Creating and sowing lawns: ensure healthy growth in the long term
A properly laid lawn is the basis for a beautiful, fresh green garden. Learn how to lay your lawn correctly with our guide.
05.03.2025
Overview: Laying a lawn
- Choose the right lawn type for your garden
- Aerate the lawn and leave it to rest for a week
- Sow seeds evenly, roll them into the soil, and keep moist
- Only mow with freshly sharpened or new blades
- Rolled turf is a fast alternative
RSM lawn seeds are standard seed mixes that only contain lawn seeds from high-quality grass varieties that have been specially bred for use as lawns. The minimum germination capacity of these varieties is usually higher than required by law. These lawn mixes consist of only three to four grass species and are tailored to the intended use.
The most durable lawn is sports and playing lawn. This lawn mix grows quickly, so it’s not a problem that flaws can develop while these lawns are being played on. The grass types included make the lawn hard-wearing and easy to maintain.
A lawn seed takes seven to 20 days to germinate. High-quality seeds, a constant temperature of at least 10°C, and lots of sunshine and water help the lawn to germinate more quickly.
Laying a lawn: step-by -step instructions
You don’t need much expertise to create your own lawn, but new planting requires a lot of patience. It may take a while for the grasses to sprout. While lawn seeds made from inexpensive mixes begin to germinate after just a few days, high-quality mixes take at least 2 weeks.
STIHL pro tip: It’s worth enduring the longer germination time and higher price of a high-quality lawn variety. These mixes are more durable so the lawn will give you many years of enjoyment, and you will also need to mow it less frequently . Inexpensive mixes usually exhibit shortcomings after two years, which cannot be remedied even with first-class maintenance products. So if you want to sow a lawn, invest in a high-quality lawn seed mix with a clear conscience – the investment will pay off over the years.
Required tools and materials
You don’t necessarily have to buy tools such as rollers and spikes – you can often borrow them for a small fee from your local DIY store or your STIHL dealer.
- Large and small rakes, ideally made of wood
- Spade
- Shovel
- Wheelbarrow or basket (for collecting larger stones)
- Spiked or mesh roller
- Garden hose with spray head
- Grass seed (about 15 to 20 grams per square metre)
- Fertiliser
- Tiller
Compacted soil must be thoroughly aerated before sowing the lawn. We recommend using a tiller or a pick tine, especially for larger areas. Both power tools can be rented from DIY stores or participating STIHL dealers. This steps breaks down deeper layers of earth and makes it easier for water to run off.
Level out uneven areas with a wooden rake. The soil must be fine and crumbly for optimum grass seed growth. Then leave the soil to rest for another week. Weeds may germinate during this time, which you can remove before you lay your lawn: to do this, hoe the weeds by hand or burn them out with hot water. The soil is now ready for sowing.
Now evenly apply grass seed and any starting fertiliser. We recommend sowing by hand, as spreaders can damage the delicate seeds. For smaller lawns of up to 20 square metres, you can mix the lawn seeds with potting soil. There are three advantages to doing this: the seeds have soil contact and stay moist; you can easily see that you need to water as the dried potting soil is light in colour; and the potting soil protects the seeds from birds that would otherwise eat them.
Because transition areas experience very high stresses, for young lawns in particular you should sow more densely at the edge, so that a stronger lawn is created at the transition to beds, paths or terraces and the lawn becomes more resilient there.
Sow about 15-20 grams per square metre. It is possible to sow more densely, but there is not much benefit to this. We recommend storing the surplus seeds for reseeding.
STIHL tip: Put about a quarter of the lawn seeds to one side and then sow normally. If you sow the entire quantity immediately, this is usually too much. You can use the lawn seeds set aside to fill any gaps or to thicken the edges later.
Now rake the lawn seeds into the soil. The use of a spiked or mesh roller is also ideal here, as you can use it to combine the evenly applied seeds into the soil to a maximum depth of one centimetre.
Finally, water the seeded area with as gentle a jet of water as possible: use a spray head or hold the hose vertically to prevent seeds from being accidentally washed away.
During the three to four weeks after the lawn has been sown, it is important to keep the soil constantly moist. Only when the lawn has grown to around 10 centimetres can you mow it for the first time – carefully and not too short. It is best to mow so that no more than a third of the blade length is cut.
Do not step on the lawn during the germination phase, to avoid damaging the delicate lawn seedlings. Only after the first mow will the lawn be robust enough to walk on. The green area is generally only fully resilient after 2 to 3 months.
Choose the right lawn seed types and mixes for your garden
If you want to create a new lawn, the choice of lawn type depends on how you use your lawn and its position. You can choose between hard-wearing and maintenance-intensive lawn types. The classic lawn types are:
- Sports and playing turf
- Ornamental lawn
- shaded lawns
- Heat- and drought-tolerant lawn
The respective lawn seeds contain different grass species in different ratios. Three basic types are included in every lawn mix:
- Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne): This grass grows and germinates quickly. It is robust and walking on it is no problem, but it requires a lot of water.
- Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis): This type of grass grows densely and forms many runners. It takes 3 to 4 weeks to germinate and vanishes if poorly cared for.
- Red fescue (Festuca rubra): This hard-wearing grass has relatively wide blades and persists even with less intensive care. It is also suitable for being cut very short.
The exact mix of these and other grass species determines the type of grass.
Sports and playing turf
Sports and playing lawn is the ideal lawn type for running riot, playing and lying on. It is robust and has a resilient turf. If the dog has rampaged on it or a child slipped while playing football, the resulting flaws quickly grow over, making this type of lawn perfectly suited to family gardens.
Smooth meadow-grass in its various varieties is particularly suitable for creating this hard-wearing lawn. Note the germination time of 3 to 4 weeks and the demanding requirements for water and fertiliser. White creeping bent is also often included in lawn mixes for robust lawns. It can withstand soaking, can be walked on and effectively repairs itself. However, it has a tendency to thatching and needs to be frequently scarified.
Ornamental lawn
Ornamental lawn is made up of very fine, lush green grass and has a dense, uniform turf. You can cut this type of lawn very short for that popular golf course look. However, ornamental lawn is very delicate and therefore not suitable for playing. This maintenance-intensive lawn is ideal as a lush green visual highlight between garden paths.
Attractive ornamental lawns consist almost exclusively of red fescue and fine-leaved ryegrass varieties. These types of grass are also prone to forming thatch and require regular scarifying.
shaded lawns
The name of this type of lawn can be misleading: shade-tolerant lawns do need sunlight, because no lawn can grow with no sunshine at all. However, a shade-tolerant lawn only needs 3 to 4 hours of sunlight a day to stay healthy. It is ideal for semi-shaded areas and can be used under large trees for example. This type of lawn can be walked on, but must be well watered and maintained. Do not cut shade-tolerant lawn too low; the blades should remain 6 to 8 centimetres tall.
Grass seed mixes for shade-tolerant lawn usually contain the following four types of grass: Poa supina (also known as “supranova”) is light green to lush green, has overground runners and is generally considered to be good for walking on. It requires a lot of water and fertiliser. Just like the often-used tufted hairgrass species (Deschampsia cespitosa), it doesn’t need much sun. With its wider leaves, red fescue looks slightly different from the usual grasses. In addition to its good shade tolerance, sheep’s fescue (festuca ovina duriuscula) has very low demand for nutrients and as such thrives on dry and light soils.
Heat- and drought-tolerant lawn
The hotter the summer, the more complex the lawn care. But it doesn’t have to be this way: heat- and drought-tolerant grass roots particularly deeply and draws the water it needs from deeper layers of soil. This means it is relatively insensitive to periods of heat. With these heat-resistant turf types, make sure you water normally and regularly in the first year so that the roots can grow deep enough. This means the lawn will reach its full capacity in the second year. Drought-tolerant grass is distinguished from classic lawn types by its wide-leaved grasses.
Any reseeding must be carried out with the same lawn mix so that the turf remains the same colour. The wide-leafed tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) roots very deep and handles heat and drought well. It is best to sow drought-tolerant grasses between September and the beginning of October – this will make the lawn significantly more robust the following year. Grass seed mixes for dry areas usually consist of 70% tall fescue, and the remainder smooth meadow-grass (20%) and German ryegrass (10%).
Leave the lawn mowing to your iMOW®
RSM –standard seed mix
Standard RSM seed mixes contain only lawn seeds of high-quality grass varieties that have been specially bred for use as lawns. Their minimum germination capacity is usually higher than required by law, at 75-80%. These lawn mixes consist of three to four types of grass and are tailored to the intended use. Standard RSM seed mixes can be identified by a green sticker showing the grasses they contain. More inexpensive RSM packages are printed with a green box instead of having this label.
RSM varieties and their benefits
| Name | Intended use |
|---|---|
| RSM 1.1 | Ornamental lawn |
| RSM 2.1 | Standard conventional lawn |
| RSM 2.2 | Conventional lawn in a dry position |
| RSM 2.3 | Conventional lawn, playing lawn |
| RSM 2.4 | Conventional lawn, herb lawn |
| RSM 3.1 | Newly laid sports lawn |
| RSM 3.2 | Sports lawn regeneration |
When should you lay a lawn?
The best time to reseed lawns is in the spring, between April and May, when the growing season is not interrupted by frosty temperatures. This means that the lawn can develop well and healthily over summer and autumn, making it more resistant to frost, moisture and weeds than a lawn laid in autumn. Alternatively, you can lay your new lawn between August and October. Sowing in summer is theoretically possible, though in this case you should compensate for high temperatures with plenty of water.
How long does a lawn take to germinate?
The germination time for a new lawn depends on factors such as weather, soil temperature, the seed used and irrigation. If everything’s just right, it takes around seven to 20 days for grass to germinate. A constant temperature and lots of sunshine and water have a positive influence on the germination time. Grass seed mixes usually germinate after just a few days. High-quality mixes need between 2 and 4 weeks to germinate.
Petrol-driven, electric or cordless lawn mowers: the right power tool for you
Choosing the right lawn mower is the first step to achieving a well-maintained lawn. High-quality, well-thought-out equipment features and attractive design are combined in all our models.
Note: Only mow for the first time with freshly sharpened blades, so that the delicate blades of grass are cut and not torn.
Rolled turf instead of sowing lawn: a good alternative?
It is not difficult to create a classic seed lawn yourself, but it takes a lot of patience. A finished lawn which is delivered as a carpet of rolled turf may seem more enticing. It ultimately depends on how quickly you want a fully resilient lawn – in all other aspects, a seeded lawn is the more economical choice.
| Advantages of rolled turf | Disadvantages of rolled turf |
|---|---|
Rolled turf can be walked on immediately after laying and rolling. Compared to seed-sown lawns, it is fully resilient much more quickly.
| For larger areas, laying rolled turf is much more difficult than sowing grass seeds. |
| Finished lawn is already densely covered with grass plants, making it less susceptible to weeds. | Rolled turf is much more expensive than a lawn you sow yourself. |
| Laying it is not technically demanding. | Rolled turf must be delivered on a specific date and laid immediately, as otherwise there is a risk of rotting and discolouration. |
