When to Plant Grass Seed in Your Area – Best Time to Seed Lawns & Turf

Ivan J.

The short answer is – the date of planting or sowing grass seed depends on your location and type of grass you’ve chosen. So, when is the best time to plant grass seed for lawn or turf?

In this guide you will find out how to estimate your ideal time frame for sowing or planting grass seed or sod.

We will also cover some important and related subjects that could make or break your lawn establishment. These actions go hand in hand with picking the right time for planting:

  1. how to ensure your grass has high germination potential and high survivability
  2. the measures you need to take before and after
  3. Picking the right grass type and cultivar
  4. a few “Grass 101” tips just to be on the safe side

Grass seed may not be as expensive as gold, but getting it wrong may mean that you’ve missed your only opportunity of doing it right for that year.

Since time is of the essence, and lost time can’t be mitigated by trying again with a fresh bag of seeds off-season, inform yourself thoroughly before deciding on a course of action.

 

Best Time to Seed or Reseed A Lawn – The Shortest Possible Answer

If you don’t want to read all the why’s and how’s, know this much:

If it’s comfortable for you to be outdoors, and the weather isn’t going to change to an extreme in the next 25-30 days, it’s a good time to plant grass. 

 

Planting or Sowing Grass In Different Climates

Be aware that there is a belt of transitional climate zones (transitional humid and transitional arid) stretching across various parts of 18 different states. The maximum and minimum temperatures in the transitional zone have an extremely large amplitude between winter and summer. This is visible in Figure 2.3 below.

There is an important caveat here. Determining the right grass and time of sowing for this transitional zone can be quite tricky. If you are in this zone, please refer to the detailed guide below.

Since climate zones don’t particularly care about human-made state borders, consider the state-specific advice below only as a guideline if you live within the transitional zone.

The standard zones can be divided into northern and southern.

 

Planting Grass in Northern Climate Zones

In most cases the ideal time to put grass seed down is going to be early fall (September) or early spring (March).

You’ll most likely want a variant of kentucky bluegrass, by far the most popular cool-season grass and most popular grass variant in the northern states. Look for a mix of 3 or more variants as the genetic variability will make your lawn or turf more robust, resilient and adaptive to change.

Another popular choice is tall fescue which can tolerate poor soil fertility, drought and heat waves, as well as traffic.

To summarize:

  1. Put grass seed down in early fall (September) or early spring (March)
  2. Search for a kentucky bluegrass mix or tall fescue.
  3. Cool-season grasses thrive in temperature ranges of 65 to 75 F (18-24 C);

 

Best Time to Seed Lawn in Southern Climate Zones

  1. In most cases, the ideal time to sow grass seed in states of the southern zone would be late spring or summer.
  2. The best types of grasses in offer here would be bermudagrass or zoysiagrass, both being warm-season grasses.
  3. Warm-season grasses are best adapted to temperatures of 80-95 F (27-35 C)

For quick reference check out the table below – find your state and determine which season and type of grass is best for you.

 

The quick reference table Kentucky bluegrass,

Also Rye and/or fescue*

 Bermudagrass,

Also zoysiagrass*
Early fall

Early spring

 Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Mid spring

Late spring – summer*

 Alaska* Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Mexico

 

Best Time to Plant Grass in other states – Transitional Zone

The table above covers 75% of US territories, and for the rest (edge cases) you can read the recommendations and explanations below.

 

California

3 different climate zones in this 1 state alone – makes it complicated to give any sort of general advice. Depending on your region (check the map and see where your location falls).

 

Southern California sees droughts and extreme heat. Coastal areas even :

https://www.essentialhomeandgarden.com/choosing-the-best-grass-for-southern-california/

 

Northern California – best time for planting is late summer to early fall.

https://sierrasod.com/new-lawn-seed/

 

Bermuda is really the best choice here. For spring or summer sowing, use hulled seeds. And if you’re planting in the fall, use unhulled seed. Unhulled seed doesn’t germinate until the spring comes with the right conditions (temperature, moisture and light).

https://www.hunker.com/13404911/the-best-time-to-plant-grass-seed-in-california

 

Louisiana

In the Warm/humid region. This is probably where Centipedegrass (Aka Chinese lawn grass) would probably flourish best, along with Bermudagrass. It’s advised to sow a mixture.

 

Centipedegrass grows a bit slower – that’s why they call it “lazy man’s grass”.

 

Its first benefit over bermudagrass is better shade tolerance, which is why you’d definitely want some in shady areas where bermudagrass simply can’t thrive as well.

 

Another benefit of it growing slower is that it has a lower mowing frequency. Low maintenance with a decent quality turf is what makes centipedegrass such an attractive choice for homeowners.

 

However, in open areas and especially if there’s a lot of traffic, bermudagrass is often gonna be your #1 choice. It is one of the fastest growing grasses – plus it’s heat and drought tolerant. It’s much quicker to recover from injury but requires more maintenance and fertilization.

 

In northern Louisiana you may also consider sowing tall fescue in shady areas.

 

In open areas, it goes dormant during the summer if it’s left without water for prolonged periods of time. Because of this, it may require reseeding on a regular basis.

 

The seeds are inexpensive so the reseeding won’t hurt your wallet much, but it’s still a hassle. Watering is the way to go, but because it’s in the shade, make sure it’s dried by nightfall so as to avoid fungus growth.

 

Both of these you’d want to sow during the transition from spring to summer.

 

Maryland

If you are in Maryland, you’re at least somewhat lucky. Yes, parts of Maryland fall within the transitional zone, but this state is the seat of one of the most well-known organizations for providing solid scientific data on which cultivars work well in specific parts of the United States – NTEP (National Turfgrass Evaluation Program).

They are located in Beltsville, MA and, naturally, have extensive experience and testing within Maryland. The result of these tests are pools of data which led to some valuable Maryland-specific recommendations.

The mountain region (western part of the state), sees much more success with cool-season grasses. You can experience a bit warmer winters in the coastal plain, southern Maryland and the eastern shore, as well as the piedmont region, central and northern Maryland – you can establish both cool-season and warm-season grass in these places.  Tall fescue grows throughout Maryland.

 

When to Plant Cool Season Grasses in Maryland

Cool-season grasses are recommended for Western Maryland or the mountain regions.

Seeding takes place between mid-August and mid-October. Depending on the microclimate, you may not want to seed after October 1st, so that would be a safe limit:

  • Turf-type tall fescue – Medium maintenance, germinates in 1 to 2 weeks. Highly recommended for Maryland because of its wide range of adaptation especially for home lawns. It’s not uncommon to mix Turf-type tall fescue with 5% Kentucky bluegrass.
  • Kentucky Bluegrass – High maintenance, germinates in 2 to 3 weeks. Requires open, sunny areas and well-drained soil. It’s more sensitive to some pests and diseases than tall fescue, but provides top-quality turf with the right maintenance.
  • Fine fescues – Creeping red fescue, hard fescue,  chewings fescue,  and  sheep fescue. Medium maintenance, germinates in 1 to 2 weeks. They are very good for shady areas, but require de-thatching. Fine fescues need well-drained soil.
  • Perennial Ryegrass – Germinates quickly (in 5 to 10 days). It’s only used in mixtures with other types of grass, and should not exceed 5-15%. This is because of its general susceptibility to diseases. There are huge differences between different cultivars of perennial ryegrass. Don’t use forage-type cultivars for turfs. You will have to decide between bunch-type and regenerating cultivars. More info in this article.

 

When to Plant Warm Season Grasses in Maryland

Warm-season grasses are recommended for the coastal plain, Southern Maryland and the eastern shore.

Seeding takes place early March through April:

  • Zoysiagrass – Low maintenance in full sun, drought tolerant. Seed takes longer to germinate (14 to 21 days). It’s slow to establish and doesn’t look attractive mid-October through mid-May when it turns a straw-brown color. Be mindful of planting it near ornamental beds and neighboring yards. It is quite invasive by nature and will spread.
  • Bermudagrass – Not recommended for homeowners, but very good for high-traffic areas and sports fields, school grounds & parks. Bermuda requires full sun and just like Zoysia it’s very invasive and difficult to control. Hulled seeds germinate in 5-10 days, while unhulled seeds need 7-14 days at least. Don’t be surprised if it takes longer than 2 weeks. It all depends on the weather and how well you manage the planted seed.

 

Missouri

There are two suitable time windows for planting grass in Missouri – one is for cool season grasses, the other is for warm season grasses.

 

When to Plant Cool Season Grasses in Missouri

For cool season grasses, try sowing around mid September, and no later than the first week of October. Mid september is definitely the better option, so that the grass can develop fully, root well and be prepared for both the winter and the next season’s terrible summer heat.

Across the board, the absolute best grass type for Missouri is the turf-type tall fescue. If you have to pick one grass to sow, tall fescue has the best characteristics.

Another good choice is Kentucky Bluegrass but it’s limited to the mountainous, colder regions of Missouri since it’s completely devastated by summer heat. Kentucky bluegrass is mostly used in sports and recreational fields.

 

When to Plant Warm Season Grasses in Missouri

For warm season grasses – try to sow seeds between mid May and early June. No later than that if you want to be on the safe side.

Summer drought can be a problem in Missouri and you want your grass to root itself thoroughly by the time summer heat starts cooking the ground.

Climate trends are not looking good – drought is expected to become an even more serious problem in the next decade.

The best choices for warm season grasses are Zoysiagrass and Bermudagrass,  although buffalograss is sometimes used but requires intensive care.

The most popular cultivar in Missouri is the Zoysiagrass turf cultivar “Meyer”, with the only downside being that it’s not available as a seed. You’d have to lay it as sod, plugs or sprigs.

 

Nebraska

Only several species of grass are suitable and grow well in Nebraska  (including the Northern Great Plains). Planting can be done in spring or fall, but fall is definitely better, with mid September being the best possible choice.

 

Warm-season grasses like buffalograss are best established as dormant or spring seedings. Though buffalograss will not germinate until soils warm, early spring seeding will allow the warm-season grass seedlings to take advantage of spring and early summer rainfall and relatively weed-free period. However, like seeding cool-season grasses in winter, spring or summer, irrigation and weed control are critical for successful establishment of buffalograss

 

When to Plant Cool Season Grasses in Nebraska

Turf-type tall fescue is best for eastern Nebraska. Kentucky bluegrass performs well farther west and north of eastern Nebraska.

The optimal time to sow or plant cool-season grasses in Nebraska is from August 15th to September 15th. Earlier is better but it also depends on the exact location. Within this time frame, aim for a planting date that’s 1-2 weeks earlier as you move north to the Dakotas, or 1-2 weeks later as you move south.

If you can pick an earlier date within this time frame, sowing early is very much preferred because you want to make use of as many of the warmer days as possible.

Being late for just one week may mean the stand will take two to four additional weeks to mature.

If for any reason you want to lay cool-season turfgrass in the spring time, consider seeding before the ground thaws from winter. This is defined as “dormant seeding” because the seed will lie dormant until the soil temperatures warm in April or May.

For more information on dormant seeding, visit this article.

 

When to Plant Warm Season Grasses in Nebraska

Buffalograss is a warm-season grass and will perform well throughout the Northern Great Plains.

 

Nevada

For the purpose of turfgrass management, we can split Nevada into two parts:

  1. Northern Nevada falls under the cool arid zone
  2. Southern Nevada falls under the hot arid zone

 

When to Plant Cool Season Grasses in Nevada

Perennial ryegrass might seem like a good choice because of its fast growth and establishment, but realistically it’s best used to overseed bermudagrass in the fall.

Throughout the state, you should have success if you go for a blend of fine fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. Expect them to require some additional maintenance due to Nevada’s climate and soil.

You’ll want to establish these cool season grasses either in late fall. Aim for the window between September 5th and October 10th. Choose an earlier date if you’re in the northern region, and a later date if you’re in the south.

 

When to Plant Warm Season Grasses in Nevada

Bermudagrass is the best option here. You should plant it in the late spring to early summer months, typically when the minimum soil temperature surpasses 65° F (18°C) – aim for the moment when air temperatures during the day are 80° or higher.

Overseed your Bermuda lawn with Perennial ryegrass in the fall

If you opt for zoysiagrass, know that it will lose it’s lushness and color when temperatures drop, and even though Nevada is warm, night temperatures can go very low, so consult with a local expert on which specific variant would be best for you.

No matter where you are in Nevada, it’s going to be an arid place, so you will see very little rainfall over the year.

Without ample irrigation, and proper management, you’ll may have a tough time managing anything other than bermudagrass. Set your expectations in line with your budget.

 

North Carolina

NC stretches across several distinctive climate zones, so a wide variety of grasses can be successfully established, both cool-season and warm-season. If you need a full guide for lawns in North Carolina, be sure to visit this NCSU page for a deep dive into turf management in your area. You will also find specific cultivar recomendations for North Carolina. For the short version, refer to the guide below.

There are 3 distinct regions in North Carolina: the mountains, the piedmont region, and the coastal region.

 

When to Plant Cool Season Grasses in North Carolina

Tall Fescue is the best cool-season grass for a year-round green lawn. It’s best adapted to the mountain region and piedmont, but can also be sustained in the coastal soils and climate. Mix several different cultivars if you can, and you can also create a blend with Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, or both.

Plant cool-season grasses in early fall if you can. The next best window is early spring (mid-February to late March in the piedmont region).

 

When to Plant Warm Season Grasses in North Carolina

Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass all have good characteristics for lawns in the North Carolina piedmont and coastal plain.

These grasses are best planted in late spring and early summer. They die off and go dormant in winter

They are usually seeded or planted as a monoculture, unlike cool-season grasses which are usually a mixture of different types. For additional information about planting grass in NC, be sure to read the Gardener’s Handbook by NCSU.

 

South Carolina

This state spans through several climate zones, so no general advice can be given without location details due to the large amplitude of weather (as well as soil) conditions.

(image taken from Clemson University, visual emphasis mine)

 

When to Plant Cool Season Grasses in South Carolina

Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, fine fescues and perennial ryegrass are best planted in early fall (between August 25th and October 15th). They are mostly used to overseed warm-season grasses throughout South Carolina, but they really thrive and stay green in the colder mountainous areas and upper Piedmont.

Those who have chosen sod as the establishment method can plant cool-season turfgrass at any time during the year while the soil is not frozen.

Tall fescue is the most popular cool-season grass in the mountainous regions of SC. It often suffers from hot afternoon sun during the summer, if it’s grown in an open field with a south- or south-eastern exposition.

If you’re overseeding a warm-season grass with perennial ryegrass, sow it 30 days before the estimated first frost.

 

When to Plant Warm Season Grasses in South Carolina

Warm-season grasses are planted in late spring through early summer, after soil temperatures get to 75+ °F (around 23 °C) and there is no more frost expected. At the latest, they can be planted in the fall, at least 60 days before the first frost in the year.

Suitable throughout most of South Carolina are Zoysia, Bermuda, and Centipede Grass. St Augustine grass is another option but mostly recommended for the coastal area and is only available to plant as sod.

Centipede grass is very popular in South Carolina but often suffers from occasional temperature drops during the winter if grown in the Piedmont region. It’s also worth noting that it grows best in acidic soils, but that’s not the topic of this article. For more information about grass pH preferences, visit this article.

 

Texas

As complex as California, Texas has 3 different climate zones encompassed by the territory of a single state. You may completely miss the mark if you listen to general advice.

To find any turfgrass variety bred in conjunction with the Dallas Center’s breeding program, use this comprehensive search tool and database.

Consulting with local experts would be the best course of action, but if you know your climate, here’s how to determine the best time for establishing grass:

 

When to Plant Cool Season Grasses in Texas

These grasses are mostly adapted to northern, cooler parts of Texas.

 

Tall Fescue is the most popular variety of coolgrass in northern Texas, being planted early Fall (September) or early Spring (March). Old varieties (e.g. K-31) used to be limited to northern Texas but newer “turftype” varieties are more tolerant of heat and shade.

 

Texas Bluegrass (a cross between Kentucky and native Texas bluegrass) is more tolerant of drought and stays greener for the better part of the year. If you’re opting for bluegrass, the safest bet is to create a mix of 3 or more seed varieties and sow it in the Fall months, during September or October.

 

When to Plant Warm Season Grasses in Texas

Bermudagrass and St Augustinegrass are most popular in Texas, with the ideal planting time around Mid-spring (Late March / April) or Early summer if you’re using seed. If you’ve opted for planting sod, any time of year is acceptable; just try to avoid the extremes – winter and mid-summer.

 

St Augustinegrass is only available as sod, and is the more expensive option of the two. Popular varieties include Raleigh and Texas Common. It may suffer from winterkill in the northern, colder parts of Texas because of its poor cold tolerance.

 

Zoysiagrass has the same area of use as bermudagrass, but it loses its green color sooner, and also takes longer to establish from seed. This is why bermudagrass should be your #1 choice in Texas.

 

Ryegrass is suitable for overseeding warm-season grasses in Texas.

 

Washington

 

That was the stripped-down version of what you need to know before picking the right grass and time of planting. For a detailed look on grass types and seasonal categories, visit our guide on Cool Season and Warm Season grasses.

 

When To Sow Grass Seed Of Different Types – Seasonal Categories

 

As long as there are no extreme weather conditions, you’ll be fine

Soak your seeds every day for 3 weeks (?) so they have a better % of germination and faster growth once they hit the turf.

In arid areas, you’d want to irrigate the topsoil or aim for a sowing run just before it rains. Again you don’t want to sow before an extreme shower, that would be counterproductive, but some rain would definitely help your grass establish quicker.

  • Purchase high-quality seeds!
    • This seed is pure – free of weed species and other undesirable seeds. It’s the author’s personal opinion that low quality seed is a waste of your time and money if you have a moderate to high investment in all other processes and procedures (preparation, irrigation, pest control, etc).

 

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