The best time to plant grass seed
The Best Time to Plant Grass
When your sights are set on a thick, lush lawn, planting grass seed represents an investment of time, money, labor and hope. From seeding new lawns to repairing rough spots and renewing existing turf, proper timing separates sweet success from something less. Your best time for planting grass seed depends on the type of lawn grass you grow and where you live. Understanding your options and getting timing right helps you seize every opportunity for seeding success.
WHY TIMING MATTERS
Grass grows fastest and strongest when your planting season aligns with the seeds' natural periods of active growth. Just as with other kinds of plants in your landscape, lawn grasses vary in their growth cycles and regional climate preferences.
Cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and tall fescue, including Kentucky 31 tall fescue, grow most vigorously during the cool temperatures of late summer and early fall. These grasses flourish across cooler northern climates and into the challenging "transition zone" where cool and warm regions overlap.
Warm-season grasses, such as Bermudagrass, Bahiagrass, Zoysia grass and Centipede grass peak in growth during the warmer temperatures of late spring and early summer. These grasses thrive in southern and western regions and up into the transition zone's southern reaches.
Whether you grow cool- or warm-season grasses, timing your seeding to take advantage of your grass type's natural periods of peak growth helps seed germinate and establish quickly. Your seed gets off to the best possible start and gets on track for both short- and long-term success.
WHY FALL IS BEST FOR COOL-SEASON GRASSES
Several distinct advantages make fall the best time to plant cool-season grass seed. In early autumn, the soil is still warm from months of summer sun. This combination of warm soil, moderate daytime temperatures and cool evenings encourages fast germination and establishment of newly sown cool-season grass seed.
Cool-season grass seed germinates best when soil temperatures reach 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
This roughly corresponds to daytime air temperatures in the 60°F to 75°F range. An inexpensive soil thermometer, available at garden stores and online retailers, can help eliminate the guesswork.
The farther north you live, the earlier cool fall temperatures and ideal planting times come. For example, Minnesotans in the Upper Midwest seed cool-season lawns from mid-August to mid-September.1 For transition-zone lawn owners in central and northern Arkansas, September and October are the best time for seeding cool-season lawns.2
Fall seeding complements the natural growth cycles of cool-season grasses.
As a general rule, plant cool-season grass seed at least 45 days before the estimated date of your first fall frost, before soil and air temperatures drop to less favorable levels. Your grasses will enjoy a full fall season, plus a second cool growing season come spring. Your local county extension agent can help with advice on average frost dates and optimal timing for seeding lawns in your area.
Newly planted seed needs consistent soil moisture, and fall planting offers benefits on that front, too. Fall typically brings more precipitation, which lessens the chance that cool-season seeds may dry out, and reduces the need for extra watering on your part. Using premium drought-tolerant, water-conserving grass seed products, such as Pennington Smart Seed and Pennington One Step Complete, lowers the risk of problems even more.
The second best time to seed cool-season lawn grasses is in the spring, once soil and air temperatures warm back up to their optimal range. However, late-melting snows and early spring rains can keep soil cold and overly wet, giving early weeds an advantage. Grasses also have less time to settle in before higher temperatures inhibit germination and cool-season grass growth begins to slow.
WHY SPRING IS BEST FOR WARM-SEASON GRASSES
Warm-season grasses germinate best when soil temperatures are consistently in the 65°F to 70°F range.
This generally corresponds to daytime air temperatures near 80°F or more. Planting in late spring and early summer gives warm-season grasses the advantage of warm soil and early seasonal rains, which help keep soil moisture available during germination and establishment.
Moderate spring weather helps spring-planted grass seed flourish.
As with cool-season grasses, best warm-season planting times vary by location. In California, mid-April to mid-May is prime time for seeding warm-season lawns.3 In central and southern Arkansas, lawn owners plan their warm-season grass seeding for late May through June.2 It's tempting to get out and seed at the first hint of spring, but patience pays off. Wait until all danger of frost has passed and soil warms. Cold, wet soil is a recipe for poor germination, rotting seed and disease. Your county extension agent can help with expected frost dates and timely advice when unexpected weather conditions factor in.
As a general rule, warm-season grasses planted at least 90 days before the first fall frost have time to establish well before winter. These summer-loving grasses go dormant once temperatures drop near 55°F, so late-planted seedlings can't prepare for what's ahead. With proper timing, warm-season grass seed gets a natural boost from summer's warmth and a full season of active growth and development before cooling temperatures bring on winter dormancy.
One exception to the spring seeding rule for warm-season lawns is when overseeding with a cool-season grass, such as perennial ryegrass, for temporary winter color. Overseeding for green winter grass is always done in fall, once temperatures drop and warm-season lawns begin to go dormant and lose color.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM NEWLY PLANTED GRASS SEED
Proper timing allows all types of grass seedlings to root well and get established before natural stresses hit. What that looks like in your lawn can vary depending on your grass type, your growing region and the conditions in any given year.
Grass types and varieties vary in their natural germination speeds. For example, cool-season Kentucky bluegrass germination can take two to three times as long as tall fescue varieties. Similarly, warm-season Zoysia grass may take two to three times longer than Bermudagrass. In addition, many seed products include a mix of seed types that germinate at different speeds.
Whether you're repairing bare spots, overseeding an existing lawn or starting from scratch, you can generally expect grass seedlings to emerge within seven to 21 days when grown under proper conditions. It may take another three to four weeks of growth before grass is long enough to mow. For fall-planted seed, this can mean waiting until spring for your first mowing. Some grasses, such as Zoysia grass, may need several months of growth to fully establish.
Much of the initial growth of new grass seedlings happens underground, where you can't see it. New roots get grass firmly established, prepared for the seasons ahead and positioned for strong, rapid growth when their peak season arrives.
With proper timing, new grass seedlings compete well for light, water and nutrients and fight off lawn diseases and pests, including lawn weeds.
Time your planting so that new seedlings become established before stressful seasons.
HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE TIMING ADVANTAGE
Even when you plant your grass seed at the best possible time, your lawn still needs help to thrive. Whether this is your first lawn or you're the neighborhood expert, take some advice from turf professionals and get to know your grasses and your soil before you start seeding. Follow through on best practices for preparing and planting and don't neglect traditional tasks, such as fall lawn care, that help keep your grass and soil healthy, well-nourished and ready to support new growth.
Do your research to understand what's in a bag of grass seed and the company behind the seed. Pennington is committed to producing the finest grass seed products possible and providing you with educational resources to help your seed project succeed.
By timing your lawn tasks properly, you can maximize your advantage and seed your way to the lawn of your dreams.
Pennington, Smart Seed and One Step Complete are trademarks of Pennington Seed, Inc.
Sources:
1. Mugaas, R. and Pedersen, B., "Seeding and Sodding Home Lawns," University of Minnesota Extension.
2. Patton, A. and Boyd, J., "Seeding a Lawn in Arkansas," University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
3. UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, "Planting Times and Rates for Grasses That Can Be Established From Seed," University of California.
When is the Best Time to Plant Grass Seed?
With articles on the best time to lay sod and the best time to plant grass plugs, Sod University also tackles the discussion of the best time to plant grass seed. When it comes to this landscape project, a couple of different factors come into play. Is it warm season or cool season grass seed? Where are you geographically located? What is the purpose of the seeding project? Consult your local land-grant university for specific information on when to plant grass seed in the exact area you are located.
Generally speaking, you can plant grass seed any time of the year, but fall is the best time to seed a lawn with a cool season turfgrass variety. Spring is the best time to plant warm season turfgrass seed. Cool season varieties of grass seed include tall fescue seed, ryegrass seed or even Kentucky bluegrass seed. Warm season varieties can include grasses like bermuda grass, zoysia or St. Augustine. It should be noted, though, that there’s no such thing as St. Augustine seed. Read below to find out how you can successfully plant grass seed throughout different times of the year.
How to Plant Grass Seed in the FallCool Season Grass Seed
Overall, fall is the best time to seed or overseed with a cool season variety no matter where you are located in the country.
If you are above the transition zone, the best time slots are around the weeks between August 15th–October 1st. As you get farther south towards the transition zone, your window of opportunity expands a little more and you can seed during the weeks of Labor Day through the end of October instead.
If you follow these dates, your grass seed will germinate properly. You also won’t have as much weed pressure as you would during the spring or summer because of the killing freeze that will arrive a few months later.
This timeframe applies to seeding your entire lawn with grass seed or overseeding a warm season grass with a cool season grass. During the fall, homeowners will sometimes overseed their warm season bermuda grass with a cool season grass like ryegrass, for example, to keep it green during the winter once their bermuda grass goes dormant. Learn more about this in How to Keep Your Lawn Green During the Winter.
Warm Season Grass Seed
Fall is definitely not the best time to plant warm season grass seed because it may not have a lot of time to germinate before the onset of winter temperatures.
Even if it does have time to germinate, it still may be a little too weak going into the winter and might be susceptible for winterkill and winter damage.
It is not recommended that you plant grass seed during the winter months for either warm or cool season grass seed. The chances of it sticking around and not washing away during the winter are pretty low. The spring and fall seasons, in comparison, will guarantee the most success with seeding projects.
How to Plant Grass Seed in the SpringCool Season Grass Seed
Spring is the second best time to plant grass seed for cool season varieties. The best time to plant cool season grass seed during this season is somewhere between the weeks of April 1st–May 15th. This will give you a few weeks to get your seed to pop up from the surface of the soil. March is still pretty cold in the cooler areas up North.
You can expect more weed pressure in the spring, though, because weeds like crabgrass will be germinating around this same time.
You also won’t want to overseed a warm season turfgrass with a cool season turfgrass in the spring.
Warm Season Grass Seed
Spring is the best time to plant warm season grass seed. The timeframe that guarantees the most success with a warm season turfgrass variety is around the month of May if you are located in northern areas of Georgia or North Carolina. As you get farther south, the window of opportunity expands.
Be sure to really irrigate your grass seed at this time as the proper amounts of irrigation will help it germinate before the onset of summer heat. The grass will fill in rapidly through the heat of the summer in July, August and early September.
A popular warm season variety homeowners love is centipede grass, which should stay within the May timeframe if you plan on seeding it. Centipede seed planted in May will really pop before it gets too hot, so this gives you time to have the proper irrigation and help it grow in beforehand.
Cool Season Grass Seed
It is not recommended that you plant cool season grass seed at this time because the grass will be dormant. It will not be worth your time and effort unless you are located really far up North. Sod University suggests blocking out the dates of June–early August before doing this.
Warm Season Grass Seed
The summer is not ideal for warm season grass seed either because of the extreme heat. You would have to spend a lot of time and money irrigating it. It is possible to do this in the summer, but you will need to spend a lot more time and money on proper amounts of irrigation.
Recommended Products for Grass Seed ProjectsTake a look at some of our products for your seeding project coming up. The Lawnifi® New Lawn Starter Box, which contains three bottles of Lawnifi product, is the best fertilizer for new seed.
It contains everything newly seeded lawns need to establish thick, healthy grass including two bottles of Grow for improved soil health and one bottle of Maintain to feed the lawn. This fertilizer box will give your grass the nutrients it needs during establishment.
In summary, you can plant grass seed anytime during the year. However, fall is the best time to plant grass seed or overseed with a cool season grass seed while spring is the best time to plant warm season grass seed. The winter is not recommended for either cool or warm season grasses due to the harsh, cooler temperatures. This is partially due to the risk of seed being washed away or newly germinating seed heads experiencing winterkill. You can seed warm season grass in the summer, but you must be fully prepared to spend a lot of time and money irrigating it. It is not recommended you conduct seeding projects with cool season turfgrass in the summer because the grass will likely be dormant.
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When is it better to sow the lawn: timing, soil preparation, sowing features
The emerald carpet of lawn grass has long been an attribute of a well-groomed modern garden. Grassy areas are ideal for creating children's playgrounds, filling curvilinear non-standard areas that violate the overall composition of the garden. Often, lawns are used for grassing garden areas so that the soil under the trees retains moisture longer. Of particular charm are Moorish lawns with a scattering of bright colors. nine0003
This lawn carpet does not require mowing, it changes its pattern during the season, thanks to annual and perennial flower crops that open their buds at different times. Many gardeners, in order to save money, grow different types of lawns on their own, using seeds. In order for the grass carpet to please with its beauty and well-groomed surface, it is necessary to sow in the proper time, which we will discuss in more detail in this article.
Do-it-yourself lawns: subtleties and agricultural cultivation techniques
If we talk about the timing of sowing lawns, you can see that this operation can be performed from April to October, although each season has some restrictions, especially summer.
Spring: lawn sowing dates
In spring, any kind of lawn grass can be sown in a previously prepared area, if bald spots or depressions are found, such problems are easily solved and corrected during the season by sowing the seeds again in the corrected area.
Sowing lawn grass seeds in spring should be timed to the period from mid-April to the end of May. Arranging a lawn in the spring has its positive aspects:
- During this period, the grass sprouts quickly, because the garden soil is still filled with moisture after the snow melts, so intensive watering is not necessary.
- With problematic germination, there is always time to correct the mistakes made.
- The annual flowers that make up the Mauritanian lawn have time to get stronger and fully bloom, while perennials and lawn grasses form strong bushes.
- The grass that has grown from spring has time to take root well in the soil, to get stronger, so it overwinters well. nine0018
Choose a quiet cloudy day for sowing lawn grass seeds, it is important that the snow melts completely. The surface of the site is carefully leveled, because irrigation and rain water will accumulate in the hollows and hollows, which can lead to decay of weak seedlings. Tender grass shoots quickly clog tall weeds, which not only block sunlight, but also quickly deplete the site. Before sowing the lawn, the area should be treated against the germination of weeds, as well as the timely removal of aggressive grasses. nine0003
Spring seeding of the lawn seems to be the most optimal, but it is not quite so. Sowing seeds in moist soil and their rapid germination before the onset of heat is of course pleasing, but already in May it will be necessary to carefully water the area with the sown lawn, because with the onset of heat, moisture evaporates more intensively, so there may be uneven moistening and partial attacks of grass cover.
Important! When sowing a lawn in the spring, be aware that seed consumption may increase. nine0034
Summer: can I sow the lawn or is it better to wait?
In summer, sowing a lawn is quite problematic, especially in the southern regions, where the thermometer goes off scale at around +40 C. In such conditions, the top layer of the earth, where the seeds are located, dries up quickly, which forces frequent watering.
In the summer, you can correct errors, sow the lawn on "bald" places, where for some reason the grass did not sprout or died.
If the temperature in your area is rather moderate in summer, the forecasters do not promise heavy rains, you can sow lawn grass seeds in the period from the end of June to the first half of July. You should be prepared for intensive and frequent watering of seeded lawns. nine0003
Sowing lawn grass in autumn
Have you opted for sowing lawn in autumn? Do not delay the process until frost.
The best time to plant a lawn in the fall is early September. At this time, the first autumn rains have already saturated the soil with moisture, the intense heat subsided, so the young grass bushes will have time to take root well.
It is not worth delaying sowing, even planning lawn plantings for the beginning of October can be considered late.
But at a temperature of about 0 C, winter sowing of lawn mixtures can be carried out. In this case, one should not wait for seedlings to germinate in autumn, they will appear only in spring, and the winter period will serve for the natural stratification of seeds. You should not expect that the grass that appears will be an ideal green carpet - in winter, part of the seeds freezes out, so the bald spots will have to be repaired in the spring. nine0003
Important! Whatever time of year you plan to plant your lawn, the site should be prepared 1-2 months in advance.
Preparing the site for sowing the lawn
The first thing to do when preparing the site for the lawn is to remove the debris.
It is necessary to uproot all dried garden plants that interfere with the arrangement of the site. All stones, debris, weeds, leaves and tops of garden plants are removed from the surface.
Particular attention should be paid to the presence of stones, concrete blocks, bricks and reinforced concrete structures immersed in the ground. When cultivating the soil with mechanisms, cutting the grass cover, such hidden objects can damage the equipment. nine0003
If the site has been abandoned before, a lot of weeds grew on it, it is worth removing the top layer of earth with sod and laying it in a heap for overdrying. It is worth getting rid of weeds drastically, it may be necessary to carry out chemical treatment of the site.
Digging
The soil in the area allocated for sowing the lawn is dug up very carefully. On one bayonet, shovels dig up areas that have already been used for growing plants. Virgin areas are dug up for 2 bayonets of a shovel, turning and loosening the soil. During digging, sand, peat, mineral fertilizers are added to the garden soil (ammonium nitrate and superphosphate are added at the rate of 40 g per 1 m2, potassium sulfate - 30 g per 1 m2). nine0003
If the site is dominated by soil with an alkaline reaction - peat should be added, with an acidic one - lime, dolomite flour or chalk are added to the ground. Compacted dense and heavy soil is corrected by adding manure or biohumus.
If groundwater is close to the surface in the area, it is worth arranging drainage.
After digging, the area is carefully leveled and harrowed, then compacted with a roller or trampled down with feet (in small areas). The compacted soil on the site is slightly loosened with a rake, after which it is left fallow for 1-2 months. nine0003
Fresh soil will invariably overgrow with weeds, which must be periodically removed to prevent insemination. If you cover the area with geotextiles, the germination of weeds will be restrained.
During the period of rest under the influence of precipitation, the earth on the site will partially settle, after 2 months it will be clearly visible where it is necessary to pour the soil.
Immediately before sowing lawn grass, the area is loosened again.
Features of sowing lawn grass mixtures
To calculate the need for seeds, use the information on the package - the manufacturer clearly indicates the required number of seeds per 1 m2, but the extreme conditions of hot summer or snowless winter are not taken into account, therefore, for spring-summer sowing, it is worth purchasing 10-15 seeds % more than the norm, for winter sowing - 25-30% more than the recommended standard.
Important! Pay attention to the purpose of the lawn, do not sow a sunny area with grass mixture for shady places, but sow grasses in the shade that prefer to grow in the sun. nine0034
Seeding can be carried out manually and with special devices. For sowing, use a seeder.
When sowing by hand, the following rules should be followed:
- Grass seeds are mixed with dry sand at a ratio of 1:1.
- First, sowing seeds is carried out along the plot, then across.
- The edges are sown thicker than the middle, about 2 times.
- After sowing, the plot is worked with a rake, then rolled with a heavy roller. nine0018
- Humidification of crops is carried out very carefully by sprinkling - make sure that the water jet does not wash out the seeds.
After about 1-2 weeks the grass will sprout, do not forget to water the crops.
Published: 06 Jun 2020
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When to sow the lawn, advice when to plant the lawn
1
The list of herbs that can be planted for landscaping garden plots in the country and city parks is constantly growing. Plants have their own biological characteristics in terms of vegetation, frost resistance, sensitivity to climatic conditions, so disputes about when it is better to plant lawn grass do not make sense. The schedule of landscaping works in each case is compiled individually. nine0003
Simple Rules
The times when the term "lawn" was understood only as a unkempt piece of land in the local area have sunk into oblivion.
Today, lawn areas can occupy more than one hectare, and their design is akin to real art. Thanks to the sowing of different types of grasses, zoning is carried out, a background is created for planting park crops - trees, shrubs and flowers.
In order for the green area to look perfect, it needs constant care, but the main stage that determines the quality of the grass cover is sowing. The choice of plants is determined by the functional purpose of the lawn, the climatic features of the area, one's own aesthetic preferences, and the general concept of landscape design. It will not be superfluous to recall that the appearance of the grass cover largely depends not only on how it is grown, but also on the quality of the seed, so it is recommended to buy seeds only from trusted suppliers. nine0003
Most landscapers prefer spring seeding. When to plant lawn grass in the country in the spring depends on the climatic features of the area. So, in the southern regions of Russia, due to early spring, work can begin as early as early March, and the optimal period for the middle zone is the end of April or the first decade of May.
The main advantage of spring sowing is that by autumn the grass cover will be fully formed and gain strength, which guarantees a successful wintering. As soon as the average daily temperature crosses the positive values, there comes a favorable time when you can plant lawn grass. nine0003
Sowing in autumn is also planned depending on weather conditions. Some experts advise sowing the seed in September so that the grass has time to sprout before the first frost. However, some landscape designers are of the opinion that the best time to sow lawn grass in the fall is late October or early November. In this case, the grass sits in the already frozen soil. It is believed that stratification contributes to increased plant viability and contributes to good resistance to various diseases. nine0003
Many experts believe that the best time to sow lawn grass seeds is during the summer months, when the earth has warmed up enough and most of the weeds have already faded. However, plants planted in summer may not have enough time to grow and take root before the onset of cold weather, so the question of when to plant a lawn in summer has only one answer: the sooner the better.
Another “minus” of summer planting is that in a short time it is unlikely that it will be possible to give the green carpet the desired appearance this year (for more details, see the article “How long does lawn grass sprout after sowing?”) nine0003
The decision when it is better to plant a lawn - in spring or autumn - remains with the owner of the site, but it will not be superfluous to consult with a specialist.
Site preparation
Regardless of the time chosen when to plant the lawn, the order of preparatory work does not change much and includes several stages:
- clearing the ground of stones and weeds, uprooting stumps, leveling the area, removing elements that could disturb the structure of the lawn; nine0018
- digging up the soil with the simultaneous application of mineral fertilizers and manure, if necessary, correcting the soil by adding sand, peat, chernozem;
- fallow for 2-3 weeks;
- immediately before sowing - tillage of the soil surface with a rake, then with a shaft for leveling and crushing;
- sow according to the recommended seed rate;
- surface mixing of seeds with topsoil with a rake; nine0018
- plentiful watering before emergence of shoots.
