By Ncostello
Cambridgeshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi,
About 5 weeks ago I sowed a normal home grass seed with rygrass on my garden in the usual way. A few weeks later it grew very well in some places and next to nothing grew in others. It is a small lawn area.
I went to the garden centre and they advised me that I should lay seed again in the areas where it had not grown and on top of what had already grown. I was honest and said that I did neglect the watering of the seed somewhat. She said I probably had a drainage problem as well.
I asked if I had to rake the new seed in, I wasn’t sure about doing this as I didn’t want to disturb the existing grass which was very young. They advised me that I shouldn’t worry about raking the new seed in and it doesn’t matter that the grass is showing on top of the soil.
Since then I have been watering constantly and keeping the soil moist, but am concerned that a whole lot of the seed is effectively laying on top of the soil and will not grow. It has been down a week.
Should I leave it like this and continue watering as I am, or should I try to cover the seed with soil?
Thanks in advance.
Nathaniel Costello
27 Apr, 2010
Answers
I would say that some of the seed was old and would not germinate. Cover the seed with some of your garden soil (not compost) over the bare areas. If you have no success, sow again with another better mixture from somewhere else. Water lightly in the evening.
27 Apr, 2010
Yes, water in the evenings with a fine sprey - it's been very dry lately.
27 Apr, 2010
Instead of raking you could try brushing in some compost with a softish broom. So says the advice I was given and it seems to have worked.
27 Apr, 2010