When do yall throw down seed in Delmarva?

[Terryfordwin23]

Hello, new here.. just need sum advice real quick im in Salisbury MD n was plannin to seed my lawn dis fall but i gettin diff advice. sum say early Sept, others say mid Oct. i checked frost dates n looks like first frost hits round early Nov. prob is i gotta bounce end of Sept (like 28th to Oct 6). idk if i should seed rite b4 leavin or wait til im back. got irrigation so it can water while im gone but still sketchy not being home to babysit it.any of u got tips or been thru same? when do u usually seed round here so it actually grows good? peace n thanks in advance frfr

 

[gerrysan10]

Hello, new here.. just need sum advice real quick im in Salisbury MD n was plannin to seed my lawn dis fall but i gettin diff advice. sum say early Sept, others say mid Oct. i checked frost dates n looks like first frost hits round early Nov. prob is i gotta bounce end of Sept (like 28th to Oct 6). idk if i should seed rite b4 leavin or wait til im back. got irrigation so it can water while im gone but still sketchy not being home to babysit it.any of u got tips or been thru same? when do u usually seed round here so it actually grows good? peace n thanks in advance frfr

Go for early September if you can. The grass will have time to establish before the first frost hits. Since you’ve got irrigation, it should work out even if you’re not around, just make sure the seeds are well spread. Hope that helps!

 

[polkaDOTS]

For Salisbury, you wanna seed about 6-8 weeks before first frost, so early-mid September is kinda the sweet spot.

If you've got irrigation, I'd honestly seed before you leave (like mid-Sept), get it germinating, and let the system handle watering while you're gone. Waiting till mid-Oct is pushing it - cooler temps = slower growth and less time to establish.

Earlier is usually safer than later around here.

 

[newbie_gardener]

Go for early September if you can. The grass will have time to establish before the first frost hits. Since you’ve got irrigation, it should work out even if you’re not around, just make sure the seeds are well spread. Hope that helps!

Im kinda new to this, why is early September better than spring? Is it mainly because of the weather or something else?

Also, if Ive got irrigation set up, do I still need to check on it often, or is it pretty much set and forget once the seeds are down?

 

[lawn_addict]

Im kinda new to this, why is early September better than spring? Is it mainly because of the weather or something else?

Also, if Ive got irrigation set up, do I still need to check on it often, or is it pretty much set and forget once the seeds are down?

Early Septembers better mainly because the soil is still warm (faster germination) but the air is cooler, so the new grass doesnt get stressed. Plus, fewer weeds compared to spring.

Irrigation isnt fully set and forget at first, youll still want to check daily to make sure the soil stays evenly moist and nothings drying out or getting flooded. Once its established, its way more hands-off

 

[newbie_gardener]

Early Septembers better mainly because the soil is still warm (faster germination) but the air is cooler, so the new grass doesnt get stressed. Plus, fewer weeds compared to spring.

Irrigation isnt fully set and forget at first, youll still want to check daily to make sure the soil stays evenly moist and nothings drying out or getting flooded. Once its established, its way more hands-off

Ah okay, that makes sense. Just wondering, how long does it usually take before the grass is established enough that I dont have to check the irrigation every day?

 

[CallMeParker]

Ah okay, that makes sense. Just wondering, how long does it usually take before the grass is established enough that I dont have to check the irrigation every day?

Yeah, it really depends on the type of grass and the weather, but usually you’ll want to keep an eye on it pretty closely for the first couple of weeks. Once the roots are established and the grass starts filling in, you can gradually water less often and more deeply. I’d say if the soil is still drying out quickly, it’s probably not quite ready to go without daily checks yet.