How to Plant a Winter Lawn

Wait until the fall, when the grass goes dormant, to overseed your lawn. Make sure that your lawn has been established for at least a year before overseeding it with cool-season perennial rye seed to create a winter lawn.

Mow your lawn grass down to 3/4 inch in height to prepare it for overseeding. Reserve the grass clippings for later use.

Overseed your lawn with 15 lbs. of perennial rye seed per every 1,000 square feet. Spread one half of your perennial rye seed over your lawn in a single direction. Turn 90 degrees and broadcast the remaining perennial rye seed over your lawn.

Rake in the perennial rye seed to ensure that the seeds are able to make contact with the surface of the soil. Rake gently to avoid damaging your lawn's stolons, roots or rhizomes.

Spread 1/2 inch of the reserved grass clippings over the surface of your lawn to serve as a natural mulch.

Water the overseeded winter lawn three times a day for the first two weeks. Water for at least 10 minutes each time to ensure that the moisture has an opportunity to sink into the soil. Reduce the frequency of watering to once a day after the perennial rye seedlings have emerged from the soil.

Wait to mow your winter lawn until the grass has grown to a height of at least 3 inches. Keep your winter lawn well manicured by mowing the grass to between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 inches tall.