If your lawn is starting to look a little bare in spots, you're probably wondering if now's the best time to plant grass seed—or if you'll just end up feeding the birds when you scatter the seed. While you can plant grass pretty much year round, there are certain times of year that are more likely to guarantee a greener lawn from all your efforts.
Try these tips to help your lawn thrive, from expert Teri Valenzuela, natural science manager at lawn care company Sunday.
Planting in the heat of summer makes it harder to keep tender young seedlings thriving, so spring and fall are where it's at. "They're like the Goldilocks seasons for grass—not too hot, not too cold," Valenzuela says. "These seasons tend to offer milder temperatures and increased precipitation, making sure your grass seeds don't dry out too quickly. The extra rainfall can also help ensure that they're watered enough to Plus, with added rainfall, new grass seedlings are less likely to miss a vital watering that’s critical to their establishment."
Watch Out for Frost
Freezing temps are the enemy of new grass, so it's best to plant grass seed after frosts have ended in the spring or before they start up in the fall. "Timing is everything!" Valenzuela says. "Aim to seed in the fall before mid-October. Any later, and those young grasses risk facing frosty mornings or freeze, leading to potential bare patches in spring."
Valenzuela also recommends waiting until average daily temperatures are in the 55- to 75-degree range for cool season grasses that you'd use in northern places, or 70- to 90-degree range in the South. (If you live in the middle of the country, you can use either cool-weather or warm-weather grasses, depending on which you'd like.
Choose the Right Type of Grass Seed for Your Lawn
In cooler climates, you want to lean toward cool-season grasses like fescues or Kentucky bluegrass, while warm-season grasses like bermudagrass and St. Augustine flourish in hot temperatures.
You'll also want to think about how you use your yard and the light conditions where your lawn is planted. "If an area of your lawn is predominantly shaded, opt for a shade-tolerant seed," Valenzuela says. If heat and drought are concerning, there’s a grass type that is cultivated to tolerate it. If you have kids and pets running and playing across your yard, select a hardy grass that’s able to withstand more foot traffic."
"Getting this grass seed pairing right is a fundamental step in ensuring your grass seeds stand a good chance of growing from the get-go," she says.
If you're reseeding a sparse lawn, mow it short first, and rake away trimmings to help the seeds reach the soil. In very bare spots, you should rake or otherwise break up the soil before you sprinkle on the seeds.
Use a rotary spreader to put down the seeds, following the package directions for how thick you seed the lawn. (Putting down too much seeed could make it hard for the lawn to take root, and underseeding will result in a thin, scraggly lawn.) Gently water the seeds, and continue to water any sparse areas once or twice a day until the grass is established.
Give Your Grass Time to Grow
You'll want to baby the grass a bit until those wisps of grass seedlings start to look more like an actual lawn. Stay off newly seeded patches to let the grass grow and keep the soil moist to help it thrive. It may seem counterintuitive, but Valenzuela says that mowing can actually help your grass grow even thicker and stronger—just wait until your new lawn is around four inches long before doing that initial mow of your new grass. "Mowing actually prompts grass to spread across your lawn, filling in your lawn faster." And that can mean that you'll need to do less patching and reseeding next season.
The last five weeks of summer to early autumn, pending the weather, is the best time of year to plant grass seed. At this time, day and nighttime temperatures are cooling, dew is more present on lawns, and annual broadleaf weeds and crabgrass are dying.
The best month to put grass seed down depends on the type of grass you have and where you live. The best time to plant grass seed for cool-season grasses is in early fall or around September. For warm-season grasses, late spring or early summer (May to June) is the optimal time.
Can I Just Throw Grass Seed on Bare Spots? Throwing grass seed onto bare spots will result in little-to-no germination and will not help to repair lawn spots. If you want to fix patches on grass, you need to properly prepare the bare spots before laying down the seed.
Grass seed can be planted year-round, but fall is optimal for cool season grass and spring for warm season varieties. Winter planting is discouraged for both due to the risk of seed loss and frost damage. Warm season grass can be seeded in summer, though it requires significant irrigation.
Overseeding is spreading grass seed over an existing lawn. Done right, it's a straightforward process that gets results. As grasses mature, thinning is normal—especially if you enjoy your lawn and use it often. Overseeding keeps your lawn competitive and steeped in youth and vigor, without starting over from scratch.
Luckily, getting it right is easy. 'To prepare your soil before planting grass seed, simply till and loosen the soil to create the best growing conditions – you don't need to put down topsoil,' says Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Lawn Love.
Simply insert a long screw driver into the ground. If it pushes down 6 to 8 inches without much resistance, you have the proper water saturation. Water new grass seed for 5 to 10 minutes immediately after planting to gently moisten the first several inches of soil.
If you simply toss the grass seed onto the soil, you will end up with poor germination. Thoroughly rake the area to remove any loose debris and to create grooves in the soil. These grooves will help increase the seed-to-soil contact that is imperative for germination.
Covering freshly sown grass seed with polythene sheeting to protect it from birds is a great idea. For starters, you don't need to water until you remove the polythene sheet. You can seed in slightly lower temperatures because the polythene sheet will have a greenhouse effect, speeding germination.
Grass seed needs to be protected from the elements, such as sun, wind, or rain. A thin layer of topsoil can suffice but should not be too thick; otherwise the seeds could wash away or dry out before germinating.
Quality grass seed labels include guidance on optimal seeding rates to maximize your results. Don't overdo or cut corners. Too much grass seed causes undue competition for resources such as light, water and nutrients, and grass seedlings struggle as a result. Too little seed leaves lawns thin or bare.
If you're wondering how cold is too cold for grass seed germination use our rule of thumb and check the weather reports. If the daytime temperature is below 60°F then soil temperature is below 50°F, making it too cold; if there is frost or still a danger of frost, then it's too cold.
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. In central and southern Arkansas, lawn owners plan their warm-season grass seeding for late May through June.
Walking on it in this condition will leave serious depressions and cause compaction. Trying to correct a yard full of deep footprints is not a chore you want to attempt. Try your best not to walk on newly seeded lawn areas for atleast 2-3 weeks while moving your sprinkler.
Birds eat grass seed for a variety of reasons, but the most common reason is that it's easily accessible. When a freshly seeded lawn is left unprotected, it becomes an easy meal for birds of all sizes.
Seeding a dead lawn is effective but is also the slowest option. You will need to prepare the soil by removing the dead grass and then enriching the soil ahead of laying down new seeds. After the seeds are planted, you will need to fertilize and nurture your grass until it reaches maturity.
Daytime temperatures around 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit typically mean the soil temperature is between 50 and 65 degrees and perfect for seed germination. If the soil temperature is much lower than 50 degrees, however, the seeds will lay dormant and not germinate.
Fall is the best time. The autumn season comes with a mix of warm soil and cool air, perfect for planting grass seed and allowing time for new grass roots to develop before winter sets in. It is also a good time to fertilize to build stronger, deeper roots for winter, resulting in a thicker, greener lawn next spring.
Late summer or early fall is the best time to overseed lawns. Soil and atmospheric temperatures are most favorable for optimum seed germination and growth. With adequate moisture, fertilizer and sunlight, the new seedlings will be well established before cooler fall weather sets in.
First, use a sharp shovel to remove any existing grass, or, if it is a large area, rent a sod cutter to get the job done faster. Then, take a walk around and inspect the area. Remove large rocks and debris, fill in low spots, and if your soil is compacted, work it over with a tiller.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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