What’s the Best Way to Grow a Great Lawn?

By NewLEAF2024OCT | June 19, 2025 |

Grass seed is a cost-effective way to establish a new lawn or rehabilitate an existing landscape. Good results require a little planning and patience, preparation of your soil and good seed that’s right for your area.

In the following step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to grow grass in your lawn and fill in empty patches to give your landscape the greenest and most lustrous look possible.

Best Time to Plant Grass Seed

The kind of grass seed you have to sow determines when you should plant grass, as growth cycles differ. The more you use the natural order of the grass seed’s process in your lawn planting, the more you’ll find that the work in making your grass grow is easy.

For warm zones: Plant the grass seed in late spring to early summer. Warm season grasses do well in the south and western sections of the U.S. Species like centipede, Bermuda grass, Zoysia and other warm-season varieties are at their best in late spring and early summer. This is the perfect time to sow grass seed for repairing lawn areas or new lawn establishment.
Late summer and fall are the best times to establish cool season grasses. Wet and warm soil there will help cool-season seeds germinate, and cool air temperatures will help the emerging vegetation grow, and also help suppress germination of warm-season weeds.
The right grass seed is an important detail when it comes to how to plant grass. When selecting your grass seed, you will want to be careful to consider which type of grass grows better in which part of the country. For more information, see our buying guide on types of grass seeds.
Fertilize after seeding for the quickest start to your lawn. When you go to the Garden Center, check out grass seed products that contain fertilizer.
There are other things to take into consideration when trying to figure out when to plant grass, and that’ll depend on your lifestyle and your personal lawn. Does your yard have partial shade or full sun? Are children going to play extensively on the lawn, or will you be letting pets on the lawn?
Tip: To seed grass in yard, follow directions on product packaging for optimal results. You may get some germination simply by toss the seed on the ground, but you’ll fare best if you prep the soil, sow the seed and follow up with fertilizer and water.

Preparing Soil for Planting Grass Seed

Your county’s Cooperative Extension Service offers comprehensive soil analyzes and information on how to plant grass where you live. Or, you can test the pH of the soil in your yard using a soil test kit. Read more about pH and testing soil.

A soil test report may suggest liming to neutralize an acid pH in the soil. In some parts of the country, the Southeast, for example, soils tend to be acidic and are typically treated with lime to correct the pH, bringing it closer to neutral.

Lime comes in a pellet or pulverized. Pelletized is more user-friendly to apply. Pulverized is quick acting because of its powdery texture. Wear safety equipment, including gloves, eye protection and a mask, when spreading lime.
First, identify problem areas and work on the soil.
Clear the ground of any other rubbish, wood, stones or big roots.
Scratch the surface of the soil 1 to 2 inches deep with a spade and garden rake, then dig down about 6 inches to eliminate roots and rocks.
Pour new soil over the top of the existing soil and smooth with your rake.
If additional soil not being used, then put starter grass fertilizer over existing soil using a spreader.
After sowing seed, incorporate well-rotted manure or compost into the soil to fill in any holes.
Rake smooth area and lightly tamp down.

Sow Grass Seed

With the soil ready, it’s planting the grass seeds time.
You will need a lawn spreader to help the new grass grow evenly. Use either a drop or broadcast spreader in large areas for even coverage. For smaller areas, a hand spreader can be used.
Lightly cover the seeds with soil with a rake.

Tamp the Seed

A bit of extra labor and the grass seed will stay and germinate.
Fill a lawn roller with water or sand to make it heavier, then roll it over the top of the area to tamp the seed down. This will prevent erosion and the birds from eating the seeds.
If you live on a hill, you may want to use a seed mat that can hold the seed in place.
Cover the ground in a thin layer of wheat straw to keep the seeds in place and the seeds moist.

Water the Lawn

A well-watered lawn is essential to growing grass. Watering creates a strong root system for a more resilient lawn.

Water in the new seed immediately after seeding to a depth of 4-6 inches. For those new sprouts, tread gently. Do use a sprinkler or hand sprayer with a mist setting to prevent washing soil and seed.
Wet the area daily, or even sprinkling twice a day if you live in a very hot and/or dry climate, to ensure that the seeds or sprouts get enough water to be well established.
It is crucial you don’t allow the seed to dry out as this restricts germination. Seed takes at least seven to 14 days to germinate, far longer for warm-season grasses (up to 30 days for ones like Bermuda and Zoysia).
Water lightly with a sprinkler, as often as three to four times a day, until seedlings appear, and until the grass is about a half-inch high.
Once you can mow the lawn, water an inch a week, to maintain the grass roots in good health. Water deep, less often It’s better to water deeply and infrequently than to water a little bit every day. This will enable the roots to grow down and help the grass to withstand drought.