If you live in the northern half of the U.S., including Northern California, North Carolina, and Colorado, this blend bluegrass, fine fescue, and perennial ryegrass can give you the green, healthy lawn of your dreams. It may survive in southern areas as well, but it might not thrive the way you would like. Each seed in the mix is coated with Scott's WaterSmart PLUS Coating, which provides nutrients, absorbs two times more water than uncoated seed, and protects against disease. It gives the seed a jump-start on growing healthy roots and strong, green blades of grass. You'll generally start to see the first signs of new grass within five to 10 days, but do not mow until the grass is established and at least 3 inches tall. Lime, either regular limestone or dolomitic limestone, is not technically considered a fertilizer as much as a soil amendment to adjust the pH. It should be spread at seeding unless you’ve otherwise been advised by your agricultural extension office. Water the planted area lightly, and if it doesn’t rain, continue to lightly water the area daily until you see growth. Depending on the type of grass, this could be anywhere from a few days to a week or more. Centipedegrass is originally from southeast Asia and is another low maintenance turf grass that grows slowly, requiring fewer mowing sessions and far less fertilizer inputs during the growing season when compared to other grasses.

Typically, it takes 7 to 30 days for grass seed to germinate. Will grass seed grow if you just throw it on the ground? By comparison, warm season grasses do best when planted in late spring. If warm season grasses are planted in the fall, they are not able to become well established enough to compete with weeds, leading to a weaker lawn by the time summer rolls around. By starting from when your grass is growing rather than when it was planted, slower-sprouting varieties also get the opportunity to become well established before adding fertilizer. Grass seed can be expensive, especially if you need to cover a large stretch of ground. This blend of tall fescue is fairly reasonably priced, and a 7-pound bag will cover up to 1,750 square feet when used to overseed an existing lawn. Vigoro does not state the coverage for a new lawn, but as a rough guideline, this amount of fescue seed should cover up to 1,000 square feet of bare soil. Overseeding involves planting both a cool season and a warm season grass in your lawn. When your lawn begins to brown due to heat or cold, it’s a good time to plant the other grass type. This allows the new seed to compete with weeds effectively without choking out your established lawn. Overseeding is a very popular option for a year-round green lawn.

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How much sun does your yard get? Look for a seed variety or mix that is full-sun tolerant if your yard gets six hours or more of direct sunlight each day. We find that Scotts Turf Builder Sun & Shade Mix is a reliable grass seed for gardeners living in the northern half of the U.S. You can toss annual ryegrass over a small lawn by hand, or use a spreader if sowing it over a large lawn. Water it daily until it becomes established, which is generally within just a few weeks. A 10-pound bag will overseed up to 2,000 square feet of lawn.

There are many different types of grass seed, and within those types, many different hybrid varieties that have been bred for various strengths, such as drought resistance, disease resistance, or heat resistance. Generally, when you buy a bag of grass seed, it will contain a mix of more than one type of grass. A lawn that’s made up of more than one grass type generally can withstand disease and other rough conditions more successfully than a lawn that’s only one kind of grass. When choosing your bag of seed, it helps to know the various types of grass that it includes. Here are some of the most common grass types:

If you’ve gotten a good soil test, it will include how much of which fertilizer and how much lime you’ll need to put down to amend the soil perfectly. Installing drainage before planting grass seed will help prevent these problem areas in the future. Any grading that needs to be done to control water flow in your lawn and around your home should also be taken care of at this time. Do I need to put down new soil?

You can use this seed to establish a new lawn or overseed an existing one, but either way, it does best when sown in April through October. Prepare for overseeding by mowing existing lawn as short as possible and raking gently before applying the seed. Soil for a new lawn should be thoroughly tilled before sowing the seed. You'll need to keep the area moist for several weeks after planting. Even once established, perennial ryegrass prefers regular water and will not thrive without it. A 3-pound bag will overseed up to 2,000 square feet or cover up to 600 square feet when used to establish a new lawn. Keep in mind, however, that all types of grass require at least a couple of hours of sun each day; there is no type of grass that will survive a very heavily shaded area that doesn’t receive some sun for at least two hours each day. We especially like Pennington One Step Complete for lawns that don't receive much sun.Bermuda grass is the fastest growing grass seed that germinates within 10 days. How long does it take for grass seed to start growing?