Do you have thin or bare spots on your lawn? If so, you might be thinking about seeding. Actually, seeding has benefits beyond filling in thinned-out or bare areas. It also serves as a proactive measure to regularly introduce optimal grass species for a thicker and more resilient lawn. That means that even if you’re not noticing too many thin areas, if you truly want a thick, carpet-like lawn, then seeding can be a valuable lawn care task.
Of course, you might be wondering when is the best time to seed the lawn?
More specifically, you might be unsure as to whether you should seed a lawn in the spring or fall.
In order to get the best results and be able to receive all of the lawn care treatments your lawn might need, it’s important that you pay attention to the timing. That being said, there are always “exceptions to the rule,” so we’ll discuss those as well.
Here’s what you ought to know.
Seed Lawn in Spring or Fall?
Let’s cut right to the chase. In the vast majority of cases, it’s better to seed your lawn in the fall—and there are a few reasons why. Let’s look at each of them.
The Weather is Optimal for Germination
One of the main reasons why seeding is best performed in the fall is the weather. The air temperature is cool, the ground is moist, and the soil is still warm. This all creates fantastic growing conditions for a healthy root system. It will also allow the new grass to become established before summer stress sets in.
If you were to plant grass in the spring, then it won’t be long before the heat of the summer sun is beating down. This puts a lot of stress on new growth and can make it difficult to thrive. It’s not impossible, but it will take a lot of extra TLC, including ample water. Even with good care, you’re a lot more likely to lose some of the new growth than had you planted in fall.
Pre-Emergent Weed Control is Not Impacted
Another reason that it’s optimal to plant grass seed in the fall is that there is plenty of time for the new grass to germinate and become established before spring weed control products will be needed.
But if you seed the lawn in spring, then you won’t be able to apply crabgrass pre-emergent controls. These control products work by stopping pesky crabgrass from germinating. But in turn, they can also prevent your new grass from growing. 
While you might be inclined to just “skip” a season of crabgrass control, you’re likely to be unpleasantly surprised by how much this weed can spread in a single season. Since it grows more freely in thinned-out areas of the lawn, it’s likely to fill in those thin areas and outcompete the new grass you’re trying to grow in the first place.
Broadleaf Weed Control is Also Not Impacted
In addition to crabgrass pre-emergent controls, broadleaf weed controls can also not be applied until your new grass is established and mature. By this time, weeds might have already begun spreading, again, taking advantage of those bare areas.
When homeowners have to choose between a lawn full of weeds or a lawn with some bare spots, we find that most are willing to deal with the bare spots until seeding conditions are optimal. In most plans of attack, it makes sense to get rid of weeds first, then address the thin areas of the lawn.
But Can I Ever Seed my Lawn in Spring?
While we’ve likely dissuaded you from considering seeding in spring, we know that some homeowners are really desperate to start getting new grass growing. Oftentimes this is a new home where there’s little to no grass at all. Homeowners are eager to start getting a lawn growing or fill in what might look like more bare patches than grass.
If you fall into that category, then we’ll certainly discuss the options with you.
But it remains true that the weather conditions are not optimal for spring seeding and you might lose a lot of that new growth to the summer sun. It’s also far from optimal that we can’t do much to address any weeds. If you have a sparse lawn, it’s very likely that you’re going to see weeds creeping in during the spring and summer months (if you haven’t already).
So, it ultimately comes down to wants, needs, and expectations. At the end of the day, it’s your lawn. You can count on us to always be fully transparent in terms of what to expect and what your best options are.
Keep in mind that another option if you’re desperate for a new lawn is to lay sod. Instead of waiting around for the seed to grow, sod can give an “instant lawn.” However, this is definitely a more costly option and in the spring, you’d still need to be very careful about nurturing the sod until it becomes established.
Best Practices to Seed a Lawn in Fall
While seeding the lawn in the fall will set you up for the most possible success, you still should follow through on best practices that will give your new lawn even more chance at optimal performance.
While homeowners sometimes assume that they can just toss some seed down on their lawn, the process can be much more in-depth than that assuming you want it to be successful. Tossing some poor-quality seed down on our often hard, clay-like soil isn’t going to do much. In order to be able to begin germinating, seeds really need seed-to-soil contact.
Here are some best practices that will help you get the best results.
Lawn Aeration
For one, seeding is always the most effective when performed at the same time as a lawn aeration service. A lawn aeration service is performed by running a commercial-grade aerator across your lawn. At Turf's Up, we always do a double pass giving you the best possible results. We find that a lot of our competitors do not perform a double pass.
The best time to seed the lawn is immediately following lawn aeration when the seeds can fall into the holes that we created in the lawn.
Topdressing
Another service that can play a huge role in the success of your new grass growth is topdressing. After aeration and overseeding, your lawn can be topdressed with compost, allowing it to fall into the holes that were just made. As the compost mixes with the clay soil, it helps create a better layer of topsoil by improving microbial life and overall soil structure. This is going to give your seeds the nutrients and soil health needed to begin growing and performing successfully.
Type of Seed
The type of seed being used is also important in terms of getting the best possible results. If you’ve ever looked at seed at a big-box store then you know there are many different options. But not all seed is created equally. In fact, the stuff that you can purchase at a store is often subpar in quality and may even have weed seeds mixed in as filler.
At Turf's Up, we are using a top-rated blue-tag fescue, which is ideally suited to our region. The seed selection that we’ve made is based on years of studies performed by researchers like those at Virginia Tech. This particular grass seed has been studied and proven to be a top performer.
The specific commercial-grade product that we’ve chosen is a blended turf-type tall fescue, meaning that it is not a single cultivar, but instead, several in order to provide the best possible performance. The designation of being a “blue-tag” fescue means that it contains no weed filler.
On top of all that, this seed is also coated in starter fertilizer to provide a faster germination rate. We find that our grass usually grows in a third of the time as most other grass seeds.
Working with a Professional for the Best Time to Seed a Lawn—and the Best Results
At Turf's Up, we want what is best for our clients. That means a lawn that is healthy and thriving and that they are really proud to show off. Sometimes getting those results means talking about best practices, even when they’re not what homeowners want to hear. In many cases, it means a little bit of patience and trusting the process.
But we find that most people appreciate that we are willing to be fully transparent and honest because it comes from a place of having your best interest at heart. When you choose Turf's Up for your lawn seeding and other lawn care needs, you are ensuring that you have someone caring for your property that is looking out for you. This includes using the best seed available and seeding at the optimal time using the best practices. When it comes to having the lawn of your dreams, we believe you deserve nothing less than the best.
If you’re ready to have the lawn of your dreams at your Ashburn, Aldie, or Leesburg, VA home, talk to an expert, choose a solution, and get ready to watch that dream take shape today.
