Do you know the best time of day to plant grass seed? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t. Perhaps you assume that any time is good as long as it’s not raining or snowing. Or perhaps you think it doesn’t matter because grass is grass, right? You might be surprised by how much that isn’t true about planting grass seed in general. It turns out that the best time of day to plant grass seed has a tremendous effect on your success rate with growing new lawns. With the right information, you can increase your chances of successfully growing new sod at home by learning what time of day to plant grass seed. After reading this article, you’ll know exactly when to plant grass seed and have everything ready to go as soon as those little green sprouts begin poking through the soil.
What Time Of Day Is Best To Plant Grass Seed?
To start, we need to understand how plants like to be treated when they’re first sprouting. Once the seed has been planted and you’ve covered it with soil, it’s too late to adjust the conditions. The seed has already been given a signal to “begin growing” and even if you try to change some conditions, it’s not going to work. The seed knows that it’s supposed to grow, so it’s going to do that whether it’s sunny, raining, or 10 degrees outside. That means you need to plant grass seed during the conditions that are best for it. If you plant it during a time of day and under conditions that aren’t optimal, the seeds won’t grow. They’ll sit there and wait for the right conditions to arrive. If they don’t, they’ll eventually die out.
Evening Is The Worst Time To Plant Grass Seed
There are certainly times of day that are better than others to plant grass seed. But evening is the absolute worst time to plant any type of seed. This is the time of the day when the sun is on its way down. The solar energy from the day has mostly disappeared. The soil is cooling off and beginning to lose heat. The ground is losing moisture as well. All of this adds up to conditions that are not conducive to growing new seedlings. Your grass seed won’t be able to take advantage of the energy from the sun and will be unable to break through the soil. It’ll simply wait for conditions to improve and never grow.
Midday Is A Solid Option
Like we said, evening is the worst time to plant grass seed. But midday is a good time to plant grass seed as well. The sun is up but not so high in the sky that the soil has gotten too hot. The solar energy is still there but has not yet been so intense that it overheats the ground. This makes midday a solid time to plant new grass seed. It gives the seeds the sunlight they need to get growing while not allowing them to overheat and die. The midday sun is also nice and bright. It will provide good natural light for sprouting new grass seedlings. This can be helpful if you’re planting grass seed in the fall or winter when shorter days bring less natural light. The midday sun can also help warm the ground a little, which can help seeds get to germinating faster.
Late Afternoon May Be An Option As Well
Like we said, the midday sun is great for new seedlings. But what if you’re trying to plant grass seed in the fall? If you plant your seeds in the morning, they won’t get enough sunlight to grow. The sun gets blocked by the leaves of deciduous trees as autumn progresses. This can make it difficult for new grass seedlings to get enough light to grow. This is why planting grass seed in the late afternoon is another option you might want to consider. The sun is still out, but it’s lower in the sky and isn’t as hot as it is during the midday. It won’t be as intense or warm the ground as much. But it will still provide the light new seedlings need.
Which Days Are Best?
In general, the best days to plant grass seed are the days that are just before a new moon. It’s not terribly critical when you plant grass seed, but some days are better than others. For example, planting grass seed in the first full week of the month is generally good. The last full week of the month is also a good time to plant. The middle of the month is less ideal. The first half of the month is fine, but the latter half of the month is better avoided. These are the best days to plant grass seed because they occur before the new moon. This is helpful because the new moon marks the point at which the moon and sun are positioned such that they’re not receiving any sunlight. After the new moon, the moon begins to be illuminated again by the sun. This is why the new moon is considered a “dark” phase of the lunar cycle. The less light the moon receives, the easier it is for plants to grow.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things you can do to increase your chance of successful grass seed growth. One of the best ways to do that is to know the best time of day to plant grass seed. In general, the best times to plant grass seed are before the new moon or just after the full moon. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines. The weather, season, and type of grass seed you’re planting will all influence these guidelines as well.