeds, it’s time to germinate them and sow your new lawn. Here’s a quick step-by-step rundown on how to tackle it.
1. Prepare the soil.
The best possible thing you can do for your new grass is to create the best environment in which it can grow. Start by spraying the area to kill anything that might shade the new grass out, like weeds or moss. Once that’s browned off, clear it away to create a blank slate.
From there, apply a preparation mix to provide all the nutrients and fertiliser your new seeds will need to grow.
2. Sow your seeds.
You can either germinate your grass in containers or you can sow the seeds on the top layer of the lawn itself. If you have fine weather, we recommend germinating on the lawn itself for best results otherwise it can come out patchy.
Apply a new lawn fertiliser to feed the top layer of soil, which will, in turn, feed the seeds. From there, spread your seed mix across the entire area, then cross-rake it to gently drop the seeds down into the soil.
Water the area gently and thoroughly.
3. Protect the lawn.
You’ll need to keep the top 1cm of the soil similarly moist for the first few weeks to make sure it’s soft enough for the grass to establish. Keep pets and kids off the new area until the grass is strong enough to survive foot traffic. You might also want to stake off the area and erect devices to scare off birds, as they can eat the seeds right off the ground.
4. Mow once grown.
The first time you jump into lawn mowing is vital, both because it helps to establish the grass, but doing it too soon can do much more harm than good. Let your garden grow for as long as you can stand, then mow no more than a third of the length of the grass to avoid ‘scalping’ your lawn.
There you have it! With these steps and by picking the best time to plant grass seed in NZ, you’ll have a show-worthy lawn in no time.
Keep your brand-new lawn healthy and vibrant with Paramount Gardening.
Whether you need help with trimming your hedges or you’re maintaining a large facility or commercial lawn, the team at Paramount Gardening is here to help.
Reach out to our team today for a free quote on your garden care.
