Proper Time to Use Grass Seed

Warm Season Grass

• Warm-season grass thrives in hot temperatures. Grass types include zoysiagrass, St. Augustine, Bermudagrass, centipede and bahiagrass. Gardeners living in the Southern United States typically plant grass seed in the spring when soil temperatures. Soil temperatures must be above 65 degrees for warm-season grass types like Bermudagrass to germinate. Monitor your soil temperature by pressing a soil thermometer into the ground for two to four days to ensure that it remains steady.

Cool Season Grass

• Cool-season grasses such as bluegrasses, fescues and ryegrass, are generally grown in the Northern United States. Gardeners plant these grasses in early fall when summer temperatures cool. Kentucky bluegrass must have soil temperatures about 60 degrees for root growth. Although soil temperatures may be cool in the spring, planting cool-season grass before the summer injuries the grass. Tall fescue grass succumbs to hot temperatures and fungal diseases when planted in the spring, according to Texas A&M University.

Transition Zone

• The transition zone consists of the area between the Northern and Southern states. Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and North Carolina are some of the states making up this planting zone. This zone experiences cold winters and hot summers, which makes growing turfgrass difficult. Gardeners may need to plant both warm- and cool-season grass types in their yard to achieve a green turf for most of the year.

Other Factors

• Plant grass seed only after preparing the soil in your yard. Till the first 6 inches to break up clumps and remove any vegetation. Grass seed needs starter fertilizer to establish string root systems. Use a starter fertilizer high in phosphorous that contributes nutrients to the new seedlings. Work 20 lbs. of fertilizer with a NPK amount of 5-10-5 per 1,000 square feet into the first 2 to 4 inches of topsoil before seeding, according to the University of California.