How to Plant Grass Seed
Planting grass seed.
Planting grass seed is a pretty simple process, but there are a few things that you should know.
What Kind of Grass Seed Should I Buy?
There are People in Your Town that Would
Love to Buy Small Plants from You. Seriously!
Click to learn more.
First let’s start with selecting a good grass seed for your situation and some mistakes to avoild. It’s best to buy a grass seed that is made up of a variety of different kinds of grass seeds all blended together.
Why a blend? Why not just 100% Kentucky Blue Grass?
There are several reasons for using a blend of grass seeds in your lawn. Like all living things grass seeds can be attacked by different pests or conditions and if you have only one kind of grass seed in your lawn you could lose your entire lawn to an attack from insect, disease or other pest.
For instance, perennial rye grasses can be killed by pythium blight which is a disease that is triggered by really humid conditions. This isn’t something to be overly concerned about if you have a blend of grasses in your lawn because the Kentucky blue grasses and the fescue grasses won’t be affected by the blight.
But you want perennial rye grasses in your lawn because they are quick germinating, they have a nice green color and most of the varieties used today have a fine texture, almost as fine as Kentucky blue grass.
Secondly, it takes Kentucky blue grass a long time to germinate, up to 28 days, whereas perennial rye grasses can germinate in as few as 5 or 6 days. Quick germination is important because if you planted a lawn of 100% Kentucky blue grass chances are the lawn will be full of quick germinating weeds before the Kentucky blue has a chance to even come up. So when you use a blend of grass seed, the fast germinating perennial rye grasses act as a nurse crop protecting the Kentucky blue grass seeds while they go through their long germination period.
The Price of Grass Seed Matters.
Like everything else, with grass seed you get what you pay for. My suggestion is to go to a place that sells bulk grass seed, maybe a full service garden center or farm supply store and shop price. Find a good middle of the road blend of grass seed. Don’t buy the lowest price and don’t buy the highest priced seed. If you buy really cheap grass seed it’s likely to have a lot of annual rye grass and other not so desireable grasses. You’ll end up with a lawn with a lot of thick bladed grasses that would be more suitable for a pasture.
A good blend of grass seed will have a blend of different kinds of fescues, different kinds of perennial rye grasses and some Kentucky blue grass. Don’t get too worked up over the percentages because I don’t believe that the percentage of Kentucky blue grass in a pound of grass seed is acurate or relevant because Kentucky blue grass seeds are really, really tiny and have a lot more seeds per pound than do rye grasses. I was once told that in a pound of perennial rye grass there are approxiamtely 250,000 seeds whereas a pound of Kentucky blue grass will have close to 1.5 million seeds per pound! True or not? I don’t know. If you count them let me know what you find.
But in any cases, use a blend of grass seed and opt for the middle to upper price range of seed. If you live in the south where grasses are warm season grasses the same rules apply, it’s just that the kinds of grass you have differ.
Preparing the Ground Before Planting Grass Seed.
Before you start preparing the area you want to seed, give it a quick visual evaluation. Is it weedy? Does it contain thick bladed, undesirable grasses that you don’t want in your lawn? If so, I highly recommend that you first spray the area with an non selective herbicide that will not linger in the soil. I use something that contains glyphosate. But keep in mind, non selective means that the herbicide will kill any and all vegetation that it touches so read the label and wear the proper protective clothing. Once you apply the herbicide you usually only have to wait about 72 hours then you can till under the weeds that you sprayed. They may not look dead yet, but they are.
If you prefer to not use an herbicide then just till the weedy areas. Wait about 5 days, till them again, and keep repeating this process. This constant turning then drying will kill the weed and any roots in the soil as well. I’d continue this process for at least two or three weeks.
You need to prepare the soil before you plant grass seed. If you just sprinkle the grass seed on hard packed soil as soon as it rains or you water all of the seed will wash into puddles and you’ll have a lawn full of bare spots.
To prepare the soil you should work the soil to a depth of about 2″ to 3″ then rake the soil smooth, but leaving small clumps of soil won’t hurt a thing and will actually help to hold the seed in place. By working the soil before planting you are giving the soil the ability to absorb water and not have it all run off. This allows the seed to get wet and become slightly embedded in the soil without it washing away. If you work the soil too deep it will be difficult to get it raked out and it will later settle into a very uneven surface.
Planting the Grass Seed.
Once you have the soil prepared you want to spread the seed evenly over the area to be seeded. A good rule of thumb for planting a blend of grass seed is 5 lbs. per one thousand square feet but I suggest you read the label on the bag or talk to your seed supplier just to make sure of what they recommend.
Just sprinkle the grass seed over the surface of the soil. If you use a rotary type of spreader you will get good even coverage. You can buy a spreader with wheels that you push, or if you are doing a relatively small area they make small hand held spreaders that you crank. Either one works just fine. Once you have all the seed applied what I do is take a push broom and drag the push broom over the surface of the area that I just seeded. What this does is lightly mixes the seed and the soil and covers some of the seed with a light layer of soil. This aids in germination and also hides the seeds from the birds. But don’t over do it. Just drag the broom backwards with a slight amount of down pressure.
Mulching Over Grass Seed.
Once you have applied the grass seed to your lawn you should apply some kind of a mulch over the seeded area. There are a number of options. Straw is the old standard and considered somewhat old fashioned, but straw has it’s advantages. When you spread straw over your seeded area the straw lays in a criss cross pattern and some of the staw is against the seed and the soil and some of the straw is slightly elevated over the seeded areas because it is criss crossed. Think about the size of a grass seed and how tiny it is. With a single strand of straw suspened over a grass seed that single strand of straw actually provides a great deal of shade over the seeded area like latice over a patio. That’s one of the advantages of straw. The disadvantage? It blows all over the place.
What about peat moss?
I don’t like using peat moss over grass seed because peat moss is either wet or dry. When it’s dry it’s hard to get wet. It actually repels water. Once it’s wet it stays wet and if you keep it wet it’s fine. But if it dries out it’s difficult to re wet it. Is peat moss terrible to use over grass seed? No, but it doesn’t provide the shade that straw does.
What about Grass Seed Starter Mulch?
You know, the green stuff in a bag that looks like hydro mulch? I actually like this stuff because most it also contains just the right amount of starter fertilizer for grass seed and it’s easy to apply by hand or with a spreader. When it gets wet it swells up and hold moisture pretty well. I’ve used it a number of times with really good results. I like it.
What about Hydro Seed?
Hyrdo seed shmyro seed! Hydro seed is okay but there is no magic in hydro seed. Hydro seed contains three things. Grass seed, whatever kind you select, hydro mulch which is okay but nothing special, and fertilizer. I’ve done a lot of hydro seeding and I can assure you, hydro seed works exactly like I describe above. When you hydro seed you fill a big tank with water, then you dump in grass seed, hydro mulch and fertilizer. Sometimes if you are seeding on a hill they dump in glue. Yes, glue. Does the glue work? I dunno. It holds for a while but when it does wash it takes large areas with it.
The big advantage to hydro seed is that the seed is thoroughly soaked before it is applied. So if you seed manually then water really well you’ve accomplished the same thing. Hydro seed can and will wash out easier than a hand seeded lawn. And with hydro seed everything is mixed together then applied as a slurry. But this means that some of the grass is in touch with the soil and some of it is stuck to the hydro mulch and is actually on top of the mulch instead of under it.
So . . . if you’ve got a lot of money and don’t want to do the work yourself let somebody hydro seed the area for you, but don’t think that only a hydro seeded lawn will grow. Grass seed is grass seed and the only difference between hydro seeding and hand seeding is the application process.
Take Care of Freshly Planted Lawn.
Freshly planted grass seed needs to be watered on a regular basis. You have to be really careful to not miss a watering because once you water the grass seed the first time germination is initiated. If you miss a watering allow the seed to dry out once it has germinated the little tiny grass plant will die and the seed will be spent. That’s why watering after you seed is so critical. Those little tiny grass plants are really, really fine, like baby hair. If you let them dry out they will die for sure.
That’s why I like seeding in the mid fall or early spring. The soil temperature and air temperatures are warm enough for good germination but the sun is not as hot as it is during the summer months. Spring and fall are the ideal time for planting grass seed. And it usually rains more in the fall and spring.
Okay, what did I miss?
It’s amazing how you always know what information I’m in need of at a particular time!
Do you have a special ESP connection?
thanks for the advice on seeding a lawn patch. I failed the first time I tried, but did it again (wrong time of year, I know!!) and from your article, I should be successful.
Keep the info coming!
M.O.S.
M.O. I try really hard to send out information that people need when they need it. If only folks knew how long it takes to get ready to send one of these newsletters, I have to do a lot of writing before hand and make multiple blog posts. Not complaining, just hope folks realize how time a person spends on this type of work. Sometimes I drive all over just to get a few photos that then have to be edited etc. But I’ve been doing it for 13 years, it must appeal to me.
I truly appreciate you Mike and Pam
If this forum had a like button I would have liked your comment. Thank you.
Thanks Mike, learned more from your message than off the bag of seed and or fertilizer!!
Mike,
Thank you so much for all the helpful info you provide. I have thought about doing the gardening,but I’m older now and cannot be out in heat due to MS. I live out in the country and have the space. It’s probably harder to do the gardening out like this. It would probably be hard to get enough people to come out ahead with it.
Thank you though for all the great info. I’m like another person who said you always seem to know what to put in your emails just the right time. I’ll let you know how my grass planting comes out.We have lots of shade trees and not much sun can penetrate through.
Happy planting,
Sandra
I had to replant an area because the city dug up a portion of my lawn. Being an ex-concrete finisher,I used an 8′screed to level the ground,(yes,shovel,& rake too,to get out the large rock’s)& spread the seed mix,bought at Lowes,by hand,& covered it with straw. I have a great looking lawn. At least the dug up part.haha Really,my whole lawn look’s good!
Michael, that’s funny. I guess we all use the tools we are most comfortable with. I like to sit in a wheelbarrow and eat lunch and I’m sure you have as well.
Two things I would add to your article. First, after the soil has been worked over, an application of 5-7 pounds of lime per 1000 square feet. Allow that to be rained on a couple of times, a good rain.
Next apply 10-10-10 granular fertilizer at the exact same time you seed in at the rate of about 5 pounds per 1000 square feet. Best time to seed in would be middle to late September, though seeding on top of the last snow works very well too if the soil was preped in the fall.
Great article Mike! Now I need to know how to get grass to grow on rocks.
I sure enjoy your emails!
hi..did he know how to get grass to grow on rocks..and, last? I moved from the city to a semi-rural area, into new construction. Found out, much too late, that the builders were scraping the topsoil off, selling it, and, replacing it with many, many, many rocks. Help!!!! After over 30 years of slowly removing as much as I could..one year with a bad back and hiring help raking in the fall caused most of them to be raked back into the lawn (they wanted it to look neater than all those rocks around the edge of the lawn. Please issue an IQ test to be used before hiring help around your yard. I couldn’t drive, and barely walk until this spring. There were places that I roto-tilled over 2 and a half feet..that section is so bad that after a couple of days, I just stood and cried…please warn people about new construction and new hires. thanks, alice
Do you have any hints on planting bermuda grass seed? Thank You
Pat, I have no experience with Bermuda grass but I would have to assume you plant the seed just like we plant grass seed here in the north.
what is so magical about Aug 15 for seeding your lawn? I live in Eastern Maryland.
Mike, I just had my yard graded. What tips do you have for a new lawn?
Thanks, we need this infomation in OK. I have one question, what mixture fo seed do you suggest for shaded yards?
I’ve been trying to re-seed my lawn. I STARTED in the spring, like you (and everyone else) suggest, but I just have a small tiller, and really can’t till more than 100 square feet in an evening after work, maybe 200 on a saturday or sunday. So summer hit long before I was finished.
Right now, I have planted maybe 1500 square feet with a cheap brand of fescue mix, and 500 square feet with a Pennington coated shade-tolerant fescue mix (on the shady part of my yard). When the temperature wasn’t in the 90s or higher, it was all coming up, except in a few spots. But when it started getting hot, only the stuff in the shade came up. But I don’t know if that’s because it was cooler under the shade, or because the seed was better, or maybe a combination.
Anyway, I’ve notice, since it started getting really hot, that even where the grass sprouted, it’s being choked out by the ugly grass that was there before I tilled. Guess I should have put more Roundup on it. Also, the weeds are coming back. It’s not quite so bad in the shady areas, but even there, the new grass is competing with the previous grass (though it does look like I’ve gotten rid of the moss, at least). But in the sunny areas, I can see little if any of the grass that I planted, just the old grass and weeds. And about half of it never emerged at all, either because it was too hot when I got around to planting it, or because the soil is so hard.
The last hundred square feet I planted, after tilling, I mixed in some muck from the ditch down by the road. In addition to being very wet, this foul-smelling muck is rich in organic matter. Didn’t seem to help, but again, it was planted when temps were well into the 90s.
I’ve given up on it for now, thinking it’s way too hot for the seed to grow, even if I did everything right. I might just start over in the fall. But my problem is, I have 10,000+ square feet of lawn, and between my job and my tiny tiller, I can’t till more than 1,000 square feet a week. So how long is this window in the fall for optimal planting time?
Also, the seed I planted after it got too hot – do you think it’s DEAD? Or is it just waiting for the temperatures to get cool before it germinates? And the seed that’s still in the bag – the bag has been outside, under my porch, so it didn’t get wet, but it does get some directd sunlight in the morning. Do you think the heat might have affected it? Or can I still plant it in the fall? Not sure I want to, because it’s the cheap stuff that got choked out by the old grass. But I’m not sure I can afford to plant 10,000 square feet with the good stuff.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Trevor
Trevor, the reason that you only have grass in the shaded areas is because the seed in the sunny areas germinated but dried out and died when the hot summer sun hit. It wasn’t bad seed or anything like that. I’ve seen this many times. The seed germinates just fine, but when it’s hot and sunny you really need to water at least two or three times a day. For most people that’s not practical. That’s why I advocate early spring and fall for planting grass seed.
Trust me, I used to install lawns and summer is just flat out challenging to grass seed.
I suddently see a lot of crabgrass invading my lawn. What can I do now. I’m in Long Island, NY and temperatures are about 80-90 right now. I’m concerned that if I don’t do something now I’ll wind up with a crabgras lawn.
Any suggestions?
Norma, the easiest way to deal with crabgrass is apply a lawn treatment designed to get rid of crabgrass then about 10 days later reseed the area. You really don’t have to nor should you dig the area up. You have crabgrass because your lawn is thin or drought damaged. Re seeding will help a lot.
Mike perfect timing on seed planting, thank you.
Have numerous dead spots in my St.Augustine lawn due to chinch bugs and other critters. Spread insecticides several times to no avail. Also used weed and feed to kill weeds encroaching from neighbors’ yards with similar results. Considering ripping it all out and planting Bahia grass, which is more resistant to bugs, but really looks awful in cool months in central Fla. To Bahia, or not to Bahia; that is my question!!
Mike, I seeded my lawn about 4 days ago with Winning Colors Plus (tall fescue/blue grass mix) and so far so good. However, I noticed in the forecast that it will hit 90 degrees in 3 days. Should last about a day, then back to low 80′s/upper 70′s. Do I need to be concerned?
Mike, I always enjoy the information you send. This one about planting grass seed is where I have a question. I have many spots that have turned brown. I intend to deep rake, sow seed and cover with grass clippings. What do you think. Strew I know is better, but the grass clippings are free.
Thank you, your the best.
Terry
Mike, your site has been very helpful. I have a yard that was chocked with weeds. I’ve killed the weeds (well, most of them) and now have a yard with a lot of bare spots. I have about 30 lbs of grass seed… Rye, fine fescues, and k.blue and bentgrass… I don’t want to till. Can I just spread the seed? And what can I do to help it along? The rain starts next week (Oregon) so that is when i’m planning on planting. thank you ~ Mary
Mary, you don’t have to til those bare spots. If you could loosen the soil slightly or just poke some holes in the areas that are completely bare that would help. I’m just concerned that if you spread the seed on completely bare areas that are smooth, the rain will was the grass seed to the edges of the bare spots. But if the soil is slightly soft, apply the seed, then press it against the soil so it sticks in place. Placing straw over the seeded areas is good, but it can be messy.
You can also buy seed starter mulch, usually blue or green in color and it contains a seed starter fertilizer. When the mulch pellets get wet they swell up and do a good job of holding moisture against the seed. By all means seed right now to take advantage of fall rain and warm sun.
hi mike. is there any type of glue spray that i can use in my pump sprayer to keep the straw from blowing of my newly seeded lawn? i have about a 23 x 23 ft area that i put down
5 days ago. put down a light layer of straw and wet it down.
next morning where was the straw? not on my yard!!
it was all over the neighbors yards!!! i raked up straw for
4 hours!!!whew!what a mess.sure would be nice to put the straw down and spray it with a glue like substance to keep it from blowing all over the place and not impede the grass seed growth. thank you mike
Mike,
Chances are not. They do make a glue that is used when hydro seeding but I don’t know that it’s available nor would it work with straw. Some stretch strings across the yard. Best thing is to wet it and hope for the best. Early spring the lawn will likely be fine without it.
I have a question: the “grass seed starter mulch” in the “green bag”–can you tell me the name of the product? I am looking online on amazon right now & I think you mean “Encap Llc 12# fast acting lawn starter mulch kit” but I am not sure. Also, I can’t tell if this product has seed in it already or not. I am hoping not b/c I already ordered the mixed seed, as you suggested. I just want to get the right mulch to cover the seed, when it gets here next week. thanks for your article.
Cheryl,
I honestly don’t know the name of the product. It’s just mulch and starter fertilizer, no seed.
hi mike ,thanks and love your site! great show
Hi Mike, I just planted a new lawn and did not put starter fertilizer down when I seeded. It has been about 3 weeks and the grass has started growing. Is it too late to add any kind of fertilizer?
Todd,
At this point since the grass is so young and tender I’d wait until it’s been there for at least 90 days. Just keep it watered and it should be fine. It will be a little pale, but first shot of fertilizer will green it right up.
When installing new yard should you roll ground to compact soil. Had about 8 inches added in some areas and it is very soft to walk on. Should this have been rolled with a weighted roller??
Todd,
If the ground is really soft it probably would be a good idea to compact it a bit so you don’t end up with all kinds of un-uniform settling. But if you compact it much you should loosen the top 1″ or so to get a good seed bed before planting. Or . . . sow the seed, then roll with a weighted, but not super heavy roller. That will compact the soil while at the same time pressing the seed into the soil which will help and speed germination.
Now I realize somebody is going to come along and tell me that compacting a lawn before or while planting is counter productive. But I don’t want you to compact it like a highway. All you want to do is eliminate settling that will ruin your lawn.
Mike,
I had the yard seeded and have about 3 inches of growth. I know it was not rolled prior to seeding and now i sink when walking on it. I will not be able rake the yard or mow. Can anything be done at this point? I have the company coming out to look at the problem. I need your advice.