How Much Grass Seed Do You Need?
Calculate pounds of grass seed for new lawns, overseeding, and repair. By grass type, area, and application rate.
Seeding Rates by Grass Type
Different grasses have dramatically different seeding rates. Kentucky Bluegrass: 2-3 lbs/1000 sqft (small seeds, dense growth). Tall Fescue: 6-8 lbs/1000 sqft (large seeds, bunch-type growth). Bermuda: 1-2 lbs/1000 sqft (aggressive spreader). Perennial Ryegrass: 6-8 lbs/1000 sqft (fast germination, 5-10 days). Overseeding uses roughly half the new lawn rate.
Timing Is Everything
Cool-season grasses (Bluegrass, Fescue, Ryegrass): seed in early fall (September-October) or early spring (March-April). Fall is better — soil is warm, air is cool, and less weed competition. Warm-season grasses (Bermuda, Zoysia): seed in late spring to early summer (May-June) when soil temperatures are consistently above 65°F.
New grass seed needs to stay consistently moist for 14-21 days after sowing. The #1 cause of seeding failure is letting the surface dry out during germination. Water lightly 2-3 times daily for the first 2 weeks — do not flood, just keep the top 1/2 inch moist.
