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When to start planting grass seed


Exactly When to Plant Grass Seed in Spring

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Wondering when to plant grass seed in spring for ideal results? Discover the best times and perfect seeding schedule for your region, plus our top tips.

Reviews by This Old House Reviews Team 11/17/2022 12:00 am

Planting grass seed is an efficient way to create a fuller and greener lawn that gives your home an appealing look and provides a lush environment for outdoor fun. However, you can’t throw down seeds at any time and expect perfect results. Grass seeding should be completed at the right time to ensure proper germination and growth in your lawn.

For many people, springtime is the season for completing yard work and other outdoor projects. You’ll need to know the proper time for grass seeding in the spring to get the best results. Read on to learn more about the factors that influence seeding times, how to prepare your lawn for planting, and how to maintain growth throughout the year.

Factors That Influence Seeding Times

While many homeowners have a lawn care schedule in the spring, it’s not enough to just complete seeding at any point during the season. To ensure proper growth, you should consider your location as well as the type of grass you have, as these factors influence the right seeding conditions.

Location

Your location impacts your climate, which in turn affects the type of grass you lay down and when it should be seeded. For example, many parts of the south use warm-season grasses to handle the temperate climate that prevails all year long. Other parts of the country, such as the midwest and far north, experience freezing temperatures that require cool-season grasses.

Warm-Season Grasses

Unsurprisingly, warm-season grasses thrive in warmer climates. These grasses, including Bahia grass, Bermuda grass, zoysia grass, centipede grass, St. Augustine, and other turfgrasses, germinate in air temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you live in an area of the country where temperatures stay fairly consistent year round, you can typically plant warm-season grasses from early spring to late fall. However, if your yard experiences the highs and lows of traditional seasons, be sure to plant your grass in late spring or early summer.

Cool-Season Grasses

Cool-season grasses, including Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, and perennial ryegrass, fare better in areas of the country with temperate summers and chilly winters. This type of grass is dormant during the winter and grows during the fall and spring. It’s recommended that you plant your cool-season grass seed in late summer or early fall before temperatures dip below freezing.

Weather

In addition to the temperature, which impacts the season you should plant your cool- or warm-season grass, it’s also important to keep an eye on other weather conditions. For example, light rain may help seeds grow, though a heavy pour could wash seeds away. Check the radar to ensure a heavy storm isn’t approaching your area in the days after seeding.

In a similar vein, be sure to plant your seeds when the ground is sturdy and free of mud puddles, which can lead to disease. You’ll also want to avoid windy weather. Just as rain can wash seeds away, heavy winds can push newly-spread seeds across your existing lawn.

If perfecting this timing sounds overly complex, full-service lawn companies such as TruGreen lawn care can attend to seeding and fertilizing your lawn on the right schedule.

How to Prepare Your Lawn

While timing is important when seeding your lawn, preparation is also key. Readying your lawn ensures that your soil is ready to promote new grass seed germination and growth. Preparing your yard consists of multiple steps, including actions like leveling your lawn, testing your soil, and aeration. Take a closer look at each step of the process below.

Level the Lawn

Before planting new seed, it’s important to remove any inconsistencies in your lawn, such as rocks and debris. Additionally, be sure to level the various peaks and valleys in your yard with a soil mixture that consists of sand, topsoil, and compost. Don’t just use topsoil, as this fresh mixture may contain weed seeds and other harmful nutrients.

Address Bare Spots

Bare spots pop up in lawns for a variety of reasons, such as heavy foot traffic, drought, and insect infestations. Once you’ve identified the brown spots in your lawn, you can prepare them for overseeding by digging up the area, mixing in new topsoil, and using a rake to level the ground. From there, the bare spot is ready for seeding. To help prevent future bare patches, you can apply a pre-emergent herbicide in conjunction with a fertilizer to prevent weed germination.

Test Your Soil

Much of a seed’s growth depends on the pH levels of your soil. Since every lawn’s pH is different, testing your soil is important to determine if it’s acidic, neutral, or basic. Based on these results, you’ll know which minerals and nutrients your soil is missing. Many home improvement stores, such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, sell simple five- or six-step DIY soil testing kits. If you prefer to use a professional, many full-service companies will do it for you.

Try Aeration

When your soil has become stagnant and compacted, it’s time to aerate your lawn. This loosens your tightly-packed soil and helps with weed control while fighting the stress from droughts. Try simple DIY methods like garden forks or aerator shoes for a lower cost of aeration. However, for more tightly compacted soil, you may want to use lawn care professionals.

Use Fertilizer

Fertilizing provides new lawns with concentrated nutrients needed while establishing a strong root system. Cool-season grasses should be fertilized using a spreader in the fall, while warm-season grasses can be fertilized throughout the summer. Many homeowners choose a starter fertilizer, which uses nutrients to meet the needs of growing seeds until the root system develops.

 

 

Maintaining Your Spring Seeding

It’ll take some time to see results. Cool-season grasses will begin to germinate in five to seven days, while warm-season grasses can take up to three weeks.

Here are some tips on how to nourish your grass as it grows:

 

 

Our Conclusion

Timing is everything when it comes to seeding your lawn. If you have cool-season grass, aim to start seeding in late summer or early fall before freezing air and soil temperatures hit your area. Start the seeding process in the late spring or early summer for warm-season grass.

No matter which type of grass you want to grow, be sure to continue lawn care even after the initial planting. If this process sounds too time-intensive, you may want to consider a lawn care service to seed, fertilize, and maintain your yard throughout the year. Our recommendation is TruGreen, a provider that offers comprehensive services and seeding.

Frequently Asked Questions

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We use the data from our research to build an in-depth rating system that allows us to score lawn care providers on a 100-point scale. Here are the factors in our evaluation and their designated scores:

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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.

How to plant lawn grass - do-it-yourself lawn preparation

So! You have decided to get a lawn in your area. A reasonable question arises - when and how to plant lawn grass?
Let's start in order.

Content:

How to choose lawn grass
When to sow lawn
Preparing the soil for lawn grass
How to plant lawn grass yourself
How to care for lawn grass
Seasonal lawn care

How to choose lawn grass

The decisive issue for the choice of lawn grass mixture is its intended purpose. Usually the name of the lawn grass that you see on the packaging speaks for itself. For example:

Sports turf is a turf for high traffic areas. It can be sports and playgrounds, playgrounds for active games of dogs. Such a lawn is resistant to trampling, but grows quickly, which requires frequent mowing. nine0004

Parterre lawn - a lawn with a decorative function, serves as a backdrop for solitary plants and flower beds. It has a bright color and a beautiful sheen. Requires regular watering and space open to sunlight.

Dwarf Lawn is a lawn that contains low growing, slow growing grass species, making it easy to care for and minimizing the need for mowing. It is more often used as decorative, because it is subject to trampling. nine0004

Slope Turf - In this lawn, the grasses are selected to form a strong root layer (turf) that is able to hold the soil on the slope and prevent erosion.

When to sow lawn grass

In central Russia, lawn grass seeds can be planted immediately after the snow melts (late April - early May) and until the very end of the confidently warm season (usually October). In a later period, it is not recommended to sow the lawn, since the plants will not have time to fully get stronger before wintering, and as a result, in the spring it will be necessary to oversow, or even re-sow the lawn. nine0004

The most favorable period for sowing lawn grass is the end of April - May and September - the beginning of October.

If fresh fertile soil is brought in, it is worth waiting 1-2 weeks before sowing. After spilling the soil, wait 3-4 hours, then sow the lawn.

If sowing lawn grass is carried out in the summer, it is worth waiting for rainy cloudy days.

Do not overdo it with watering. Before germination - watering every day, then no more than 1 time per week. nine0004

The first lawn mowing is done when the grass is about 15 cm high.

Before planting the lawn, a drainage system must be established, and, if provided, an electrical supply system and an underground irrigation system.
In order for the lawn to look perfect, it is necessary to level the soil. The slope can be 1-3% to facilitate surface water runoff. A large lawn area can be given a greater slope, but not more than 30%.

Soil preparation for lawn grass

Weed removal

Removing weeds will ensure friendly seedlings, improve the appearance of the lawn and make it easier to further care for it.

Weed control methods:

Freezing is the death of underground parts of weeds in winter. To do this, in the fall it is necessary to carry out deep digging of the soil. nine0004

Suffocation - a long-term method based on repeated cutting of weeds at a shallow depth (harrowing for 2-3 years), the effect is achieved by exhausting the rhizome.

Provocation - a couple of weeks before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the soil, and when a lot of weed sprouts appear, they are loosened on the surface, thereby destroying them.

Mulching - covering the soil, depriving weeds of light. For this purpose, ripened compost is well suited, and crushed bark under trees and shrubs. nine0004

New primer is the most effective, but laborious and more expensive method. Removing the old soil and laying out the new soil with a drainage system - the soil is removed to a depth of 30 cm and laid out in layers: crushed stone, sand and black earth, and a rolled lawn is laid on top or seeds of lawn grass mixture are sown.

Herbicides - Weeds must be treated when they are actively growing, but must not be mechanically damaged. Within 5-10 days, the herbicide spreads over the entire area of ​​the plant and after 20-30 days the plant dies entirely. Approximately 15 days after the action of the preparation, the land can be cultivated. Herbicides are best applied in the fall if lawn grass is planned to be planted in the spring. nine0003


Plots on which weeds have already been removed, it would be good to protect from those that have not yet been processed.

The surface of the soil under the lawn must be leveled - there should be no mounds or holes. As a result, water will accumulate in the pits, which will lead to wetting of the grass, and the bumps will make it difficult for the lawn mower to work.

Soil fertility

The thickness of the fertile layer for the proper development of lawn grass should be at least 10 - 15 cm.
The soil should be improved, depending on its characteristics.

The soil mixture and all its components should be mixed well and embedded in detail into the soil, loosened to a depth of about 40 cm, so that the lower layers do not subsequently move upward. When carrying out these works, it is necessary to remove from the ground all parts of plants that have previously been treated with chemicals, and their roots must also be carefully removed.

In order to make it convenient to care for the edges of the lawn, it is better to fix them. Borders are usually decorated with materials such as gravel, crushed stone or pebbles. You can also use a stone border or tile - this will also look advantageous in a decorative way, and will give you access to mow the edges of the lawn, which will make mowing much easier. nine0004


How to sow lawn grass with your own hands


How to care for lawn grass


During the period of growth of a young lawn, it needs to be provided with: nine0004

A lawn is considered mature and mature after 2-3 seasons after sowing.

Seasonal lawn care


When to sow the lawn, advice on when to plant the lawn

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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. nine0004

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?”) nine0004

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:

  1. clearing the ground of stones and weeds, uprooting stumps, leveling the area, removing elements that could disturb the structure of the lawn; nine0132
  2. digging up the soil with the simultaneous application of mineral fertilizers and manure, if necessary, correcting the soil by adding sand, peat, chernozem;
  3. fallow for 2-3 weeks;
  4. immediately before sowing - tillage of the soil surface with a rake, then with a shaft for leveling and crushing;
  5. sow according to recommended seed rates;
  6. surface mixing of seeds with topsoil with a rake; nine0132
  7. plentiful watering before emergence of shoots.

Subject to the correct soil preparation technology, after a while the lawn will please the eye, regardless of when to sow grass in the country or in the city (details in the article "How to plant a lawn correctly")

Finally

In printed publications and on the Internet, you can find a lot of information about when it is better to plant a lawn, how to properly plant a garden plot.

Learn more