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Sowing Grass Seed in Summer: Can I do it?
If you’ve found yourself looking around at neighbours’ lush lawns and thinking, “It’s about time we fixed ours!”, then worry not; it’s not too late to turn that weary-looking lawn around.
Many wonder if you can still sow grass seed in summer, but the answer is, yes! Sowing grass seed in summer will grow into a beautiful lawn when you take the correct approach, and in this guide, we’ll show you how.
Benefits of sowing grass seed in summer
Grass seed prefers warmer temperatures, but not too hot! Sowing your lawn seed in summer will provide faster germination and rapid growth when the right preparation has been done and conditions are favourable.
Even though most keen gardeners will begin the process of sowing grass seed around April or May so that by the time the good weather comes around, their lawn is ready to enjoy. Don’t think that just because you waited until summer doesn’t mean you should put your gardening tools back in the shed! What a lot of people don’t realise is that sowing grass seed during the summer can bring better growth, but only if you keep an eye on the weather and don’t let your new seedlings dry out!
Tips for growing grass seed in summer
Check the weather
The run-up to summer provides the perfect conditions for grass growth with no extremities in temperature and spells of rain to keep the soil moist. However, when summer is in full swing, heatwaves and drought are concerns for anyone planning on sowing seed. Monitor the weather closely and delay sowing seed if a heatwave is due in the weeks following sowing.
Water generously
A vital step in ensuring the successful germination of your grass seeds in summer is to not let them dry out! Especially due to the dryer, warmer weather, it’s important to maintain a strict watering schedule to keep the soil moist.
Watering grass seed in warmer months
As previously mentioned, one thing to keep in mind about sowing grass seed at this time of year is that if the weather is particularly hot, it may need more watering than normal.
- We recommend watering new grass seeds deeply once a day for the first six weeks in normal conditions.
- At most, clay soils will need approximately 12mm of water, sandy soils will need 25mm, and normal soils will benefit from somewhere between that.
- It's advisable to water the seedlings first thing in the morning, but if temperatures begin to climb throughout the afternoon causing the water to evaporate and soil to dry out, water again in the evening.
- You can avoid watering your grass on days when it’s raining outside.
Can I use fertiliser when sowing grass seed in summer?
Yes! It’s a great idea to fertilise in summer to give your lawn the nutrients to grow and stay green throughout the season.
- Apply fertiliser two weeks before sowing grass seed to allow the fertiliser granules time to be absorbed into the soil to benefit your grass.
- Don't apply fertiliser during a heatwave! Wait until the hot weather has passed, and you will get much better results from feeding your lawn.
Our summer sowing fertiliser recommendations
QUICK RELEASE: Pre-Seed Granular Fertiliser
Our QUICK RELEASE: Pre-Seed is a feed high in phosphate; this is a key ingredient to help strengthen the roots of new seedlings and improve seed-to-soil contact. Apply this fertiliser two weeks before sowing your grass seed and water it until the granules are fully dissolved.
Make It Grow Liquid Fertiliser
To get your newly planted seeds off to a flying start, you can apply our Make it Grow liquid fertiliser a few days before sowing the new grass seed. This will fill your soil with nutrients to grow your grass seed as best as possible from day one.
SLOW RELEASE: Spring / Summer Granular Fertiliser
SLOW RELEASE: Spring / Summer Fertiliser slowly releases nutrients into your soil over four months, providing a balanced feed to enhance the strength of established lawns.
QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer Fertiliser
A 6-week intensive nitrogen feed, our QUICK RELEASE: Spring / Summer Fertiliser is a fast-acting boost to promote immediate healthy growth to your lawn. It is made up of mini granules which will dissolve quickly after being watered into your lawn.
Can I use weed and feed in summer?
Feed, Weed and Mosskiller can be used almost any time of the year to free your lawn of weeds and moss, and summer is a great time to apply it to an established lawn. However, if you are planning to sow seed in summer, we recommend waiting 2 weeks after applying the Feed, Weed & Mosskiller before sowing grass seed! This allows the product time to work, killing off any moss and weeds, which can then be removed or scarified, creating patches where you can subsequently overseed the lawn.
Additional advice for growing a healthy lawn during summer
While summer offers additional challenges with the introduction of higher temperatures and less rainfall, if you plan ahead, your lawn can get off to a fantastic start and grow strong from the beginning. To help you along the way, we have included some guides below for further reading, but if you have any questions about sowing grass seed in summer or any time of the year, please get in touch, and we will happily help.
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