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Pounds and bags of grass seed for a new lawn or overseeding, by grass type, from extension seeding rates per 1,000 sq ft.
With these inputs:
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed for 5,000 sq ft | 30 lb |
| Range at the published rate | 30 lb |
| Bags of 5 lb | 6 bags |
| Each of two passes | 15 lb |
| Grass | Tall fescue |
| Rate | 6 lb per 1,000 sq ft |
| Rate source | NC State Extension Table 9-4 (new lawns) |
Apply half the seed in one direction and the other half at right angles to the first pass (NC State Extension). More seed is not better: NC State warns that higher rates give weak, thin stands that are more prone to disease.
Seeding rates differ ten-fold between grasses: tall fescue goes down at 6 lb per 1,000 sq ft, centipedegrass at a quarter of a pound. Pick the grass and whether you are starting a new lawn or overseeding, enter the area and the bag size, and the calculator returns the pounds of seed, the range the extension rate allows, the bags to buy and how much to put down on each of the two passes. New-lawn rates are NC State Extension's; overseeding rates are Colorado State University Extension's.
It depends on the grass. NC State Extension's new-lawn rates per 1,000 sq ft: tall fescue 6 lb, Kentucky bluegrass 1.5–2 lb, bluegrass + perennial ryegrass mix 2.5 lb, bermudagrass 1–2 lb (double if coated), bahiagrass 5 lb, centipedegrass 0.25–0.5 lb, zoysiagrass 1–2 lb.
30 lb of tall fescue for a new lawn (5 × 6 lb), or 7.5–10 lb of Kentucky bluegrass. To overseed tall fescue at Colorado State's 4–6 lb rate, about 25 lb (20–30 lb).
Colorado State University Extension's overseeding rates per 1,000 sq ft are tall fescue 4–6 lb, Kentucky bluegrass 3–5 lb and perennial ryegrass or a bluegrass/ryegrass mix 6–8 lb. Aerating first with a core aerator gives the seed holes to land in.
Yes. NC State Extension warns that higher seeding rates can result in weak, thin stands that are more susceptible to disease and high-temperature stress. Stick to the rate and spread it evenly in two passes at right angles.
In NC State's guide, cool-season grasses such as tall fescue and bluegrass are seeded in late summer to early fall (mid-August to mid-October by region), and warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass, centipede and zoysia in spring to midsummer (March to July).
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