Have You Tried Dormant Seeding Your Lawn?

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What is it?

​​Does your neighbor’s lawn always seem to pop up early every spring? Maybe they are getting a head start on their lawn during the winter months by a process called “dormant seeding” - sowing grass seed during the winter. The seed lies dormant through the cold season and germinates when spring temperatures warm the soil.

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Winter-sown seeds can germinate several weeks earlier, allowing seedlings to take advantage of early spring rains. This extra time also allows your lawn to become more strongly established before the arrival of summer heat. Make sure you select a type of turfgrass seed that does well during the cool season. Good recommendations for the Ohio area are Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescues, and perennial ryegrass.

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Preparing Your Lawn for Dormant Seeding

Your grass seed needs good soil contact for successful germination. If you are seeding thin or bare turf, it is important to lightly loosen the soil surface before applying seed, usually done by hand raking or aerating. On established lawns, the existing lawn should be raked to remove dead foliage and leaves, and mowed to a height of two inches.  

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Tips for a Successful Seeding Process

Timing is important. Ideally, soil temperatures should be consistently below 40˚F to prevent premature sprouting, but seeding should begin before the ground has frozen hard for the winter. Do not sow over the top of any significant snow, but sowing just before a snowfall or winter rain works well. Apply seed more liberally than you might during the warmer season. Do not apply a fertilizer now, wait until spring when the seedlings have germinated.  If applying seed to a sloped area or on thin or bare areas exposed to wind, it would be helpful to apply a thin layer of straw to hold seeds in place. Straw also protects seeds from hungry birds. Note: Be sure to use straw and not hay, because hay contains weed seed.  

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Post-Seeding Care

Seed will begin to sprout in early spring, typically when soil temperatures rise to 50°F and outdoor temperatures rise to 60°F. When germination begins, typically the spring rains will provide enough moisture for a strong root establishment. If the season is unusually dry, however, water your lawn lightly. For best development, the soil needs to be damp, not soggy or wet. Apply a starter fertilizer to provide nutrients to your young grass. At any time of the year, unusually long warm spells, flooding, and other environmental factors can lead to failures. If newly seeded areas appear to have sparse germination, you can always add more seed as needed.