The Joy of Sowing Grass Seed

By: John Degroot

June 15 2013

The Joy of Sowing Grass Seed

Garden Clippings for June 15, 2012

It’s an all too common scenario.  The phone message goes something like this: “I planted grass seed early in May, about a month ago, and it looks horrible.  The new grass that has sprouted is spotty and much of the new soil is covered in weeds rather than grass.   What should I do?”

Gardeners planting new grass seed may want to know that professional sod growers wait two years for their new seed to become healthy and thick enough to roll up and sell as sod.  And sod growers have it down to a science.  You and I as backyard gardeners shouldn’t expect to be so lucky with our attempts to grow grass.

Sod growers plant their seed in mid to late August.  That’s when they can rely on cool nights and morning dew to give the seed its best chance to sprout. 

Sowing seed in spring is a gamble.  Sometimes we get soft rain in May to help beat the odds.  But sometimes our spring is dry and cold and grass seed refuses to sprout.  During May of 2012 and again in May of 2013, our spring has been unusually dry, and those who put down grass seed in May, might as well have left the seed in the garage.

Gardeners lucky enough to have a water sprinkler system should set the timer so the seed gets water at least once a day.  If the weather is sunny and warm, grass seed benefits from a light sprinkling up to 3 times per day.  With adequate moisture, I have seen grass seed sprout 3 days after sowing.

The variety of grass seed chosen will also affect the rate of germination.  Seed mixtures containing a higher percentage of Perennial Ryegrass will sprout quicker than Kentucky Blue grass or Fescue grass.

The other challenge for those sowing grass seed is the inevitable weed growth.  Weed seeds can remain dormant for months or even years, but they can quickly sprout as soon as the ground is bare, fully exposed to the sun.  Gardeners who top dress their lawn with a few inches of new topsoil will often see more weeds than grass, particularly within the first month or so of planting.

Fortunately new topsoil will contain weed seeds that don’t enjoy living amongst turf, and once the grass has been cut a few times, these new weeds will disappear on their own.

Gardeners frustrated with their newly seeded lawns should not despair if the results appear less than satisfactory.  Avoid the temptation of pulling weeds, and avoid the temptation of adding more grass seed.  Instead, allow the grass seeding project to proceed and cut the crop when it looks ready.  Once the grass has been cut 2 or 3 times, fertilize the lawn to encourage healthy growth.  Fertilizer will cause the grass to grow taller and thicker.

The good news is that a seeded lawn is often better than a sodded lawn.  Seeding gives you the option of selecting the seed blend most suited to your particular site.  Seed is easy to apply.  It’s inexpensive and will give you a healthy lawn in short order.