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When to Plant Winter Grass

Winter grass, or cool season grass, is commonly planted in the northern regions of the United States. Cool-season grass types include Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and ryegrass. Gardeners must plant their winter lawn at the right time or the grass can burn up from the summer heat. Plant the grass when the soil temperatures have lowered to ensure grass seed germination.

  1. Timing

    • Gardeners should monitor their daytime and nighttime temperatures when weather starts to cool at the end of summer. Grass seeds like fescue need daytime temperatures between 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Texas A&M University, soil temperatures should be around 60 degrees for Kentucky bluegrass seeds to germinate. Check your soil temperatures by pressing a soil thermometer into the soil. Make sure that the weather will stay on the cooling trend. You do not want to plant winter grass and have it die out because of a heat spell.

    Weeds

    • Winter grass should be planted when weeds have been eradicated from the lawn. Weeds compete with grass seeds for the soil's nutrients and can prevent them from germinating or spreading over the lawn. It is best to use a herbicide that contains glysophate when removing weeds and not a pre-emergent herbicide. Glysophate is optimal, because it does not stay in the soil as long as other herbicide types. A pre-emergent herbicide will not kill off existing weeds and it can prevent winter grass from germinating.

    Fertilizer

    • A starter fertilizer should be applied to the lawn before you plant your winter grass. Starter fertilizer adds nutrients to the soil so that grass can germinate and establish a strong root system. You can use a starter fertilizer with an NPK amount of 5-10-5 at an application rate of 20 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. It is important to water the soil after application to help activate the the fertilizer.

    Day

    • While you can seed lawns with winter grass in the rainy season, it is best to pick a dry day to reduce the amount of grass seeds that may wash away after seed distribution. Furthermore, grass seed should be covered with 1/8 inch of compost. If you choose a rainy day, you can lose a lot of the compost by the end of the day. You do want your soil moist when you seed your winter lawn, but avoid saturating the soil.

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Growing Grass
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