Best Time To Plant Grass Seed

Planting Grass seed is really simple – but planting it at the right time is much harder than you think!

The main reason behind this is the simple fact that there are a lot of things at play here. Things that you must consider range from geographical matters up to the specific grass breed that you use!

So, when is the best time to plant grass seed?

Let’s find out in today’s article here at Turf Mechanic!

We’ll dissect this questions and touch on many other elated questions and concepts too like:

  • How early can you plant grass seed in the spring?
  • What month is best to put grass seed down?
  • What times of the year should I plant grass seed?
  • When is it too late to plant grass seed?
  • How cold is too cold for grass seed?
  • Can new grass seed survive a frost?
  • Will grass seed grow if not covered?
  • Can you put down too much grass seed?
  • How long does grass seed last in the bag?
  • Will grass seed grow if I just throw it down?
  • Can you walk on grass seed?
  • Can you put down grass seed and fertilizer at the same time?
  • Can I use grass clippings to cover new seed?
  • Do I fertilize or seed first?
  • How often should grass seed be watered?
  • How can I make grass seed grow faster?
  • Should you rake in grass seed?
  • How do I protect my grass seed from heavy rain?
  • When should I mow my newly seeded lawn?
  • How do you overseed an existing lawn?
  • Can you soak grass seed water before planting?
  • Does cutting grass make it grow faster?
  • When should I seed my lawn in the fall?
  • When should I aerate my lawn?
  • What is the best month to aerate my lawn?
  • How often should I aerate my lawn?

Yes, you read that right- we’re going to talk about when is the best time to plant grass seed and all those other related topics in this article.

It isn’t too hard to figure out, although there sure are a lot of things to keep in mind.

So, if you want to be a smart lawn owner, don’t forget to stick with us till the end of the article- you will surely be glad that you did at the end of the article, when you would know a lot more about this that you would actually be able to implement in your lawn!

What are the main things that you must keep in mind?

Things that you must keep in mind range all the way from geographical factors, through your overall level of attention and dedication to gardening up to the simple fact that which grass variety you might want to go with.

Honestly, there are just so many micro factors that it’s pretty much impossible to sum each and every single on of them up in any article. However, here are a few of the most important ones, the ones that you simply cannot afford to ignore:

  • The Climatic Factor: The climatic factor is something that requires the highest amount of attention! The climatic factor combines the temperature, precipitation as well as the form of precipitation. For example, it speaks about all the climatic zones as well as the special climatic features of your area that you need to consider, such as snow.
  • The Type of Seed you choose: The precise type of seed that you choose to go with might also play a huge role about when to plant it. Some seeds are better suited for specific periods of the year, and as such, you might actually want to keep in mind what you’re going with. Naturally, this does not always mean that you cannot use them in other seasons- but using them at the right part of the year yields the best results, and you’re not going to settle for anything less when it comes to your lawn, right?
  • Special features of your lawn: Special features of your lawn must also be brought into consideration. Snowing, for instance, is a special climatic feature. However, there might be other features, such as windiness for a specific part of the year, or just shade/no shade for a specific part of the year. You must keep these in mind and choose a part which is comparatively less windy and comparatively less shady, for ideal grass growth.
  • Your Level of Vigilance: Now, this is something you must always keep in mind- your grass requires your attention. So, you should ideally choose a time to plant it when you can give it a little bit more attention. So, that’s something you might want to have in the back of your mind when choosing when to plant your seed.

When is the Best Time to plant Grass Seed?

Planting the seed is something that actually deserves a lot of attention. It is by far one of the most neglected things when it comes to taking care of a lawn properly, and we really hope that you would not commit the same mistakes that so many people already did- you have the right opportunity to learn from their mistakes!

So, the ideal thing to do is to plant your seeds wisely. The right time is one where the seeds get a while to grow into young plants before their preferred season of growth sets in. If it goes on properly, you can find that most of the seeds will germinate and will grow into healthy grass within their growing season!

Now, when is the best time to pasture grass seed, you ask? Well, there are two kinds of seeds, as you might be aware, the ones for warmer areas, and the ones for colder areas. These two are actually planted in different parts of the year, and we might proceed with out discussion in two parts accordingly.

See my full grass growing guide here for more helpful tips – no opt-in needed.

When is the best time to plant grass seed in warm weather?

Well, as you might be able to guess, the time is going to be a little earlier for grasses that grow well in warm weather. This is mostly owing to the fact so that you can make room for them to grow during the actually warm months.

Experts recommend planting them between mid-march and early may to get the best results as the grow during the warm season. I have tried this method in my lawn earlier and the results were actually pretty good, so I can recommend this idea personally. Even you might have already seen grass growing a little faster during the summer months, so you might just as well take the benefit!

Quoting Warner Brothers Seed Company,

Planting warm season perennial grasses should be done when seedlings will have the longest possible period of good growing conditions for establishment. Planting should be timed so that seed can germinate as soon as the favorable growing season begins. Seedling growth may be curtailed by low temperatures, dry weather, or competition from weeds or other vegetation.

Planting in the late spring and early summer is most successful in the southwest were spring rains and summer rains prevail. The exact date depends on the local precipitation pattern, the species used, the method of planting and the time of weedy growth.

In many areas, where fall rains persist and potential frost date is late, (mid November or early December) fall plantings in (late August -September) plantings have been successful. Fall plantings should be done early enough to allow plant growth 60 -90 days before first frost.

When is the best time to plant grass seed in cold weather?

Naturally, the reverse holds true when it comes to the other kind of grass. The grass that grows in comparatively colder weather should ideally be planted a little later so that it can get the weather that it grows well in.

For such kinds of grasses (such as tall Fescue) you might actually be looking to plant them between mid-august and mid-September so that they can grow properly during the rest of the winter. Now, keep in mind that this process is a good idea if only your region isn’t seriously affected by snow.

Quoting YardCareGurus,

For most perennial grasses, planting should be conducted when seedlings will be provided with the longest available period of ideal growing conditions. In case of warm season grasses, the preferred planting period runs from March 15th through May 1st. For cooler season grasses, the ideal planting time lasts from August 15th to September 15th. While planting periods will vary from one community to another, planting should be timed so that the grass seed is able to germinate once the preferred growing season starts.

How much seed should I really use?

Choosing the amount of seed is as important as choosing the right time to plant your seeds. Well, while the actual calculation might vary from soil to soil, from climatic region to region, and even from spot to spot, there are a few general ideas that you might want to go for, which have been tested overtime and have been proven to be effective in most of the cases.

So, if you look at the statistics, it turns out that 8 to 15 pounds of seed per hectare is the ideal amount in 90% of the cases. So, that’s the amount you might actually want to go for if you’re not sure how much you exactly need. Also, you might want to seek advice from a professional or an experienced lawn owner if you aren’t sure about which grass seed you should use.

Ever notice the itch you feel when you’re on grass?

Well, you might have already noticed this one. However, in case you did not notice it, keep it in the back of your mind and you’ll surely notice it- you actually feel a little itchy when you’re on the grass. This is something that you can feel when you spend time on grass with your loved ones.

Well, you might actually be worried that there’s something wrong with the grass. Again, you might also worry about your dermatological health, but there’s no reason to do that! Turns out, grass actually does make you feel itchy by ‘tickling’ your sweat glands a little.

Would you like to find out more about why it exactly makes you itchy and how you might want to look at it? Well, we have prepared an article for you here at Turf Mechanic that addresses exactly this issue! So, you might want to check out our article to know much more about why grass makes you itchy!

Why Does Grass Make You Itchy?

Turf Mechanic is here to serve you all the time!

Finally, we have reached the end of today’s article. We really hope that you could learn at least something new from this article. Hopefully, you would be able to implement these ideas in real and actually make your lawn even more beautiful!

We thank you from the core of our heart to take your time to read this article till the very end. We understand, however, that you might still have a few questions for us. Please know that Turf Mechanic is always here and is always prepared to serve you. So, if you have anything which you think we might be able to assist you with, please do not hesitate in reaching out to us! We look forward to hearing from you!

Once again, thank you for reading this article till the very end. If you liked this article, we have a great idea for you! You might actually want to check out our other articles!

Here are a few to get you started:

So, we hope to see you again on our next article. Please don’t forget to stick around and check back for our upcoming articles! We look forward to having you back as soon as possible! Till then, Turf Mechanic takes your leave! See you again soon, dear reader!

=================

Choosing the right grass seed can be a pretty tough job. You have to consider your lawn, and you also have to consider the climatic zones. At the end of the day, you need to consider specific things such as the level of shade your lawn has, in order to find the perfect choice of grass seed for your lawn.

[Related reading: Click here to  read about the best grass seeds for a lawn with shade]

However, that isn’t all that there is to it. Your problems don’t exactly end once you’ve selected your grass seeds- in fact, they haven’t even begun! The right next thing you want to do once you have your grass seed is plant it.

Now, while you can plant your seeds throughout the year, that is not really the smartest idea out there. Lawn Owners have experimented with this for ages, and they have figured out some specific times. You might want to ideally plant your seeds at these points, because they are the best time to plant pasture grass seed.

In today’s article, we are going to take a look at this. We are going to find out what is the best time to plant pasture grass seed. So, are you ready to actually get started? We hope that this article will be really informative, so please don’t forget to read it till the very end!

What is the Best Time to plant Pasture Grass Seed?

Planting the seed is something that actually deserves a lot of attention. It is by far one of the most neglected things when it comes to taking care of a lawn properly, and we really hope that you would not commit the same mistakes that so many people already did- you have the right opportunity to learn from their mistakes!

So, the ideal thing to do is to plant your seeds wisely. The right time is one where the seeds get a while to grow into young plants before their preferred season of growth sets in. If it goes on properly, you can find that most of the seeds will germinate and will grow into healthy grass within their growing season!

Now, what is the best time to plant pasture grass seed, you ask? Well, there are two kinds of seeds, as you might be aware, the ones for warmer areas, and the ones for colder areas. These two are actually planted in different parts of the year, and we might proceed with out discussion in two parts accordingly.

See my full grass growing guide here for more helpful tips – no opt-in needed.

What is the best time to plant pasture grass seed in warm weather?

Well, as you might be able to guess, the time is going to be a little earlier for grasses that grow well in warm weather. This is mostly owing to the fact so that you can make room for them to grow during the actually warm months.

Experts recommend planting them between mid-march and early may to get the best results as the grow during the warm season. I have tried this method in my lawn earlier and the results were actually pretty good, so I can recommend this idea personally. Even you might have already seen grass growing a little faster during the summer months, so you might just as well take the benefit!

Quoting Warner Brothers Seed Company,

Planting warm season perennial grasses should be done when seedlings will have the longest possible period of good growing conditions for establishment. Planting should be timed so that seed can germinate as soon as the favorable growing season begins. Seedling growth may be curtailed by low temperatures, dry weather, or competition from weeds or other vegetation.

Planting in the late spring and early summer is most successful in the southwest were spring rains and summer rains prevail. The exact date depends on the local precipitation pattern, the species used, the method of planting and the time of weedy growth.

In many areas, where fall rains persist and potential frost date is late, (mid November or early December) fall plantings in (late August -September) plantings have been successful. Fall plantings should be done early enough to allow plant growth 60 -90 days before first frost.

What is the best time to plant pasture grass seed in cold weather?

Naturally, the reverse holds true when it comes to the other kind of grass. The grass that grows in comparatively colder weather should ideally be planted a little later so that it can get the weather that it grows well in.

For such kinds of grasses (such as tall Fescue) you might actually be looking to plant them between mid-august and mid-September so that they can grow properly during the rest of the winter. Now, keep in mind that this process is a good idea if only your region isn’t seriously affected by snow.

Quoting YardCareGurus,

For most perennial grasses, planting should be conducted when seedlings will be provided with the longest available period of ideal growing conditions. In case of warm season grasses, the preferred planting period runs from March 15th through May 1st. For cooler season grasses, the ideal planting time lasts from August 15th to September 15th. While planting periods will vary from one community to another, planting should be timed so that the grass seed is able to germinate once the preferred growing season starts.

Don’t forget to consider the wind!

Wind is one of the factors a lot of people forget to take into consideration. A lot of grasses cannot properly grow in wind even if they are adjusted to the temperature and are planted in a timely manner. So, that is one of the main things you might want to avoid.

But you know what’s the hardest thing to do on a windy lawn? Actually using a sprinkler properly! And that’s something Turf Mechanic understands. We have actually done a bit of a research for you and prepared an article to help you out on this one!

Click here to read about the best lawn sprinklers for a windy lawn!

How much seed should I really use?

Choosing the amount of seed is as important as choosing the right time to plant your seeds. Well, while the actual calculation might vary from soil to soil, from climatic region to region, and even from spot to spot, there are a few general ideas that you might want to go for, which have been tested overtime and have been proven to be effective in most of the cases.

So, if you look at the statistics, it turns out that 8 to 15 pounds of seed per hectare is the ideal amount in 90% of the cases. So, that’s the amount you might actually want to go for if you’re not sure how much you exactly need. Also, you might want to seek advice from a professional or an experienced lawn owner if you aren’t sure about which grass seed you should use.

Turf Mechanic is here to serve you all the time!

Finally, we have reached the end of today’s article. We really hope that you could learn at least something new from this article. Hopefully, you would be able to implement these ideas in real and actually make your lawn even more beautiful!

We thank you from the core of our heart to take your time to read this article till the very end. We understand, however, that you might still have a few questions for us. Please know that Turf Mechanic is always here and is always prepared to serve you. So, if you have anything which you think we might be able to assist you with, please do not hesitate in reaching out to us! We look forward to hearing from you!

Once again, thank you for reading this article till the very end. If you liked this article, we have a great idea for you! You might actually want to check out our other articles!

Here are a few to get you started:

So, we hope to see you again on our next article. Please don’t forget to stick around and check back for our upcoming articles! We look forward to having you back as soon as possible! Till then, Turf Mechanic takes your leave! See you again soon, dear reader!