How to Grow Grass in the Winter

Cool-season grasses grow best in the winter. You might need to overplant cool-season grass seeds to ensure full lawn coverage. There are three major cool-season grasses, with a few cultivars of improved varieties of each one. They are fescues, bluegrasses and perennial ryegrass. When growing grass in the winter, keep in mind the type of lawn, maintenance, cost of seed establishment and location and climate.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rototiller
• Shovel
• Rake
• Gloves
• Cool-season grass seed
• Phosphorus-rich fertilizer
• Roller
• Seed spreader

1. Plant bluegrass seeds along with perennial ryegrass for best results. Bluegrass is a slower-growing grass---establishment can take up to 2 months. Adding a faster-growing grass seed, like ryegrass, ensures a nice, full lawn quicker.

2. Prepare the soil by breaking up the ground with a rototiller. You can rent a tiller at a local tool-rental store. Remove all weeds and old grass.

3. Spread a phosphorus-rich starter fertilizer into the loosened soil. The middle number on the bag of fertilizer specifies the amount of phosphorus. Blend in a soil conditioner, also available at home and garden stores. Use the tiller to mix the fertilizer and the soil conditioner into the soil.

4. Rake the soil until it is smooth and even. Remove any rocks and debris that come up. Use a rented roller to finish leveling the soil. Fill the roller with water and roll it over the soil. Water the soil lightly after rolling.

5. Use a seed spreader to disperse the cool-season grass seed over the entire lawn area. Only disperse one quarter of the seed at a time, and each time you reload the seed, disperse it in another direction. After the bluegrass seed is dispersed, reload the spreader with the ryegrass seed and repeat the procedure.

6. Rake over the top of the soil to encourage the seeds slightly below the surface of the soil. Use the roller again to roll over the top of the soil and even it out. This time, do not fill the roller with water.

7. Finely spray over the top of the soil several times a day. The goal is to keep the soil moist but not to start a flood. Too much water can wash the seeds away. Once the blades sprout you can water more heavily a couple of times a day. Keep the grass watered to ensure a nice, heavy winter lawn.

Tips & Warnings

• Grass seed prefers a soil with a PH level of 6.0 to 7.5. Check the PH level of your soil before planting the seed to ensure it is properly adjusted. The best time to plant a winter lawn is in the early fall.