Tips for Seeding A Lawn in Northern Utah

It takes a lot of effort to grow grass with Utah’s unpredictable climate. Heavy rain, inadequate sunlight, or sudden drops into low temperature can prevent growth. In the Salt Lake region, apply seed in late May or early September when daytime air temperatures are in the 70–80s.

Here are some tips for growing grass seed that will increase the likelihood of success:

• Rake out dead grass (power raking is best if you’re going to seed the whole lawn).

• Aerate the lawn within a couple weeks before seeding. If you’re only seeding small spots, you can till the soil with a hand tool.

• Mix a soil top dressing into bare areas. There are several good products available at home improvement stores, like Scotts Lawn Soil.

• If seeding a large area, spread a 1/3 to 1/2 inch layer of topsoil across the whole area. Contact a local nursery or a company like Big Yellow Bag to deliver top soil in bulk. It’s easy to underestimate how much topsoil is needed, so use a soil calculator.

• Buy a seed mix from a nursery or home improvement store. Bags are clearly labeled for your needs. A sun and shade mix, which can be applied anywhere on the lawn, will usually have bluegrasses, fescues, and rye grasses. If seeding small areas, you can buy bags of seed already mixed with a top dressing.

• Apply the seed. You can do this by hand for small areas, but you’ll need a spreader for large areas.

• Lightly rake the seed into the soil in bare areas.

• Apply a starter fertilizer high in phosphorus.

• Lightly water the seed a few times a day for two weeks. The goal is to keep the top layer of soil moist (not drenched). Shady areas require less water.

• Keep people and pets off of seeded areas. You may want to put up a barrier to prevent entry.

• Wait until the new grass is about 3 inches tall to mow your lawn.

• Wait about 3 months to spray newly seeded areas for weeds.