The Grass Doctor

When is the best time of year to put down grass seed and is there any specific seed that is the best to use?

My yard is huge and has several splotches where there is no grass. I was looking for a seed that's easy to put down and doesn't take a lot of pampering to grow.

Public Comments

1. Most of the southern to the middle is ok to put down now. But the extreme north like Wisconsin, Main, Michigan, Alaska I would wait a bit. The most common way is to get a mix of 3 to 5 kinds in a mix so you can get the best of all worlds.
2. The time of year depends on your location. It is usually best to apply grass seed or plant in the fall. You can also seed/plant in spring.........I'm in North East Pennsylvania.....I wouldn't seed/plant here till the end of this month (3rd week--end of May), but where ever you are make sure there is no chance for frost!!! I am sure down south can seed/plant now, but to be safe you could wait 2 or 3 weeks. As for the type, fescue is the most pop, but go to your local nursery and ask them for a sun shade mix (or depending on area, shaded, or full sun mixture....). Mix is always best!!! Don't forget to lime and fertilize before you seed (don't over fertilizer, don't worry about over lime-ing), and after you seed put straw on top and water. Water is important for the first 3 weeks or so for pretty much all grasses. If you want to see grass fast, you can add "annual" or "contractor's" seed for quick germination, but it will not come back next season. This is for if you need grass fast, just mix the perennial grass seed with some of the annual grass seed and apply more than you would have with just the regular perennial grass seed. So many variables, hard to give you definite advice not knowing where you are located. Good Luck!