eXtension

Is it too late to seed a new lawn this year?

Asked October 3, 2013, 1:40 AM EDT

We killed and tilled about 1/2 acre of lawn (weeds) around our home in mid September, but due to weather couldn't finish the job. Is it now too late to seed this lawn? I checked the monthly forecast on weather.com - If it is to be trusted, Oct should have fairly consistent temperatures in the 60's.

Marion County Oregon

1 Response

You need to seed perennial ryegrass. This genus/species will germinate in 7-10 days. If I was establishing a lawn facing the current weather conditions I would…

  1. Apply a starter fertilizer to the area you intend to seed ASAP, next...
  2. Seed the perennial ryeggrass ASAP at the recommended rate (9-11 lbs/1,000 sq ft; fertilization and seeding can be done on the same day.
  3. In 21 days I would inter-seed the grass again, focusing on bare or weak spots again at the 9-11 lbs/1,000 sq ft rate.
This should get you a relatively good stand of turf in a short period of time. I have also included a link to some Turfgrass Establishment recommendations provided by Penn State University...
http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/factsheets/establishment

Good luck,
Alec