Best time to put down grass seed

[Phina]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before.

When is the best time (month not hour ) to put down the grass seed?

 

[Baja28]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before.

When is the best time (month not hour ) to put down the grass seed?

September.

 

[itsbob]

Spring isn't a bad time to put seed down, not the best, but FAR from the worst.

I spread about 50 pounds yesterday and had the perfect rain today to get a good germination.. as long as we don't get pounded tomorrow and the seed gets washed away should be ok.

 

[Phina]

I think I'll give it a go if it doesn't rain this weekend.

Thanks

 

[aps45819]

order some zoysia plugs and you're done once it fills in.

Zoysia Farm Nurseries: Welcome!

 

[gabefun]

April, depending on the weather ...

 

[itsbob]

I threw 100 pounds of seed out in November and it's coming up great.. I aslo put another 50 pounds down 3 days ago.. I think it will do great too.

 

[toppick08]

Depends on the variety of grass you are using.......

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

I threw 100 pounds of seed out in November and it's coming up great.. I aslo put another 50 pounds down 3 days ago.. I think it will do great too.

What kind of seed did you use Bob. Im going to seed an area this weekend from where I had some drains put in the yard last December, they finished the same day we got our big snowstorm. Its and area about 45 feet long by 8-10 wide, they seeded it when they finished digging and put straw over it but nothing has come up this spring and I need to smooth it and level it out since some places settled. Its close to the house and its a sunny location.

 

[itsbob]

What kind of seed did you use Bob. Im going to seed an area this weekend from where I had some drains put in the yard last December, they finished the same day we got our big snowstorm. Its and area about 45 feet long by 8-10 wide, they seeded it when they finished digging and put straw over it but nothing has come up this spring and I need to smooth it and level it out since some places settled. Its close to the house and its a sunny location.

Last year I put down the cheapest seed I could find that included Ky Blue.. last weekend I put down Kentucky 31. All bought at Lowes.

 

[Rael]

What kind of seed did you use Bob. Im going to seed an area this weekend from where I had some drains put in the yard last December, they finished the same day we got our big snowstorm. Its and area about 45 feet long by 8-10 wide, they seeded it when they finished digging and put straw over it but nothing has come up this spring and I need to smooth it and level it out since some places settled. Its close to the house and its a sunny location.

I'm thinking it's a little early for new seed to come up. Consistent days above 60 is when I think you'll see last year's seeds (could be wrong).

Last year I put down the cheapest seed I could find that included Ky Blue.. last weekend I put down Kentucky 31. All bought at Lowes.

I used a watersaver brand at Sneade's (Ace) that has RTF (some trademark, under ground rooting type of tall fescue) last year that worked okay. This afternoon I'm sowing some more of it in bare spots, we'll see how it turns out. I wouldn't put too much faith in the term "WaterSaver", either. They all need a lot of water.

 

[itsbob]

I'm thinking it's a little early for new seed to come up. Consistent days above 60 is when I think you'll see last year's seeds (could be wrong).

:

Has to be last years seed. I hit the entire field with round up last fall, and killed EVERYthing.

In November I spread the seed, and it started showing up the same day or the day after I threw some seed this year.

 

[Rael]

Has to be last years seed. I hit the entire field with round up last fall, and killed EVERYthing.

In November I spread the seed, and it started showing up the same day or the day after I threw some seed this year.

I'm seeing grass green up, but not a whole lot of growth yet. Maybe the snow flattened it too much.

Curious, how long after you put Round Up did you re-seed? I'd figure on not putting anything out there for a while, just to make sure the Round Up doesn't kill the new seed.

 

[itsbob]

I'm seeing grass green up, but not a whole lot of growth yet. Maybe the snow flattened it too much.

Curious, how long after you put Round Up did you re-seed? I'd figure on not putting anything out there for a while, just to make sure the Round Up doesn't kill the new seed.

The container said two weeks.. I waited a month.

It took at LEAST three weeks before the entire field was dead..

What was funny (to me) is we have ONIONS everywhere down here. The entire field is DEAD except ONE single clump of 10 or so onions.. beautiful green carpet coming up, and ONE big clump of onions. Sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

I'm thinking it's a little early for new seed to come up. Consistent days above 60 is when I think you'll see last year's seeds (could be wrong).

Well I did start to see some seeds coming up last Friday after those warm days we had, but it wasnt much. Got out there Saturday and did some tilling and leveling, had it looking nice, with just a bit of a dip from the patio so water could drain nicely, threw about 20 pounds of seed out there, put the straw back on top and now the seed is proably somewhere out in the Potomac after the heavy rains last night, only good thing the little dips or channels we made in the yard to drain water away from the house worked great.

 

[rickl5296]

Last year I put down the cheapest seed I could find that included Ky Blue.. last weekend I put down Kentucky 31. All bought at Lowes.

It all depends on what your expectations are. If you don't mind a lawn full of inferior grasses, then what Bob did is ok. However, if you are looking to establish a fine lawn, then you need to find the best blend of tall fescue you can find that is free of weeds.

Spring is not the best time to seed for a few reasons. 1.) Weed control (both summer annual and perrennial broadleaf) and seeding do not mix. You can not do both at the same time because weed control will always effect seed germination. Your new lawn will quickly be a bed of weeds (crabgrass) by July 4 2.) Sure, the grass will fill in and baby grass always looks good in the first tiller stage, but young grass does not do well when the hot weather hits. Last year was one in 20 with the rain we had and spring seeding worked ok. But that is no guarantee.

Fall is the best time to seed. Summer annual weeds are at the end of their lifecycle and your new lawn has plenty of time to get well established. Once again, it depends on what you expect your lawn to look like.

 

[toppick08]

It all depends on what your expectations are. If you don't mind a lawn full of inferior grasses, then what Bob did is ok. However, if you are looking to establish a fine lawn, then you need to find the best blend of tall fescue you can find that is free of weeds.

Spring is not the best time to seed for a few reasons. 1.) Weed control (both summer annual and perrennial broadleaf) and seeding do not mix. You can not do both at the same time because weed control will always effect seed germination. Your new lawn will quickly be a bed of weeds (crabgrass) by July 4 2.) Sure, the grass will fill in and baby grass always looks good in the first tiller stage, but young grass does not do well when the hot weather hits. Last year was one in 20 with the rain we had and spring seeding worked ok. But that is no guarantee.

Fall is the best time to seed. Summer annual weeds are at the end of their lifecycle and your new lawn has plenty of time to get well established. Once again, it depends on what you expect your lawn to look like.

depends on the type of grass you want....not all nice lawns are fescue here, my friend.

 

[rickl5296]

I certainly agree. Everyone has a different opinion about what a fine lawn is for them. If you do not mind the lawn being brown until May, then you may want to choose a warm season grass like Zoysia. However, if you want your lawn green most of the year then you sould use a blend of improved varieties of tall fescue and kentucky bluegrass.

 

[toppick08]

I certainly agree. Everyone has a different opinion about what a fine lawn is for them. If you do not mind the lawn being brown until May, then you may want to choose a warm season grass like Zoysia. However, if you want your lawn green most of the year then you sould use a blend of improved varieties of tall fescue and kentucky bluegrass.

Bermuda grass makes a great lawn, if you don't mind the xtra work on it...and the brown in winter, seeds well, very aggressive once it gets going, zoysia is great but is a sod, plug lay down....Consider bent grass also...

Happy Spring all....

 

[rickl5296]

Bermuda grass makes a great lawn, if you don't mind the xtra work on it...and the brown in winter, seeds well, very aggressive once it gets going, zoysia is great but is a sod, plug lay down....Consider bent grass also...

Happy Spring all....

Only plant bermuda (turftype) or colonial bentgrass if you are a golf course superintendant and have a very large budget for your lawn. Oh, and don't forget the sprinkler system and the greens mower.