Grass Seed Planting Times

Species Selection

• Understanding the best times of the year to plant grass seeds requires some prior consideration concerning the type of grass you are growing at home. Each species of grass has a unique season during which it is most beneficial to sow grass seeds. When you purchase grass from a nursery or lawn supply store, ask the staff there what the best time of the year is to plant the grass outside.

General Recommendations

• There are some general recommendations that apply to planting all lawn grasses. According to the Michigan State University Extension, seeds for most grass species should be sown from late August to early September. Planting grass seed during this time of the year not only will provide favorable growing conditions for the grass but will also allow for two peak growing periods before the grass goes into dormancy as hot and dry summer weather sets in.

Dormant Seeding & Early Spring Seeding

• An alternative technique for starting a new lawn from seed is known as dormant seeding, a technique in which seeds are sown outdoors during the winter. Although winter temperatures will keep the seed from germinating until later in the year, subjecting the seeds to winter temperatures benefits some species of grass. Seeding in the early spring is another option, but in general it is less effective than seeding in the late summer or winter. Avoid early spring seeding unless the package instructions on the grass you purchased specifically call for seeding at this time.

Care Tips

• Planting your grass seed at the ideal time of the year, only to lose the grass to poor early care, is counter-intuitive at best. Immediately after seeding, water the lawn for the next seven to 10 days, using several short watering periods per day. Newly planted grass seeds are very prone to drying out and will not germinate if they are too dry, so water enough to keep the soil around the seeds moist at all times.