Is It Too Late To Plant Grass Seed In June? The Surprising Answer From Lawn Care Experts
While spring and fall are often recommended for sowing grass seed, experts say June can still deliver a lush lawn with the right approach
If you're wondering whether it's too late to plant grass seed in June, the answer is no. Lawn experts say you can successfully sow grass seed at this time of year, but choosing the right grass variety for summer conditions is crucial to achieving good results.
While spring and fall are traditionally considered the best seasons for sowing grass seed, June's warm soil temperatures can help seed germinate quickly. The key is selecting a suitable mix and giving new seedlings the care they need to establish during warmer weather.
To find out exactly when to sow grass seed and which grass seed varieties experts recommend, we asked lawn care professionals to share their advice.
Planting Grass Seed in June
If your lawn has bare patches of grass that require overseeding in June, the good news is you can definitely sow grass seed this month – if you pick the right variety.
Warm-season grasses are better to sow in June, due to their increased heat tolerance over cool-season grasses.
‘Generally, warm-season grass is best planted in the late spring or early summer, so June often falls into that category, while cool-season grass is best planted in the late summer or early fall,’ says Steve Corcoran, CEO of Lawn Love.
Warm-season grasses include Zoysia grass, which you can find at Walmart, Bermuda grass, centipede grass, available from Amazon, or St. Augustine grass.
So, should cooler-season grasses be avoided completely, or could you give planting this type of grass seed a go?
Jason Keeley, founder of Mowing Magic, says: ‘For cool-season grasses like fescue or Kentucky bluegrass, fall is preferable, but June can still work if you're prepared to water regularly and manage heat stress.'
Jason Keeley is a seasoned lawn care professional and robotic mower expert with years of hands-on experience in the industry. He launched Mowing Magic in 2019 to help homeowners and businesses achieve perfectly manicured lawns with less effort.
Planting grass seed in June
Choosing the right grass seed is only part of the equation.
If you're planting grass seed in June, the biggest challenge is managing heat and moisture while new seedlings establish.
Warm soil temperatures can encourage rapid germination, but prolonged heat and dry conditions can quickly dry out the soil and stress young grass.
Protecting newly sown areas from intense sunlight is a good idea. Harsh, direct sun can dry out the soil and scorch emerging seedlings. In particularly sunny locations, a shade cloth, such as this one from Amazon, can help protect young grass.
Consistent watering is equally important. Grass seed needs reliably moist soil to germinate successfully, which may mean watering daily during warm spells to prevent the top inch of soil from drying out.
'As things heat up in June, your water can start to evaporate rather than penetrating deep into the soil like you want it to,' says Ryan Farley, CEO of LawnStarter. 'To get around this, I'd recommend setting up your water scheduling so you're avoiding the hottest parts of the day.
'Stick to thorough, deep watering in the early morning, early afternoon, and evening.'
Once the seed is down, protect the area from children, pets and heavy foot traffic while the grass establishes. When it comes to cutting new grass, wait until the new grass reaches at least three inches tall, and never remove more than one-third of the blade height in a single cut.
Ryan Farley is the CEO of LawnStarter, a lawn care service founded in 2013 and based in Austin, Texas.
What to Shop
A bag of zoysia grass seed and mulch that will grow in full sun or light shade.
A lawn sprinkler can take the hassle out of watering new grass seed, especially at this time of year.
A bag of warm-season bermudagrass seed known to be more drought-tolerant than other grasses.
FAQs
Can I Scarify a Lawn in June?
June is not an ideal time to scarify a lawn. The right times of year are as part of fall or spring lawn care. June is too late and it can damage or stress the lawn if you scarify or dethatch a lawn in warmer months.
What Are The Key Lawn Care Jobs for June?
You want to mow the lawn every week or two to keep it neat, ideally in a different mowing pattern each time rather than the same up-and-down routine, to keep the grass healthy.
Taking time to edge a lawn after cutting will give a slick, neat outline and create separation from flower beds or a kitchen garden. And, finally, watering the lawn during spells of hot weather will keep it green and healthy rather than brown and patchy.
Lawn care is a year-round requirement to keep any grass looking at its best, and there are some common errors that people make.
To avoid making any of them yourself, our guide to five common lawn care mistakes highlights issues such as overwatering, over-fertilizing, and mowing too low, not to fall foul of.
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