Seeds for a new lawn

Q: What are some of the grass types that do well in the Pacific NW, where can I find them? Is early fall or late summer (now) a good time to put in seeds for a new lawn?

A: I’m the furthest from an expert on this topic, but I believe the rule of thumb is to plant seeds in late summer/early fall about 6 weeks before the first frost. OR, in the spring about 6 weeks after the first frost. I’ve found www.scotts.com to be a good site for lawn advice. The local Ace Hardware store in Sammamish is also full of guys with good lawn advice. I overseeded my whole lawn this past spring with Northwest Blend seed (I believe Lily Miller makes it) per the advice of most of the guys at Ace. Some guys there also recommended the Shade/Sun mix seed. I also had a few bare spots where I planted the Northwest Blend seed. At first, that grass grew in more lush than the lawn around it, but over the summer it has “blended” right in with the rest of the lawn such that you wouldn’t know it had been planted separately. So, regardless of what you do, give yourself 4 or 5 months before making any conclusions about the job.

Fertilizing is important too, as is applying a dolomite/lime mix 2 or 3 times a year. That mix will sweeten your soil, making it less acidic, and it’s acidic soil where moss thrives.

I may have strayed a little from what you were asking about, but I’ve learned over the past couple of years that lawn care involves more than just using good seed.

A: I have used the J&B mix quite successfully twice (2 different lawns). J&B is a local landscape company that has seed and sod specifically for our area and they now offer the mix in bags at Home Depot.
That said, because I have zero desire to water (too lazy), I wait until sometime between Oct 1st and 15th to actually spread the seed – the fall rains come shortly thereafter and mother nature takes care of the watering for me. You will still need to prep the soil and use a mulch to keep the seed in place during the rain, but overall I find this approach works very well. Be patient at this time of the year the grass will grow significantly slower, but it is growing – you will be pleasantly surprised in the spring.

A: If you do plant seed in the fall, make sure you don’t do it too late. A good friend of mine had his entire lawn dug up and reseeded last fall, but it turned out to have been done about a week or so too late and he ended up with a very muddy, sparsely grassy lawn in the spring that had to be dug up and reseeded again. The landscaper ended up doing the re-do for free, but still it wasn’t a good thing to have happen.