How to Make Shredded Newspaper & Grass Seed Mix

It can be challenging to create a new lawn once an area has been completely cleared due to construction or damage, but instead of buying expensive sod, you can plant a lawn yourself and learn how to make grass seed germinate faster. You might be shocked to learn about some of these hacks and quite pleased at how well they work.

It's easy to make a shredded newspaper/grass seed mix that kind of looks like paper mache. You combine the newspaper and grass seed with liquids and spray it onto the ground. You'll need shredded newspaper, liquid grass fertilizer, grass seed, a clean 30-gallon trash can, a sprayer with a hose attachment and burlap sacks. Measure the work area and determine how much seed will be required to cover it two times. Fill the can halfway with the seed.

Shred enough newspaper to fill the rest of the can, mix it with the seeds and then add enough liquid fertilizer to moisten it. Spread this paper mache slurry over the soil as evenly as possible. Top it off with the burlap sacks, weighing them down with rocks. The newspaper is suitable for retaining moisture, while the sacks cut down on mud and encourage root development. Don't worry because burlap eventually breaks down and provides even more nutrients to the soil; the newspaper keeps away insects and birds.

You may have seen the Tik Tok toilet paper grass seed hack, but keep in mind that while toilet paper can hold a lot of moisture, it shreds much easier than newspaper and can be harder to work with. If you're seeding an entire lawn, stick with newspaper; you can use toilet paper in a pinch in smaller areas. It's not always easy to get your hands on many newspapers, though, and toilet paper can be pretty expensive if you need to buy enough for an entire lawn.

Fast-growing grass seed spray can also create a lush green lawn in much less time. Also referred to as hydroseeding, this slurry contains the seeds plus fertilizer, soil amendments, water and mulch. There are many kinds out there, and some of the most popular ones are perennial ryegrass/fine fescue blends. They often come with sprayers for easy application, so you don't have to worry about buying separate parts.

The mix is poured into a plastic container followed by other ingredients, like a seed-coating formula. When everything's inside, the spray top is screwed on. Your garden hose gets attached right onto the back. Turn on the water and get ready to spray. These sprayers usually have a water only and a seed spray setting so you can water first before applying the seed slurry.

Pre-germinating grass seed in a bucket can encourage rapid seed coating disintegration to make the grass sprout up faster. Measure out how much you need, put the seed in a bucket and soak it for 24 hours. Drain through a sieve and let them rest in a warm location for two days, stirring them once or twice a day. When you start seeing chit (small white shoots) appear, the seeds will be ready to sow. Do this right away and protect them afterward with burlap sacks, germination sheets or a plastic tarp.