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.
Spring seeding is your second best option for planting cool-season grasses. Aim to seed early in the season, but wait until daytime temperatures are in the 60 to 75 degree Fahrenheit range. This roughly corresponds to the optimal soil temperatures for cool-season grass seed germination.
The simple answer is, yes. Beyond just throwing the seed out into the lawn and not performing any grass maintenance there is a whole world of lawn care. Even though the seeds will sprout if just thrown on the surface of the dirt there are negative effects of planting the seed in that fashion.
Is March too early to plant grass seed? In nearly all regions, March is too early to plant grass seed. Temperature is a better barometer; wait until days average about 80 degrees before planting grass seed for summer. March is too late to sow cool-season grasses.
Cool-season grasses, bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue and tall fescue, take time to begin growing in the spring. Soil temperatures have to reach the 45 to 55-degree mark before growth starts to pick-up. In some cases, these soil temperatures may be delayed until late April or even mid-May.
The Best Grass Seed In UK 2021
- Sprogs and Dogs Hardwearing Lawn Seed – 1kg.
- The Grass People Superstar Seed – 10kg.
- GroundMaster Hardwearing Grass Seed – 10kg.
- GBW Grass Seed – 1kg (Our Top Pick)
- AM Pro-24 Premiership Grass Seed – 5kg.
- Miracle-Gro Ever Green Multipurpose Lawn Seed – 1.6kg.
Typically, germination takes between five and 10 days. Once germinated, the grass will continue to grow at a rate of about 2/3cm per week.
How to Prepare Your Lawn & Garden for Spring in 6 Simple Steps
- Do some cleaning.
- Apply fertilizer, pre-emergent and weed killer.
- Mow early, mow often.
- Pick a good, heavy mulch.
- Trim the trees.
- Don't seed until fall.
NSW/ACT: In the warmer northern areas of the state choose a warm season grass that can tolerate consistent hot temperatures. Couchgrasses and Kikuyu will be the ticket. Further south you can use a cool season variety or a blend of the two.
When to OverseedIf you live in the North and are unable to overseed in the fall, your next best time is the spring. If you live in the South, the best time to overseed is late spring through mid-summer, since warm-season grasses need warmer soil temperatures to germinate.
Plant Grass Seed
- Put half the grass seeds in a drop or broadcast spreader.
- Turn the rake so the tines are facing up.
- Cover the ground with a thin layer of mulch made from wheat straw, if your lawn is uneven and prone to erosion.
- Water the lawn lightly each day until the grass is 2 inches tall.
Chapter 3 - Soil Preparation Tips
- STEP 1: Clear the area you are preparing. Using a rotary tiller makes this easy.
- STEP 2: Rake the soil to remove sticks, debris, and old grass.
- STEP 3: Spray the area with water once clean of debris.
- STEP 4: Use the till to add in some nutrients and organic matter.
Spring is the second best time to seed turf grass, beginning in late spring or early summer but no later than June 15. No matter what time of year you seed your lawn, you must frequently sprinkle lightly to keep the topsoil moist without creating puddles.
As post-winter soil and air temperatures warm, spring is your second best time to plant tall fescue seed. As in fall, time spring planting to coincide with soil temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer and consistent air temperatures between 68 to 77 F.
After seeding, avoid walking on your lawn for at least 4 weeks. Seedlings germinating below the topsoil are extremely fragile. Even if you can't see them, they can be damaged or killed by foot and vehicle traffic. Young grass sprouts are also very susceptible to being damaged or uprooted by walking on them or mowing.
Grass seed can grow if not covered, but it is usually beneficial to add a layer of compost, topsoil or straw mulch over the top of your seed to keep it moist and help with germination.
between 65 and 70 degrees F
How to overseed your lawn
- Mow the lawn to approx 25mm.
- Use a spring tine rake to break up and remove the layer of dead matted grass known as thatch.
- Using a garden fork, spike the lawn to a depth of approx.
- If your lawn has not been fed in the last 4 months we recommend feeding the lawn before overseeding.
- Sow the patch with an appropriate seed mix, sprinkling half the grass seeds in one direction and the rest in the other. Lightly rake over the seed and protect it against birds with netting.
- Alternatively, cut out the bare patch of lawn, rake the soil and add topsoil if needed then patch the gap with new pieces of turf.
From turf out for a spring sowing, I recommend waiting 8-12 weeks before walking on grass.
A common question that we get asked is “will grass seed germinate on the surface of the soil?†The simple answer to this is yes. In fact, it's important not to bury your seed because the young grass shoots cannot break through if there is too much soil on top of them.
High temperatures over 90 can kill the plant inside the seed.
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.
In many cases, planting grass seed in summer is not preferable, considering that many popular grasses are warm-season grasses. For these types, planting grass seed in May or around May is the last opportunity. However, there are many types of cool-season grasses that can be grown after the middle of May.
You can plant grass seed immediately after applying fertilizer. Please make sure there is no weed preventer in the fertilizer, as this will also prevent the grass seed from germinating.
Spread the soil using something flat, like the back side of a heavy garden rake, working it into aeration holes and covering low spots. Make sure the top-dressing is no more than 1” deep (preferably ½” or less) over the existing grass. Keep working the mixture until your grass peeks through and the depth is even.
Early to mid-autumn is a great time to start a new lawn from seed. Air temperatures are milder, but the soil is still warm, which encourages lawn seed to germinate, and the lawn will have time to start establishing before the cool winter weather arrives.
They should be about one-quarter to one-half inch apart (obviously no one expects you to actually measure – just eyeball it). If you sow grass seed too thickly, the plants will outcompete each other and their growth will suffer. If you don't sow them thickly enough, weeds may move in.
In late winter, the ground typically freezes and thaws with every night/day cycle. Grass seed will not germinate until the soil reaches about 55 degrees, so you don't have to worry about your grass starting to grow and then being frozen -- it won't happen.
