Measure your lawn, choose the grass and whether it’s a new lawn or overseeding, and get pounds of seed.
Pounds of seed per 1,000 sq ft. Warm-season rates and the Georgia planting windows are UGA Extension’s; tall fescue and bluegrass rates are K-State Research and Extension’s; ryegrass over Bermuda is the University of Arizona’s.
| Grass | New lawn | Overseeding or shade | Best time to seed in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Bermudagrass, hulled | 1 to 2 lb | Not listed | May to June |
| Common Bermudagrass, unhulled | 3 to 6 lb | Not listed | May to June |
| Centipedegrass | ¼ to 1 lb | Not listed | May to June |
| Zoysiagrass | 1 to 3 lb | Not listed | May to June |
| Bahiagrass | 3 to 8 lb | Not listed | May to June |
| Tall fescue | 6 to 8 lb | 3 to 4 lb | September to October, or late February to March |
| Kentucky bluegrass | 2 to 3 lb | 1 to 1.5 lb | September to October, or late February to March |
| Ryegrass over dormant Bermuda | Overseeding only | 12 to 15 lb | September to November |
It depends on the grass. UGA Extension lists 1 to 2 lb of hulled common Bermudagrass (3 to 6 lb unhulled), ¼ to 1 lb of centipedegrass, 1 to 3 lb of zoysiagrass and 3 to 8 lb of bahiagrass. For a new tall fescue lawn, K-State recommends 6 to 8 lb and UGA 5 to 6 lb; for Kentucky bluegrass, K-State says 2 to 3 lb and UGA 1 to 3 lb.
UGA Extension says to seed warm-season grasses like Bermuda, centipede and zoysia from May to June, once soil 4 inches down is consistently 65°F and rising, and no later than early to mid-August. Tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass go in from September to October or from late February through March; UGA generally doesn’t recommend seeding tall fescue in December or after April.
Plan on sod or plugs. UGA’s establishment bulletin says centipedegrass, most common bermudagrasses and some zoysiagrass cultivars can be grown from seed, and lists St. Augustinegrass only under sod and plugs, with no seeding rate.
For tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, about half the new-lawn rate, according to K-State, which uses the same half rate for seeding in shade. For tall fescue that’s 3 to 4 lb per 1,000 sq ft. UGA lists a single rate for warm-season grasses.
The University of Arizona Extension recommends 12 to 15 lb of ryegrass per 1,000 sq ft when overseeding Bermudagrass for winter color. UGA lists 5 to 10 lb of annual or perennial ryegrass for overseeding in Georgia, sown from September to November.
Rates differ by grass and by mix, so the bag’s own rate is the safest number for anything not listed. Pick “Use the rate on my seed bag” and enter it.
Purdue Extension recommends a drop spreader, since rotary spreaders don’t spread seed evenly. Set it low, sow half the seed in one direction and the other half at right angles, then rake lightly and roll so the seed touches the soil.
UGA Extension says to keep the top 1 to 2 inches of soil moist, not wet, which usually means about ⅛ to ¼ inch of water a day for the first 2 to 3 weeks. Purdue says that can take two to four light waterings a day, depending on the weather. As roots grow, water less often and more deeply. Georgia law allows watering new seed and turf during a 30-day establishment period.
K-State Research and Extension suggests September for thickening a thin tall fescue lawn. Mow short first, to 1 to 1.5 inches, remove the clippings, and make sure there’s no more than ¼ inch of thatch.
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Results are estimates. Suppliers’ bag sizes, pallet sizes and stone weights vary, so check theirs before you order.
Lawn grasses are cool-season (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue) for the North or warm-season (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, bahia, buffalograss) for the South. Pick by region first, then by sun, traffic and water.
October 28, 2026
Aerate cool-season grass (bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass) in early fall or spring, and warm-season grass (Bermuda, zoysia, St. Augustine) from late spring through midsummer, while it's actively growing and has at least 4 weeks to recover.
October 8, 2026
Overseed cool-season lawns in late summer to early fall (mid-August to late September in much of the North) at about half the new-lawn seed rate, after aerating or slit seeding, and keep the top inch of soil moist until the grass is up.
August 28, 2026
