If you simply throw the turf seed into the ground, you will end up with poor germination. Rake the area well to remove any loose debris and create grooves in the ground. These grooves will help to increase the contact of the seed with the soil that is imperative for germination. If you want to grow grass on the lawn, you'll have to put the grass seeds.
However, can grass seeds be thrown into the ground? The simple answer to this question is yes, they will grow in some cases when they are simply thrown into the ground. Some seeds on the surface of the soil will sprout, but the germination rate will decrease and you will not have ideal results left. Therefore, turf seeds will grow if thrown into the ground, but the germination rate of seeds will be much lower if the seeds are not covered by soil. The roots of the grass will also have difficulty establishing themselves properly, so after a while the grass could die because it is not as resistant as it could have been.
Yes, many of the seeds will germinate, and the grass will start to grow if you simply throw the seed into the ground. However, the long-term success of the plant will be disappointing, especially if it has poor soil conditions. In my yard, I foolishly took the shortcut of throwing a rather expensive mixture of grass seeds and fertilizers on top of a bald spot on my lawn. If you live in a magical place where you have perfect climatic and soil conditions, you should have marginal success in growing grass just by spraying the seed around your property.
I personally tried to just throw the seeds into the ground to see if they germinated and if the result was as good as when the seeds were covered with a little soil. As I mentioned above and for the reasons I mentioned above, you should definitely protect the grass seeds. A very thin layer of straw on grass is a popular and inexpensive way to protect grass seeds. One of the simplest ways to cover turf seeds is by spreading a layer of compost or sifted topsoil.
Sprinkling grass seeds all over your lawn seems like a good idea for most people, mainly because it saves time and money. As a general rule, if you're experiencing (or are about to experience) harsh temperatures, you'll want to wait until extreme weather passes to plant your grass seed and get the best results. Remember that the seeds of the cold season grass variety will go into dormancy when they experience days of cold conditions, which could also kill the delicate new plant. As I can personally attest, throwing grass seeds on lawns without preparation works poorly, and there are several reasons why.
While the seed will sprout if you simply throw it on the surface of the lawn, you should know that there are some negative effects of planting the seeds this way. It's incredibly frustrating to spend good money on grass seeds just to make it someone's dinner. As you can see, there are reasons why you need to properly prepare the soil for grass seeds to avoid wasting your money and time. We explain why you can't just spray grass seeds on an existing lawn and expect amazing results.
