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Sowing Grass Seed in Summer: Can I do it?
So, you’ve been staring at your neighbours’ lush green lawn for the last few weeks and thought, “Perhaps it’s time to sort our lawn out – once and for all!”. On the back of this thought comes a question many gardeners ask, “Can I still sow grass seed in summer?”. And the answer is Yes! Sowing grass seed in summer will grow into a beautiful lawn when you take the correct approach, so don’t worry - it’s not too late to turn that weary-looking lawn around!
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 conditions are right, and you have followed our advice on how to sow grass seed.
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 sowing grass seed in summer
In the run-up to summer, UK weather usually offers the perfect balance of warmth and moisture for growing grass seed, with average temperatures of 8-10°C and plenty of rain. Once summer is in full swing, however, our climate often provides too much of one and not enough of the other, so be sure to water your lawn more frequently in summer to ensure the soil and seedlings do not dry out.
Our video below goes into the steps required to get the best results when sowing grass seed, but remember to keep an eye on your local forecast for a warm weather front if sowing seed in the summer months.
Hold off planting grass seed entirely if there is a heatwave forecast, and only sow your seed once the weather has returned to normal!
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 or it is still dried out from the previous year, 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.
- If you have watered your seeds in the morning, you might find that the soil has dried out if temperatures have crept up after lunchtime, so water it 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, you can still use fertiliser – and it’s a great time to apply as lawns will need feed to keep their greenness throughout the summer if you haven’t already fed it! We have four options for summer lawn feed, and we recommend applying these two weeks before sowing grass seed. This gives the fertiliser granules time to be absorbed into the soil to benefit your grass.
Similar to when sowing grass seed this time of year, 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!
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
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 slowly releases nutrients into your soil over four months, providing a balanced feed to enhance the strength of established lawns. Apply after sowing your seed and ensure the granules are watered until completely dissolved.
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 your lawn. Apply this Feed, Weed and Mosskiller to conveniently tackle three jobs in one, which will see your moss and weeds disappear, and your lawn gets the boost of nutrients it so desperately needs!
Whichever granular fertiliser you decide to use, be aware that you must water the granules in fully because they will be more likely to damage your grass if granules are left on the surface due to the summer heat.
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.