Sowing or overseeding warm-season grass
Warm-season grass roots in warm soil. Late spring to early summer is the establishment window, the opposite of cool-season autumn.
- When
- May 1 – Jun 15 (northern hemisphere) · Nov 1 – Dec 15 (southern)
- Material
- warm-season grass seed
- Rate
- 5–10 g/m² · about 1–2 lb per 1,000 sq ft
- For
- Warm-season lawns (Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine)
- Needs
- spreader
- Rule
- wm-overseed · Walheim; Scotts; Turgeon
Warm-season grass roots in warm soil — late spring to early summer is THE establishment window (the opposite of cool-season autumn). Keep newly seeded areas constantly moist for 2–3 weeks.
When
Warm-season grasses germinate when the soil stays above about 18–21 °C (65–70 °F), which in the northern hemisphere usually means May to mid-June. That gives the new grass the whole summer to spread before it goes dormant in autumn. Sowing in autumn, as you would with ryegrass, leaves seedlings to die in the first frost.
Which grasses
Bermuda (Cynodon) and some Zoysia and Centipede varieties are sold as seed. Most St. Augustine and many Zoysia lawns are established from sod, plugs or sprigs instead.
How much
5–10 g/m², about 1–2 lb per 1,000 sq ft, for hulled Bermuda seed; follow the bag for other species, as seed sizes vary a lot.
How
- Prepare a fine, firm seedbed, or scalp and rake an existing lawn hard before overseeding.
- Sow in two passes at right angles, rake very lightly and roll. Bermuda seed is tiny and should barely be covered.
- Keep the surface constantly moist for two to three weeks until the seedlings are established.
- Do not use a pre-emergent that spring.
Sources
- Lance Walheim — Lawn Care For Dummieswalheim
- Scotts — Lawnsscotts
- A.J. Turgeon — Turfgrass Managementturgeon