How Many Inches of Soil Are Needed to Plant EZ Seed From Scott's?

The Scott's Co. has been developing lawn care seed and fertilizer for home gardeners for more than 100 years. One of its latest products is Turf Builder EZ Seed. The main purpose of Scott's EZ Seed is to patch areas in your lawn that are in bad shape or to plant grass where soil conditions don't allow the planting of regular grass seed. Due to special additives, the seed requires little soil preparation before planting.

Traditional grass seed requires soil be tilled to a depth of about 6 inches. However, Scott's EZ Seed contains material that absorbs moisture and protects the seed so it can be planted in very little soil. For bare patches, such as areas where dogs have urinated, the soil only needs to be loosened slightly with a rake. As long as you have about 1/4 inch of loose soil where grass once grew, you can use Scott's EZ Seed

Most grass seed requires you to till up soil, amend it and then grade it even if you are only repairing a few bare patches. Scott's EZ Seed takes most of the work out of fixing up your lawn. Using a rake, clear out the all the dead grass. As you rake, scratch the surface of the soil to loosen it slightly.

Scott's EZ Seed comes in an easy-pour container. You can pour directly from this container rather than using a seed spreader, or you can broadcast the seed by hand. Sprinkle enough seed over your prepared area until you can just barely see the ground through the seed. If you're adding seed to thin areas rather than bare spots, spread the seed so it covers about 50 percent of the surface area. It's best to plant your seed in the warm days of midspring or early fall.

Water the seed with a sprinkler or a light spray from a garden hose nozzle. If using a hose, don't spray so hard that you wash away or scatter the seed you've just planted. Water until the seed is fully moistened, but not until there is standing water. Observe the color of the seed before and after you water since the color of the seed indicates when it needs watered again. When the seed changes from dark to light, it's time to water once more. Keep pets and people off the seed until it germinates and is growing strong.

Although gardeners typically like to keep grass off patios and sidewalks, you may have an odd patch of concrete in your yard you want to cover. Scott's EZ Seed is one of the few grass seed products that will grow on concrete. The main difference between growing on pavement versus in a lawn is the grass roots will not be able to grow into the soil to obtain moisture. Therefore, it is critical your grass in this spot is kept moist and never allowed to dry out. The grass will take time to put roots into the solid surface and should not be pulled or walked on for several months.