How much grass seed per 1,000 sq ft: extension rates by grass and state
Seeding rates in pounds per 1,000 sq ft for tall fescue, bluegrass, fine fescue, ryegrass and warm-season grasses, from extension pages in nine states.
By LawnYear editorial team · Published · Updated Windows are read from the extension publications listed under Sources; the dates are approximate.
Approximate dates for your state. Check with your local cooperative extension office before you act.
TL;DR: Extension pages give 2 to 3 lb of seed per 1,000 sq ft for Kentucky bluegrass, 4 to 8 lb for tall fescue, 3 to 6 lb for fine fescue, 4 to 6 lb for perennial ryegrass and 1 to 2 lb for bermudagrass. The spread inside a grass comes from the state and from the form of the seed, so check the bag before you do the sum.
What is a grass seeding rate?
A grass seeding rate is the weight of seed an extension publication says to spread over each 1,000 square feet of lawn. The pages used here all give it in pounds per 1,000 sq ft, so the numbers can sit side by side.
Two details change what a pound means. Kentucky gives its rates in pure live seed, so a bag of coated seed needs more by weight to deliver the same amount. Georgia gives bermudagrass as 1 to 2 lb of hulled seed or 4 to 8 lb of unhulled seed. One lawn can take very different bag weights depending on the form, which is why the label matters as much as the rate.
Cool-season seeding rates by grass
Tall fescue has the widest spread. Penn State and Maryland both give 6 to 8 lb, and Tennessee gives 5 to 8 lb. Kentucky says 6 lb of pure live seed of turf-type tall fescue, and says to seed turf-type tall fescue, not Kentucky 31. Georgia gives 5 to 6 lb of turf-type tall fescue for a new lawn. New Jersey is lower, at 4 to 6 lb.
Kentucky bluegrass sits at the other end. Penn State and Maryland give 2 to 3 lb, Kentucky gives 2 lb of pure live seed and New Jersey about 2 lb. Fine fescue falls between: Penn State gives 4 to 5 lb, Maryland and New Jersey 4 to 6 lb, and Tennessee 3 to 5 lb for chewings, hard or red fescue. For perennial ryegrass, Penn State gives 4 to 5 lb and New Jersey 4 to 6 lb.
| Grass | Range across the pages | Who gives what |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky bluegrass | 2 to 3 lb | Pennsylvania and Maryland 2 to 3 lb; Kentucky 2 lb of pure live seed; New Jersey about 2 lb |
| Tall fescue | 4 to 8 lb | Pennsylvania and Maryland 6 to 8 lb; Tennessee 5 to 8 lb; Georgia 5 to 6 lb; Kentucky 6 lb of pure live seed; New Jersey 4 to 6 lb |
| Fine fescue | 3 to 6 lb | Pennsylvania 4 to 5 lb; Maryland and New Jersey 4 to 6 lb; Tennessee 3 to 5 lb |
| Perennial ryegrass | 4 to 6 lb | Pennsylvania 4 to 5 lb; New Jersey 4 to 6 lb |
| Bermudagrass | 1 to 2 lb | Maryland 1 lb; Kentucky 1 lb of pure live seed; Georgia 1 to 2 lb of hulled seed |
Why the same grass gets different numbers
The pages do not explain their differences, so these are our readings. Part of it is the job. NC State gives 6 lb of tall fescue for overseeding thin or bare spots, and Penn State gives 4 to 6 lb for overseeding or renovating with perennial ryegrass, a little wider than its 4 to 5 lb for a new lawn. Part of it is the seed form, as with Kentucky's pure live seed. And part is the state: New Jersey is the only source whose tall fescue range starts below 5 lb.
Penn State lists no overseeding rate for the other grasses, so for them a new-lawn rate is all the sources offer.
Warm-season grasses: low rates, and some have none
Warm-season grasses go on at a fraction of the weight. Maryland and Kentucky give 1 lb of bermudagrass, and Georgia gives 1 to 2 lb of hulled seed. Georgia gives 1 to 2 lb for zoysiagrass and 0.25 to 1 lb for centipedegrass, while Clemson gives 1/4 to 1/2 lb when replanting large bare centipedegrass areas in May. Georgia says the best months for bermudagrass and centipedegrass are May to July.
Seed is not always the route. Maryland lists 1 lb of zoysia seed per 1,000 sq ft but calls starting zoysia from seed challenging and not recommended, because of cost, limited availability and unreliable germination; plugs or sod are the usual way. Georgia says St. Augustinegrass cannot be established from seed, and Missouri says the popular 'Meyer' zoysiagrass is not available as seed. For those lawns there is no seeding rate to look up.
The calculator on this site carries rates for five grasses: Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue and bermudagrass.
From a rate to a bag
Multiply the rate by the lawn area divided by 1,000. A 5,000 sq ft lawn is five units, so tall fescue at the 6 to 8 lb that Penn State and Maryland give takes 30 to 40 lb of seed, and Kentucky bluegrass at 2 to 3 lb takes 10 to 15 lb. Where a rate is in pure live seed, expect to buy more by weight than the sum says.
Seeding dates are a separate question. They differ by state and by region inside a state, and the state pages list them with their sources. The seed and fertilizer calculator does this sum and shows the page behind each rate.
Frequently asked questions
- How much grass seed do I need per 1,000 square feet?
- It depends on the grass. The extension pages used here give 2 to 3 lb for Kentucky bluegrass, 4 to 8 lb for tall fescue, 3 to 6 lb for fine fescue, 4 to 6 lb for perennial ryegrass and 1 to 2 lb for bermudagrass.
- How much tall fescue seed per 1,000 square feet?
- Penn State and Maryland give 6 to 8 lb, Tennessee 5 to 8 lb and Georgia 5 to 6 lb. Kentucky gives 6 lb of pure live seed, and New Jersey gives 4 to 6 lb. Use your own state's figure where it is listed.
- What does pure live seed mean in a seeding rate?
- Kentucky gives its seeding rates in pure live seed, so they count only seed that can grow. A bag with coating or filler weighs more than the seed in it and needs more by weight. Check the label.
- Can St. Augustinegrass be grown from seed?
- No. The University of Georgia says St. Augustinegrass cannot be established from seed. Missouri adds that the popular 'Meyer' zoysiagrass is not available as seed and is sodded, plugged or sprigged.
- How much seed do I need to overseed thin spots?
- The sources say little. NC State gives 6 lb of turf-type tall fescue per 1,000 sq ft for thin or bare spots, and Penn State gives 4 to 6 lb for overseeding perennial ryegrass. Penn State lists no overseeding rate for other grasses.
How we read the sources: where a post sets states or grasses side by side, the comparison is ours, made by reading the extension pages next to each other. Every number comes from the page named.