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Seed and fertilizer calculator.

Estimate grass seed and fertilizer for your lawn area, using seeding and nitrogen rates from university extension, with each source shown.

Seed: 20 to 40 lbs. Fertilizer: 10.4 to 20.8 lbs per application (2.5 to 5 lbs of actual nitrogen).

Seed rate used: 4 to 8 lbs per 1,000 sq ft. Penn State and Maryland give 6 to 8 lb, Tennessee 5 to 8 lb, Kentucky 6 lb of pure live seed, and NC State 6 lb for overseeding thin or bare spots. New Jersey gives 4 to 6 lb.

Nitrogen rate used: 0.5 to 1 lbs of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per application. Kentucky's general guideline is 1 lb of nitrogen per application, Wisconsin says never more than 1 lb in one application and Tennessee no more than 1 lb at one time. Clemson and Texas A&M give 1/2 to 1 lb, and Tennessee uses 1/2 lb in spring. Some calendars schedule a larger single feeding, such as Indiana's 1.5 lb in November, so follow your state's page.

Rates are ranges taken from university extension publications and differ by state, grass and maintenance level. Some are given per pound of pure live seed, so a bag with coating or filler needs more by weight. Check the seed bag label and ask your local cooperative extension office before you buy.

Rates behind the numbers

Where extension publications differ, the range covers all of them. A grass with no reliable published rate is left out, and so is overseeding for every grass except perennial ryegrass.

Seed rates per 1,000 sq ft by grass, with what each source says
GrassLbs seed per 1,000 sq ftWhat the sources say
Kentucky bluegrass2 to 3 lbsPenn State and Maryland give 2 to 3 lb. Kentucky gives 2 lb of pure live seed (a bag of coated seed needs more) and New Jersey about 2 lb.
Tall fescue4 to 8 lbsPenn State and Maryland give 6 to 8 lb, Tennessee 5 to 8 lb, Kentucky 6 lb of pure live seed, and NC State 6 lb for overseeding thin or bare spots. New Jersey gives 4 to 6 lb.
Perennial ryegrass4 to 6 lbsOverseeding: 4 to 6 lbsPenn State gives 4 to 5 lb and New Jersey 4 to 6 lb.Penn State gives 4 to 6 lb for overseeding or renovation. It lists no overseeding rate for the other grasses.
Fine fescue3 to 6 lbsPenn 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.
Bermudagrass1 to 2 lbsMaryland gives 1 lb, and Kentucky 1 lb of pure live seed. Georgia gives 1 to 2 lb of hulled seed, and 4 to 8 lb of unhulled seed, which this range does not cover; check the bag.
Nitrogen per application0.5 to 1 lbs of nitrogenKentucky's general guideline is 1 lb of nitrogen per application, Wisconsin says never more than 1 lb in one application and Tennessee no more than 1 lb at one time. Clemson and Texas A&M give 1/2 to 1 lb, and Tennessee uses 1/2 lb in spring. Some calendars schedule a larger single feeding, such as Indiana's 1.5 lb in November, so follow your state's page.

Rates are ranges taken from university extension publications and differ by state, grass and maintenance level. Some are given per pound of pure live seed, so a bag with coating or filler needs more by weight. Check the seed bag label and ask your local cooperative extension office before you buy.

Sources

The dates and figures on this page come from these publications.

  1. [1]
    Penn State Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Lawn Establishment (September 2025).Publication year 2025 · Read 2026-10-29
  2. [2]
    University of Maryland Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Starting a New Lawn (2026); seeding rates per 1,000 sq ft by turf type, page updated March 16, 2026.Publication year 2026 · Read 2026-10-30
  3. [3]
    University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service ↗ (opens in a new tab)AGR-50, Lawn Establishment in Kentucky (2016); seeding times and rates (in pure live seed) for cool-season grasses and planting time for warm-season grasses.Publication year 2016 · Read 2026-10-30
  4. [4]
    Rutgers Cooperative Extension (NJAES) ↗ (opens in a new tab)FS584, Seeding Your Lawn (2004); fall seeding dates for northern and southern New Jersey and seeding rates by species.Publication year 2004 · Read 2026-10-30
  5. [5]
    NC State Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)AG-367, Tall Fescue Lawn Maintenance Calendar (July 2021).Publication year 2021 · Read 2026-10-29
  6. [6]
    University of Tennessee Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)PB1576, Selecting, Establishing and Maintaining the Fescues (2010); seeding window and rates, fertilization calendar and mowing heights. The year is the date of the university's repository record.Publication year 2010 · Read 2026-10-30
  7. [7]
    University of Georgia Cooperative Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)Bermudagrass Lawn Calendar (September 2023); months rated B best, P possible, M marginal.Publication year 2023 · Read 2026-10-29
  8. [8]
    University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service ↗ (opens in a new tab)AGR-212, Fertilizing Your Lawn (2014); nitrogen timing and rates by grass and maintenance level, and the April preemergent timing for crabgrass.Publication year 2014 · Read 2026-10-30
  9. [9]
    University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension ↗ (opens in a new tab)A3435, Lawn Maintenance (2022); fertilization periods and rates by maintenance level, and a limit of 1 lb of nitrogen per application.Publication year 2022 · Read 2026-10-30
  10. [10]
    Clemson Cooperative Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) ↗ (opens in a new tab)HGIC 1218, St. Augustinegrass Yearly Maintenance Program (revised 2018).Publication year 2018 · Read 2026-10-29
  11. [11]
    Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service ↗ (opens in a new tab)ESC-042, Bermudagrass Home Lawn Management Calendar; month-by-month table, statewide.Read 2026-10-29