Hi! I read into dormant seeding over the fall and did prepwork then, and timed it almost perfectly about a day or two before a snowfall that stuck.
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Dormant seeding - the spring side #927103
Asked March 30, 2026, 5:17 PM EDT
Hi! I read into dormant seeding over the fall and did prepwork then, and timed it almost perfectly about a day or two before a snowfall that stuck.
I wanted to ask what conditions I should be looking for with emergence and when supplementing with watering since we've had a dry spring and with the false springs we've had this year. There seems to be mixed advice.
We're primarily using a fine fescue/hard fescue bee lawn mix with some clover, self-heal, yaak yarrow, and thyme thrown in.
For reference, I read:
https://extension.umn.edu/lawn-care/dormant-seeding (I'm hoping this answer can be added into this for the next curious person!)
https://turf.umn.edu/investigating-dormant-seeding-approach-establish-lawns-minnesota
https://organiclawnsbylunseth.com/why-dormant-seeding-is-a-great-strategy-for-minnesota-lawns/
The site prep in our yard was killing the weedy stuff over fall (we made sure it was 2 weeks between spraying/seeding per directions), raking leaves out of the way, seeding, raking them back, then mulching them. Some areas ended up as bare dirt, others mostly leaf mulch/dead grass.
Ramsey CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for writing. Without walking on your lawn, can you send me a couple well-lighted closeups--about a foot square.
Thank you for writing back. Although the image resolution is a bit low (2.7 meg rather than 5+), I see nicely germinating grass. Water gently (no run off) about 1/2 inch twice a dry week.