How to Calculate Bags of Seed Per Square Foot

Laying a new lawn from seed is an ambitious but worthwhile and cost-effective outdoor landscaping project. While it doesn't offer the immediate gratification of a brand new, freshly sodded lawn, seeding a lawn can breathe new life into your front or back yard and over time will look just as good as one started from sod. After selecting the type of grass seed you want to sow, making sure you have enough of it is the most important step in seeding your lawn.

Tape measure
Calculator
Pen and paper

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the dimensions of your new or existing lawn area with a tape measure. Write down the width and length in feet and inches for both your front and back yards as well as side strips that run along the street on the curbside of the sidewalks around your property.
- 2
  Use a calculator to multiply the length by the width for each part of your yard and add the figures together to get the total area, in square feet, that you need to cover with seed.
- 3
  Take your calculations with you to the store where you purchase your grass seed. Read the labels on the backs of the bags of seed you are considering to determine how many square feet each bag of seed covers. Buy the appropriate number of bags to cover the entire area of your lawn. Understand that bags of seed are often packaged by weight and that 1/2 pound of seed is generally sufficient to cover 100 square feet of lawn area.

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