Winter is nearly over, and homeowners are beginning to think about spring lawn care and planting new grass to replace sections that were damaged by cold weather. Many people are concerned that the grass will be damaged if it rains soon after the lawn is seeded. Heavy rain can be a problem, but moderate rain should not be.
You can limit or prevent erosion by preparing the lawn before you seed it and planting grass seed correctly. Before you seed the lawn, till the soil and remove any roots, large stones, trash, or other types of debris. Use a rake to level the area where you will be planting grass and to break up clods of soil. Water the lawn a few times to settle the soil and to fill in any low spots. Rake the soil one last time before you plant the seed and water the lawn.
Spread half the seed going in a vertical direction and the other half at a 90-degree angle. Sow the seed with a spreader so it is distributed evenly. Cover the seed with 1/16 to 1/8 inch of topsoil and rake it gently.
In order to germinate, grass seed needs to be kept moist. If you seed your lawn on a dry day, soak the lawn with a hose or sprinkler after planting. You should water your lawn at least twice a day, and more often if the weather is hot and dry. Give the grass enough water to keep the top inch of soil moist. Water the lawn less if it rains. Keeping the soil moist can make the grass seed stay in place, even if it is windy or there is a moderate amount of rain.
A period of long or heavy rain can be a problem. Grass seed does not have roots holding it in place, so heavy rain can cause it to be washed away. If heavy rain washes away some of your grass seed, you will need to reseed those areas. Rake the ground to remove drainage channels that were formed by rain and reseed the areas. Spread a layer of topsoil over the new seed and water it.
Several periods of heavy rain can cause a lawn to germinate unevenly. There may be areas with lush new grass and other areas that are thinner. Reseed bare spots and continue to water the grass to get even growth.