Autumn sowing guide
As our nights begin to grow darker you may start to think that sowing season has ended. However, where temperatures are still 8-10 degrees and above – autumn presents an excellent opportunity for grass seed sowing.
Sowing grass seed in autumn
The best times of year to sow grass seed are spring and autumn, not only for quick growth but for your own forward planning. Seeding or overseeding your lawn in spring enables you to enjoy your new green grass for all of the summer, and sowing a new lawn or repairing grass in autumn means when spring rolls around, most of your work is done!
Most grass seed species will germinate at temperatures of 8-10 degrees and above. The seed requires the temperatures forecasted in your area to hit these consistently for two weeks. There will also need to be no frost or adverse weather conditions forecast (heavy rain etc.).
Some more specialist species, such as Poa Supina, require warmer temperatures of 15 degrees and above to germinate, so if you have chosen a mix such as our STEADFAST: Ultra Shade, you should consider this.
We also have grass seeds suited to different soil types; you can read about that on our grass seed for different soil types blog.
If you’re not quite sure what mix you should sow with, you can read our guide on what grass seed do I need.
We have instructions you can follow whether you are sowing a new lawn, or overseeding your existing lawn.
Making your autumn seeding a success
With your prep work complete and the forecast looking perfect, you can ensure you're hard work doesn’t go to waste. A great way to speed this up is by fertilising your lawn. If sowing a new lawn from scratch, you should aim to use our QUICK RELEASE: Pre-Seed before sowing, and if overseeding, a SLOW RELEASE: Autumn / Winter fertiliser will help to protect all your hard work.
A few pointers
- Whilst your new grass is establishing, it is important to keep leaves off it. This extra unnecessary moisture on top of your new grass can cause disease – remove leaves when you see them gathering.
- Autumn is a great time for sowing seed as there is typically more rainfall forecast, requiring less watering! During the first six weeks, you should aim to keep your new seedlings moist. If there is prolonged rainfall, avoid watering your seedlings.
- As always, your lawn should be ready for its first mow at the 6-week mark when blades hit 5-7cm long. Cut your lawn on the highest setting for its first mow. You can read more on our guide, The last grass cut of the season.
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