Everyone wants a lawn that is beautiful and healthy.
To achieve that, it takes effort, time, and the right amount of grass seed. Whether you measure your lawn per acre or per square feet (I recommend square feet), you need to know how many pounds of grass seed to buy.
Following are tips on how much grass seed you need to get that beautiful lawn that will make people stop and stare.
Property Size
The first step to knowing how much grass seed you need is to measure the space you want to cover adequately.
The biggest mistake people make is to miscalculate the size of their lawn. Spend the time upfront to correctly measure your lawn space before you invest in expensive grass seed.
Start with your property size, then subtract the non-lawn areas such as a driveway, sidewalk, flowerbeds, etc.
Knowing the correct dimensions will save you money from buying too much grass seed, save you wasted time and labor, and save you from the disappointment of poor results.
I recommend using a tape measure and doing it manually so you get the EXACT measure.
Grass Type
The second step to a beautiful lawn is to know what the best type of turf is for your growing area.
Planting the appropriate type of grass seed for your location will give your lawn a natural advantage. If you are unsure what the best type of grass is for your area, ask the professionals at your local garden center for tips. They will be able to recommend the best seed for your local conditions.
Buying the correct grass seed will make a difference in how much seed you will need.
Once you know the correct measurements and the proper type of seed for your location, you are ready to figure out how much seed you need.
Always follow the guidelines recommended on the seed bag.
Some grass seeds can cover 1000 square feet with just 1 pound, while other types need a pound for every 200 square feet. If your question is, “does a 50-pound bag of grass seed cover the area I want” then read the bag
Don’t just buy a bag and hope it’s enough. Read, then follow the recommended guidelines.
“Grass seed is cheap, so buy plenty!”
Most bags will recommend a range such as 250-400 square feet per pound. Seeding a new lawn or spot repair usually takes roughly twice as much seed as overseeding an existing lawn.
Use the rate with the heaviest coverage for new lawns and to fill in bare or damaged areas. Use the lower rate when planting seed into an existing lawn to thicken the turf, minimize weeds, or convert to another type of grass.
Distribute The Seed Evenly
Using a broadcast spreader will scatter the seed over a large area in a fan-like pattern and ensure you get uniform coverage.
Using a higher quality grass seed will affect how much you need to use as well and germination rates.
A higher quality seed that is fresh and not past its germination date with fewer fillers and fewer weed seeds might be more expensive, but you won’t need to use as much as you would with a cheaper, lower quality seed.
Growing a Healthy Lawn Takes Time
You might want to speed up the process, but over-application will not help.
Using more grass seed than recommended will just cause unnecessary competition for light, water, and nutrients. Using less seed than recommended will result in a thin lawn with bare spots.
Always follow the recommended guidelines.
Maximize your investment of time and money in your lawn by using the proper amount of grass seed, and you can prevent disappointment with your end result.