Can i seed in october

Mow the lawn at the normal height, which is between 2 and 3 inches. Avoid the mistake of letting it grow too long as this reduces the seedling's ability to develop a nice crown. Clippings do not need to be caught as long as they do not shade out the new seed.

Fallen leaves should be picked up to prevent suffocation. Do not worry about weeds at this time. No chemical applications can be applied during this process. As a general rule of thumb, no herbicides should be applied until the new grass has been mowed at least twice. Check the product label for specific information. Late season seeding can still be done, but do not waste time. Today is better than tomorrow.

By following a few simple steps, and with the grace of nature, your lawn should be in tip-top shape come summer. Have questions? Sign in. Monday - Friday, a. Measure the planting area, and refer to the seed packaging for the amount to use per square foot. It may be tempting to apply extra seed in order to get a thicker lawn right away, but this harms more than it helps.

It leads to overcrowding as the grass matures, choking growth. A spreader is required for uniform growth of the new grass. Use a broadcast spreader or drop spreader on large areas for uniform coverage. For small areas, you can use a hand spreader. Following these three steps will help protect the seeds and encourage sprouting:. Cool-weather grasses usually sprout within two weeks. Once seedlings are visible, continue your daily watering schedule until the grass is about a half-inch high.

If it's reasonably warm in the coming weeks even upper 40s and 50s in the day and above freezing at night , the soil could well support decent grass-seed germination and some early growth that overwinters. The main danger is that the seed germinates and then a cold spell comes along that kills the tender, tiny blades. Then your efforts are done. Seed planted in late winter stays dormant and germinates in spring, but once seed germinates and dies, you get no second chance.

Seed is fairly inexpensive, though, so for a limited area like you've got, it's worth the work and risk to try and get some kind of cover over the bare soil heading into winter. Even a young patch that dies off will give you a little erosion protection until you can try again next spring.

So far as I know, there's not much variation among our four main cool-season grass varieties in terms of which germinates best in the coldest weather. If there is a significant difference, I haven't seen any information on that.

Besides, I'd go with a mix that best suits the site long-term than going by which type might germinate best in November.