The Best Time to Seed a Lawn in Central Florida

Warm Season

• Warm season grasses thrive during central Florida's hot, humid summers. Sowing during spring and summer months gives the grass time to get established before winter. Dense, durable Bermuda grass, low maintenance Bahia grass and thick, coarse carpet grass are varieties of warm season grasses commonly grown in central Florida.

Cool Season

• As temperatures drop and the summer rains subside, warm season grasses turn brown and become dormant, leaving the Florida lawn looking dead. To infuse color back into their lawn, homeowners can practice overseeding of temporary cool season grasses. The cool season grass grows quickly, provides a dense cover through winter and dies out when temperatures rise in spring, making way for the permanent grass to actively grow again. The most popular cool season grass seed sown in central Florida is rye grass.

Vegetative Propagation

• Vegetative propagation is the practice of transplanting large or small rooted pieces of grass. Large sections are called sod and small sections are called plugs or sprigs. Vegetative propagation is more costly than seeding but provides the appearance of an established lawn faster than seeding. St. Augustine grass and centipede grass are usually planted by propagation and can be planted any time of year, but avoid planting during cold winters and hot summers.