The Grass Doctor

How long after dropping fertilizer on grass do you have to wait to drop grass seeds??

I realize, maybe, I should have dropped the seeds first. I already dropped fertilzer 10 days ago and it rained about 4-5 days afterward. In case it matters, I live on Long Island, New York. Can I drop seeds now and what else should I put on my lawn at this point in time? Thanks!!

Public Comments

1. Did you use fertilizer or weed-and-feed? If you used fertilizer you can probably seed right away, however you might want to use less Starter fertilizer than normal after seeding to reduce the chance of "burning" your lawn. If you used weed-and-feed, you may need to wait. Awhile. I normally use Scotts Turf Builder with PLUS 2 on my bermuda lawn and it states to wait 6 weeks before seeding. If all else fails, a quick call to any garden center will probably get you a reliable answer.
2. Well, my friend, you have asked a complicated question. First, don't put fertilizer on seeds. Seeds don't like fertilizer. Only green plants like fertilizer. And baby green plants don't really need fertilizer which might damage them if it's either too strong or you put down too much. Broadcast the seed (farmer talk for throw the seed evenly over the space you want) and then put a covering "blanket" of manure over it. You buy the manure in 1-2 cubic foot bags for 1-2$. Spread it thinnnn over the seeds and then keep the seeds wet/moist for the next 10-14 days until the little guys sprout then back off on the water. But you gotta keep the blanket wet the whole time so perhaps you gotta water several times a day, especially if it gets warm. Or you could just spread some Astroturf and call it a day.