Now is the Best Time to Start a New Lawn

Forget the spring! Fall – from late August through mid-October in most Northern Hemisphere areas – is simply the best time to install a new lawn. That’s because lawns root best during a prolonged period of cool weather. In the spring, conditions tend to turn hot and dry before the lawn is established. Lawns sown or installed in the fall have months of cool temperatures to look forward to. Plus cooler fall temperatures keep the soil moist longer, so less watering is needed.

For new lawns, apply a layer 6 inches (15 cm) of top-quality top soil rich in organic matter, then sow with a quality lawn seed blend containing endophytes (beneficial fungi). A lawn grown from seed provides far better long term results that sod sold in rolls, although sod is a better choice on a slope where seeding can be difficult.