Is it too late to sow a lawn

joe35

Hi, a neighbour asked me could i give a hand sowing a lawn with them. Just wondering would it be too late in the year for it. Will be sown next week TIA

steamsey

I wouldn't waste the seed. Wait until it's growing season - which is weather dependent but typically March up to end September

macraignil

joe35 wrote: »

Hi, a neighbour asked me could i give a hand sowing a lawn with them. Just wondering would it be too late in the year for it. Will be sown next week TIA

This UK site says grass needs 9-12 degrees Celsius to germinate. The recent soil temperatures of different parts of Ireland are shown on this teagasc web page. It would seem from this information that it should still just about be warm enough to get the lawn started. With wet conditions likely over the next few months it would not be advisable to be mowing the new lawn in the wet conditions and so weeds could become a problem without the mowing to keep them under control.



It's not the perfect time as it is turning cold but if the alternative is just bare ground over the winter I'd be inclined to fire ahead. If the ground has not been cleared yet I'd wait until next Spring.

aw

FWIW, a new lawn was sown beside me (East Galway) last week, new green shoots appeared yesterday morning all across the lawn.

So it depends on where you are, and how the weather will be for the next two/three weeks.

If it was me, I'd do it this week, but next week... Might be pushing it.

However, if the area has been prepared, seed it. At worst, you'll have some limited grass growth.
Otherwise it will be 100% weeds.

Harry Palmr

It can be done but you are right on the cusp - we have a major chill coming for 4/5 days and that'll put frost on the ground for at least a couple of nights and so soil temps will be hit. Much better to wait until spring, at least you know conditions will be heading in the right direction.

Golden Landscapes

people have asked me to sow lawns in late October before and i just refused to do them for a few simple reason

temptresses are to up and down if there was heavy frost the seed mite not germinate or large amounts a rain the seed maybe washed of site , you let weeds get a head start of the grass and your new lawn will be full of weeds and not grass next spring.
there is all so potenical risk of wild animals damgageing areas of fresh seed and over seeding will be required hence double your work load for next spring

best option for the minute is to

spray the area of weed a herbicide and grass killer

wait until march spray again if theirs any fresh growth are weeds growing

get a machine in to til the soil power harrow/ rotavator are the likes

wait a week are two after these process and rake and seed the lawn use a lawn roller to puch your seed into the soil

use a fertilizer like 18/6/12 to start of the new lawn

spray for broad leaf weeds 21 days after seeding and cut it with a hand mower a week later

joe35

Thanks everyone. Was thinking along them lines myself.

Shaunoc

grass will grow

Lumen

aw wrote: »

if the area has been prepared, seed it. At worst, you'll have some limited grass growth.
Otherwise it will be 100% weeds.

Yes, but you can spray 100% weeds with broad spectrum weedkiller e.g. Roundup but you can't once there is grass there.

I'd also wait until spring.

GrumpyMe

Lumen wrote: »

Yes, but you can spray 100% weeds with broad spectrum weedkiller e.g. Roundup but you can't once there is grass there.
I'd also wait until spring.

Of course you can.
Sow now - worst case scenario is you clear all next spring with roundup and reseed with grass.
Best case is you have a grassy patch which will out grow, especially as you mow, whatever weeds are there.

Golden Landscapes

Golden Landscapes wrote: »

people have asked me to sow lawns in late October before and i just refused to do them for a few simple reason

temptresses are to up and down if there was heavy frost the seed mite not germinate or large amounts a rain the seed maybe washed of site , you let weeds get a head start of the grass and your new lawn will be full of weeds and not grass next spring.
there is all so potenical risk of wild animals damgageing areas of fresh seed and over seeding will be required hence double your work load for next spring

best option for the minute is to

spray the area of weed a herbicide and grass killer

wait until march spray again if theirs any fresh growth are weeds growing

get a machine in to til the soil power harrow/ rotavator are the likes

wait a week are two after these process and rake and seed the lawn use a lawn roller to puch your seed into the soil

use a fertilizer like 18/6/12 to start of the new lawn

spray for broad leaf weeds 21 days after seeding and cut it with a hand mower a week later

I tend to agree with all this minus the fertiliser. Sow the lawn in Spring without a nitrogen fertiliser. You will have to wait longer for the grass to grow but it will give it chance to develop a better root. I sowed lawns without fertiliser and have ended up with a thick green sward.

joe35

Sowed that lawn on wed. I warned them that it was very late in the year nut they wanted it done anyway. Turned out a lovely job. Put down a few slabs I had that left a path down to her parents. They kept saying what a great job it was, I said wait untill the spring and we'll see how good it is

Harry Palmr

How do you know it's a lovely job? You did it three days ago! Impatience is not a good quality in gardening (but that's for your neighbours to find out possibly)

joe35

Well i did say it would be the spring before you could tell if it was a good job or not. I meant it looked lovely with the stepping stones down to the parents house. This was just done more or less off the cuf but looks very good.
Anyway how bad will frost effect seed before it struck. Had a bit of frost here thursday night and hope it didn't kill the seed.