Is There A Date That Makes It Too Late
We wish it was as easy as saying a drop-dead date every year for fall lawn seeding, but every fall is different. One October may have snow, and one November another year may have short and T-shirt weather half way into it. Its kind of a guessing game. We typically try to get our fall seeding operations completed by sometime in the first couple weeks of November at the very latest, but we even seed lawns later on athletic fields in a lot of cases after fall sports are complete. Each client who decides to do late fall seeding has communicated with them the proper corresponding expectations on their seeding projects.
If seed manages to germinate and you are mowing it when winter starts to show up, you really shouldnt have any concerns. If your seedlings are small and not yet cut-worthy, its questionable on whether they will survive. In most cases they will be fine, but weather is erratic and out of our control so you never know. Occasionally, seeding can be performed and you may not even see that seed germinate in the Fall because temperatures were never warm enough for germination. In a lot of those cases, when the soil warms up in the Spring youll see your new grass growing.
What To Expect For Next Spring
The success your dormant seeding will depend on the winter conditions. The seed is best protected when we receive snowfall that will cover and protect those areas. You should be able to see germinated seedlings by late April or early May in most years. An assessment can be made at this time if additional overseeding needs to be done.
If the newly seeded areas appear to be a little thin, you shouldn’t necessarily feel your fall efforts were a failure, as it is quite common to have to do a little additional reseeding in the spring. However, do allow enough time for the seeds to come up. Don’t be too hasty to get in and start tearing things up you just may be destroying all of the good work done the previous fall.
If you are certain the dormant seeding did not succeed, the area can always be overseeded the following spring. The light disturbance of the dormant seeded area during an overseeding process should not be a significant problem for the seedlings that have germinated. However, of the young seedlings that are germinating, it is important to not tear them out or destroy them by excessive traffic on the dormant seeded area. Consider fertilizing these areas in May to encourage establishment.
Bob Mugaas, retired Extension educator and Sam Bauer, Extension educator
Reviewed in 2018
Is It Too Late To Seed My Lawn In October
When its October, people often wonder if it is too late to plant new seed. The good news is if you hurry, seed can still be planted in October with the hope that it will survive the upcoming winter. Although September is the best time, often we can still plant grass seed up to October 15 with good results.
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When To Plant Grass Seed In Spring
If you have your heart set on planting grass in spring, early April is, in fact, the best time to do it. But, depending on where you live, spring seeding could come with complications.
Heres the thingspring elements in the Midwest or Northeast are actually great for growing cool seasons grasses. The problem is, weeds also thrive in these elements. That means your grass will be forced to compete with unwelcome weeds as it tries to grow. Not to mention, if springtime weather isnt just right, like for example, the soil is too cold or its overly drenched by rain, you probably wont have much success growing new grass. Also, if your lawn is scheduled to have pre-emergent weed control applications around this time, be aware that this will inhibit grass seed from germinating.
Now, lets say the weather is perfect for planting grass in April. Should you do it?
You could, but theres a chance youll run into issues come summertime. Stressful summer heat could slow or completely stop the growth of cool-season grasses. Warm-season grasses, on the other hand, are meant to be planted in late spring or early summer.
So yes, you can plant cool-season grass in spring, and you should shoot for April if youre doing so. But, your lawn will have a much better chance at survival if you wait until later in the year.
Best Times Of The Year To Seed Your Lawn
If you need to know when is the best time to seed your lawn, you should know that it depends significantly on the area where you live. If your home resides in the North or an area with distinct and separate seasons, and you want to plant cool-weather grass, seed your lawn from the beginning of to the middle of . Do not wait until the end of September.
There must be at least six weeks between the initial seeding and the first frost of winter. If you dont know the date of the first frost, the date is available online. Just google first frost and the city or area code where you live.
If you seed your lawn too close to the date of the first frost, the seeds will not have enough time to germinate in the ground, and the temperature will be too cold for them to do so, and any new roots or sprouts will die.
If you live in the South or a warmer area, and you want to plant warm-weather grass, the plan to sew your lawn from the end of or to the end of .
Note: If you reside in a place that does not experience low temperatures or snow during the winter, then you may be able to plant cool weather grass at any time during the winter, including December, January, February.
These weather factors are especially true if you live close to the equator. If you live anywhere in the South or the Western United States, Mexico or Guatemala, the date of the first frost should not matter if your area has won at all.
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What Month Is Best To Put Grass Seed Down
Several distinct advantages make fall the best time to plant cool-season grass seed. In early autumn, the soil is still warm from months of summer sun. This combination of warm soil, moderate day temperatures and cool evenings encourages fast germination and establishment of newly sown cool-season grass seed.
When Is It Too Late To Aerate And Overseed
Knowing when it is too late to aerate and overseed your lawn depends upon the type of grass grown there.
- For warm-season grasses it is too late to aerate once the growing season has passed in late summer into early fall.
- For cool-season grasses, late fall into early winter is too late to aerate.
New grass needs about six weeks to take hold before winter hits. In either case, it is best to wait until the next growing season to aerate.
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When Is The Best Time To Overseed
The best time to overseed is in the fall for cool-weather grasses.
If you want to overseed in the spring, do it early so that the seeds can take root before summers heat arrives. Combining aeration and overseeding is the best way to enhance your lawns health and appearance. Overseeding is best done after aerating.
Is It Too Late To Seed My Lawn
Did Fall get away from you all of a sudden? November is approaching and you realized you never got around to seeding your lawn this fall? Is it too late to seed?
For a variety of reasons, property owners often find themselves in this lawn care dilemma. Colder temperatures are appearing and its suspiciously looking less than ideal to seed your lawn. The last thing you may want to do is waste your time seeding or paying a lawn care company to do this for you and have it not work.
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Late Season Fescue Overseeding
Macho Mix turf-type tall fescue is a blend of top-performing tall fescues plus 5% turf quality perennial ryegrass. Next-generation turf-type tall fescues in Macho Mix are narrower in leaf texture, darker in color, denser growth habit, and superior disease resistance. Perennial ryegrass blended in Macho Mix gives the fastest germination in cold soils. Its an excellent grass seed for late fall overseeding and spring spot repairs. Macho Mix is a proven performer for kids play areas and dog runs and is an outstanding performer for sun or shade areas. The turf-type tall fescues in Macho Mix retain great color during the winter months and provide a year-round green lawn.
Overseeding Is Better Late Than Never
Some time life causes distractions, and the opportunity for early season overseeding slips by before you know it. We can tell you from our 60 years of experience in the sod industry you can be successful at overseeding and spot repairs well into October. There will be plenty of time to fix most turf problems. Overseeding in October, or as Uncle calls it OctOverseeding, when the days are warm, nights are cool, and soil temperatures remain above 55°, allow grass seed to sprout very quickly. Using top dressings such as sphagnum peat moss or PrimeraFC on repaired or overseeded bare soil areas will give baby roots added protection before the hard freezes of late December. Fertilize with Renovator or Golf Course Starterthe same day as overseeding. This application of turf food drives the root system deep into the soil for fast establishment. At Thanksgiving, fertilize with Snowman winter root builder, and your lawn will wake up next spring thick and green with an established root system.
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Why The Best Time To Plant Grass Seed Differs
Youve read about two different types of grasses here: warm season and cool season.
As their names suggest, each one grows best in certain regional weather elements. In a nutshell, cool-season grass needs mild daytime temperatures and cooler nights to thrive. Warm-season grasses grow best when the days are warm and when they have time to establish before things cool down in fall. You can read more about these grass types here.
Your region also determines when other lawn care should happen. Do you see any bare patches or bald spots? If so, consider overseeding your lawn.
Consider Dormant Seeding Your Lawn This Fall
Ive received many questions from homeowners recently regarding fall seeding options if theyve missed the optimal seeding window from mid-August to mid-September. If youve missed that window, but you still want to conduct seeding practices this fall, my recommendation is to wait until November to seed. This practice is called dormant seeding and is certainly an effective way to introduce new species and/or varieties of turf into your existing lawn.
If you havent kept up with watering during the fall drought, you are right to expect the worst next spring. In this case a fall dormant seeding might help you to sleep better during the winter months knowing that your lawn has seed ready to start growing next spring.
I have re-posted an article written by retired Extension Turfgrass Educator Bob Mugaas, which was previously published in the University of Minnesota Extension Yard and Garden News publication: This is a great article that applies well to this fall and should be considered. In it, Bob mentions that seed to soil contact is a very important aspect that will ensure a higher success rate from the dormant seeding process. My only caution is that if you have existing grass you want to preserve, consider being less aggressive with the your practices.choose the hand rake versus a power rake if this is a concern to you.
As always, call or email with questions.
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Worst Times Of The Year To Seed Your Lawn
The worst times of the year to seed your lawn are the most extreme times of the year, which mean the summertime and the wintertime. If you try to plant warm-weather dresses during the height of summer, the suns heat is too strong.
It will kill any new seedlings were sprout.
As stated above, If you plant cool weather plants too close to the date of the first frost, they will not form correctly or in time. This goes double for the middle of wintertime, which is December or January if you reside in an area that receives snow or drops below 35F degrees regularly.
Test And Amend Soil Ph
If you havent tested your soil pH, do so now. Your soil pH is critical to growing a healthy lawn. If your pH is not balanced, it can cause weeds to thrive, and limit the amount of nutrients available to your grass plants. Cool-season grasses thrive in soil pH values between 6.2 to 7.0. If your pH is below or above 7 add Mag-I-Cal Plus, which comes in both acidic and alkaline versions to balance your soil pH. The calcium in this product also helps to strengthen cell walls and prepare grass plants for winter, while reducing disease potential.
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When Is It Too Late To Sow Grass Seed
In order to find out when is it too late to sow grass seed, you need to figure out the right time to sow grass seeds. This has been, once again, tested by the experts over a long period of time, and the experts have found out the following:
- There are several kinds of grasses out there. Each of these grasses have a different time that is the ideal time for them. Naturally, you really dont want to generalize it altogether because some of them are suited better to entirely opposite parts of the year!
- However, for the sake of convenience, they can be divided into two broad kinds, based on which you might act. These are, the warm weather grasses and the cold weather grasses. As you might have guessed, the warm weather grasses grow well during summer and the cold weather grasses during winter.
However, you might still be wondering about the exact months for these grasses and which variety of grass falls under which category- theres no need to be afraid, this concern is perfectly natural. However, Turf Mechanic is here for you and we have already prepared an article to help you with this.
Too Late For A Fall Grass Seeding Tips For A Winter Seeding Its A Great Option That Few Know About
Article Last Updated: 11/04/21
Did you miss the optimum time for seeding this fall? If you are wondering when that was, typically in our region the number 1 very best time to plant grass seed is between August 15 and September 15.
Its November 4th, 2021 and we are still getting daily customer questions about seeding at this time of year and its really too late and would be a waste of time and money. Mother Nature is not going to let your seed grow enough to make it through a frost and our soon-to-come harsh cold temperatures.
Any grass seed planting after September in our region can be risky due to freezing ground temperatures. Once the seed germinates in anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks , it will need a couple more weeks to mature enough to withstand the freezing and often unpredictable Indiana temperatures so planting too late may not be successful.
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How To Maximize The Timing Advantage
Even when you plant your grass seed at the best possible time, your lawn still needs help to thrive. Whether this is your first lawn or you’re the neighborhood expert, take some advice from turf professionals and get to know your grasses and your soil before you start seeding. Follow through on best practices for preparing and planting and don’t neglect traditional tasks, such as fall lawn care, that help keep your grass and soil healthy, well-nourished and ready to support new growth.
Do your research to understand what’s in a bag of grass seed and the company behind the seed. Pennington is committed to producing the finest grass seed products possible and providing you with educational resources to help your seed project succeed. By timing your lawn tasks properly, you can maximize your advantage and seed your way to the lawn of your dreams.
Pennington, Smart Seed and One Step Complete are trademarks of Pennington Seed, Inc.
When To Plant Different Types Of Grass
When it comes to seeding lawns of residential homes, there are two types of grass: cool-season grass and warm-season grass. Cool-season grasses are species of grass that grow during the fall and winter. This type of grass needs planting during the fall before the end of September. Choosing the right time is the best way to ensure an undamaged and beautiful lawn in the spring. Cool-season grass needs the temperature of the soil to remain 55F to 75F degrees to germinate.
If a homeowner wants to use a warm-season species of grass, then they must see their lawn from the very beginning of to the end of , depending on the location. Warm-season grasses are named because they need a constant soil temperature of 70 to 80 degrees to sprout and grow.
Warm weather Grass can stand a bit of heat and sun, but do not plant them during the most intense part of the summer or the month known for heatwaves. The sprouts will immediately die once exposed to the intensity of the full summer heat, and all your effort you put into seeding your lawn will be for nothing.
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