Fall Grass Seeding Tips

Types

• According to Colorado State University, warm-season grasses such as buffalo grass and blue grama should not be seeded in the cool fall. Cool-season grasses are best for spring and fall planting. Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season grass that grows well in USDA zones 2 to 6. Start this seed early enough to allow for up to a month for germination and another month to establish a root system and 3-inch blades. Fine leaf fescue and perennial rye are also good choices for fall seeding. If you have an established lawn of a particular type of grass and you are planning to patch only, try to use the same seed or seed mixture that is already established. Different varieties may have varying hues of green and patching will be more noticeable and less attractive.

Needs

• Your new grass seed will need to be able to reach the soil. Using a rake, remove any debris such as rocks, twigs or thatch from the area that will be seeded. Your new seed will need moisture and sunlight to germinate. If you are planting in a shady area, be sure and use a shady grass seed such as shade tolerant bluegrass, creeping red fescue, shade-tolerant tall fescue or zoysiagrass.

Sowing

• Use a seed spreader if sowing a large area, or spread the seed by hand. Take care to sow as evenly as possible, as areas that have too much seed may sprout in a nice thick bunch, but may choke each other out in the struggle for nutrients and moisture. Cover your seed lightly with clean straw--not hay--or a light coating of peat to help retain moisture and keep the seed from blowing away or into clumps during the brisk seasonal winds.

Feeding

• Newly sown seed can be planted with a basic fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. Do not use fertilizers that contain a weed control agent as this may sterilize the seed and not allow it to germinate. Make sure to keep the area moist once the seed has sprouted to ensure that the fertilizer does not burn the tender shoots.

Mowing

• Do not mow new grass until it is 3 to 5 inches tall. At this stage of maturity, grass seedlings should have developed strong and deep enough roots to keep the mower from pulling them from the soil. Check your mower for dull blades as they can potentially damage or pull up new seedlings.