Will grass seed grow if you just throw it on the ground?

[achban]

I have a huge yard (about an acre) that I take care of for an out of state owner. They want me to reseed it for them but I am not really experienced with this. Normally, I just mow it. However, there are many large areas where most of the grass is gone and taken over by weeds or is just barely covered with some kind of scraggly looking wild grass. It kicks up a lot of dust and dirt when I mow over it, even with the mower adjusted to a lower speed. The ground is fairly soft because when the owners lived there back in 2010 they took very good care of it and have a lot of flowers, ferns and other kinds of plants. I told them I would do it as reasonably as possible but am not sure what I am getting into and am doing some research before I give them an estimate. I would say fully one half of the yard will need to be reseeded. Plus, about an eighth of it is infested with moles. I think maybe I should rent a gas powered tiller, buy straw, 100' of hose and a timer as well as seed. I am not sure what seed I should buy. No one is there but me once every few weeks to mow so I guess I would need something pretty hardy. I hope someone can give me some good advice. Its about a 60 mile round trip to the property and back so you can understand I want to do it right the first time.

[garwyli91]

This might be a time to contact experts. Start with your county agent, Cooperative Extension Service. They have access to the state horticulturist, state agronomist, etc on creative solutions. One thought is hydroseeding where the seed, mulch and perhaps a water holding product are applied over the area in one application.

They might have creative solutions for the moles, though those things have a way of coming back if not killed off site as well.

[lamarr3]

im not an expert for sure on grass but it sounds like its pretty poor soil so i would guess a good fertilizing would be in order first .. next, tilling even a half acre with a 2 foot wide gas tiller would be a monumental task it would take a tractor and a disc realistically i think although that would be nice to tear the ground up first, in a normal yard there are pipes and wires buried as well as septic ect .. also probably not realistic ... if it was me i would ask around in your area the best grass seed to use and get enough .. fertilize first, and i think the best way to do it would be to broadcast the seed right before its going to rain, otherwise if it sits there on the surface alot of it will be bird and ant food ..

yes, moles are hard to get rid of if your not there all the time in the yard .. i keep a .22 handy and when the little suckers are mining its curtains ..

[abraham90]

Mulching with straw helps to protect the soil (and seed) from drying out and the seed from getting eaten by the birds. You can also use fine tree branches to make a barrier to keep the bird out.

Scratch the surface with an iron rake. On the bald areas, try to loosen the dirt to at least an inch. Once you spread the seed, you need to get it in contact with the soil by lightly raking it in. Water with a spray, do not soak. Keep the area moist; you may have to water 3 or 4 times a day.

If you fertilize, use starter fertilizer; it's not as strong as regular fertilizer so it won't burn the seedlings.

Once fully established, water once a week to a depth of 1", if needed. Raise your mower to the highest level and keep it there. The taller grass will help to shield the ground from the drying sun and conserve moisture. Allow to go dormant in the heat of the summer.