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The Biggest Mistakes People Make When Planting Grass Seed (and How to Avoid Them)

Planting grass seeds is a straightforward process, but there are crucial steps to take before and after to ensure proper germination. For starters, you need to consider several factors, including the health of your soil, the amount of sun exposure, the time of year, and the climate where you live to choose the right type of grass seed for your lawn. If you’re planning to start a new lawn, you’re in the right place. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know about how to plant grass seed. Spoiler: Cool-season grasses are best planted in the late summer and early fall, whereas warm-season grasses should be planted in the late spring and early summer.

When Is the Best Time to Plant Grass Seed?

The best time to plant your grass seed will depend on the type of grass you’re planning to use for your lawn, based on your physical location.

Cool-season grasses grow better in the northern part of the United States, where cold and snowy winters are typical. They are resilient to freezing temperatures and go dormant in the winter. The best time to plant cool-season grasses is during the late summer to early fall, allowing enough time for the seeds to germinate and establish before the first frost. Alternatively, though not recommended, you can plant these grasses in the spring, but you’ll have a harder time succeeding.

On the other hand, warm-season grass does best in warm to hot weather. These are typically found in the southern U.S., and, unlike cool-season grass, the best time to plant warm-season grasses is in the late spring and early summer.

What You Need Before Planting Grass Seed

Before getting started, there are several supplies and tools that you may need to successfully plant grass seed.

Grass seed

Select your seeds based on your physical location and consider how much sunlight the grass will get. Turfgrass does much better when it gets lots of sun. You’ll either choose a warm-season grass or a cool-season grass.

“Look for high-quality blends that have been bred for disease resistance, drought tolerance, and better color,” says Roger May, Ph.D., director of operations support at TruGreen.

Starter fertilizer

Brand-new lawns can benefit from a starter fertilizer to help germinate and develop strong roots.

Rake, soil test, seed spreader

You’ll need a rake and garden tiller to level the soil, a soil test kit to check your pH and nutrient levels, potentially compost or lime to adjust your soil's pH and nutrient levels if necessary, and a seed spreader to ensure uniform seed distribution.

Water source

Think about how you’ll be watering your grass. Will you be using a hose and sprinkler attachment or installing an automatic sprinkler system? The latter will require more effort, money, and time.

Step-by-Step: How to Plant Grass Seed

Here is everything you need to know to successfully plant grass seed. Once you have selected the right grass seeds for your new lawn, you can go ahead and follow these steps:

Step 1: Test Your Soil

As you prepare the ground to lay the seed, test and prepare your soil first. You can test your soil by using a DIY soil testing kit or by sending soil samples to a soil testing lab near you. These tests will measure the soil's acidity (pH) and nutrient levels for things like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Grass performs best when the pH level is between 6 and 7. Based on your findings, you may need to add limestone to adjust the pH of your soil or add fertilizer to increase the amount of nutrients your grass is able to absorb from your soil.

Step 2: Prepare Your Soil

If the soil lacks nutrients and needs adjusting, you will need to mix in limestone to raise the pH or add organic matter to improve your soil’s quality. Use a rototiller to turn the soil and start mixing in the necessary limestone or fertilizer to improve your soil’s health. The next step is to remove any debris or rocks and completely eradicate any weeds to make the ground as even as possible.

Step 3: Spread Grass Seed Evenly

Use a seed spreader to uniformly apply the seeds throughout the area. To ensure proper seeding in all areas, it is recommended to complete two passes, following a checkerboard pattern. Make sure to follow the seed manufacturer’s recommended seeding rates.

Step 4: Rake Seed Into Soil

Seeds do best when they are lightly covered with soil, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, maximum. However, raking the soil is optional and might not be necessary after seeding.

Step 5: Water Properly

Water your grass seed right after laying it down. Keep the topsoil consistently moist for several weeks to allow for proper germination and for the grass to establish itself. Water daily or twice a day until germination (when the grass starts to pop out of the ground). Then continue watering until the grass has established. Aim to have the top of the soil moist at all times during this process.

May explains that one of the most important steps to successfully establish a new lawn is to water it regularly.

“Water, water, water,” he says. “Whether you are starting a new lawn with seed or sod, water is the key to establishment. Make sure you have the ability to keep the new seed or sod moist until it is well established.”

Step 6: Maintain the Lawn

In the first several weeks, avoid heavy foot traffic at all costs. The newly growing grass is delicate and needs time to become strong. Stepping on grass when it’s still starting to take root could stress out your lawn. You should aim to mow your grass for the first time after about four to six weeks or when it has grown above three inches.

Using a seed spreader can ensure you lay seed evenly across your yard.

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How Long Does Grass Seed Take to Grow?

This varies by grass type, but you should expect it to take between one and three weeks or more for your grass to start popping out of the ground. A fully established yard could take several weeks or months. The first time you should mow your lawn is about four to six weeks after germination.

How to Plant Grass Seed on Existing Lawn

Planting grass on an existing lawn is known as overseeding. Experts explain that one of the most effective ways to overseed an existing lawn is to do so in conjunction with core aeration. Before overseeding, it is important to know whether you have cool-season grass or warm-season grass currently.

May shares an easy way to identify your grass type: “If your lawn stays green through winter, you've got cool-season grass; if it turns brown, it's a warm-season grass.”

Step 1: Aerate Soil

Core aeration is the recommended method because it helps break up compacted soil by removing plugs and creating pathways for seeds, nutrients, and sunlight to reach the soil more easily. It should be done only during the grass's active growing period.

Step 2: Mow Your Grass

Cut your lawn shorter than usual, so that it's around 1.5 to 2 inches off the ground. This will help with seeding and also soil plugs.

Step 3: Spread Seed and Water

Using a seed spreader, start thoroughly seeding your lawn, ensuring you cover all areas of your yard. Once you’re done, water your lawn until it is moist.

Note: May explains that overseeding warm-season grasses isn’t recommended because they don’t respond well to this method. Instead, the best way to maintain a warm-season yard and fix any bare patches is to aerate it in late spring or early summer.

Tips for Planting Grass Seed Successfully

Here are some tips experts recommend to successfully plant grass seed.

Choose the correct seed or seed blend for your area.
Keep the soil moist until the lawn is established.
Use straw to cover your lawn to retain moisture and speed up germination.
Seed on a non-windy day to avoid uneven spread.
Don’t plant the seeds too deeply. The seeds should be covered with soil no more than 1/2 inch deep.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here’s what not to do when attempting to establish a new lawn.

Throwing seed on hard soil. You need to prepare your soil first.
Not watering often enough. Newly planted seeds need to be kept moist at all times.
Overwatering the seeds. Grass seed needs only a fraction of the water that established grass does.
Planting at the wrong time. The best time to plant grass seed is in the late summer and early fall for cool-season grasses and late spring and early summer for warm-season grasses.
Using weed killer before or after seeding. Just don’t do it.

FAQs

What is the easiest way to plant grass seed?

Planting grass seed is easy. It just needs to be done correctly. First, test the soil, prepare it, and make any necessary adjustments. Then, pick the right seeds and spread them evenly. Next, keep the grass seed moist for the first few weeks. Lastly, after six to eight weeks, transition to regular lawn care.

Can I just throw grass seed on dirt?

Not really. You need to prepare your soil first to ensure its pH and nutrient levels are optimal for growing grass. If you just throw grass seed on dirt, you might be wasting your money, and it probably won’t grow.

Do you need to cover grass seed?

Grass benefits from being covered by about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch of soil. However, if you add more than that, the grass won’t grow. If the soil is prepared correctly, you can skip covering the seeds because they will make direct contact with the tilled soil.

How often should you water new grass seed?

New grass seed needs to be kept moist at all times. You should expect to water it once or twice a day for several weeks. You should aim to moisten the first layer of soil without overwatering, so you don’t wash the seeds away.