What is dormant seeding?

What is dormant seeding, and why should you care about it? Dormant seeding is the shortcut to a spotless spring lawn. You seed the lawn in late fall or winter when the soil is cold enough to prevent germination, and seeds sprout when the ground warms up in the spring. 

The result is a thick, healthy lawn early in the growing season when your neighbors barely start to patch the bold spots. Want to learn more? Read this article to find out what dormant seeding is, when it’s the best time to use it, and what to expect from it the next year.

How dormant seeding works

Dormant seeding takes advantage of the low soil temperatures in late fall and winter and stores grass seeds in the ground for spring germination. Also known as cold seeding, winter seeding, snow seeding, or dormant planting, this seeding option is the most effective where winters are cold and wet. 

During the cold season, repeated cycles of freeze and thaw break up the topsoil and create tiny pockets where grass seeds find a safe home. Winter rain and snow also work the dormant seeds further into the soil, away from birds, wind, and storms. 

Once the soil gets warm enough in the spring, buried seeds germinate among the first plants on your lawn. Melting snow and spring rain ensure proper soil moisture, often without watering. 

When done properly, dormant grass seeding allows your newly planted grass to grow along with the established turf into a perfectly green and thick spring lawn. 

What is the best time for dormant grass seeding?

The best time to dormant seed a lawn is late fall through winter when the soil is too cold to support grass seed germination (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit) but not yet frozen. The typical dormant seeding window is between mid-November and early March but varies widely across the country.

For example, if you live in Vermont, November is the best month to dormant seed the lawn. In Kansas City, you can winter seed from December to March, but you’ll get the best results for seeds laid down in February. For the residents of Seattle, the dormant seeding season lasts from November to March.

To pinpoint the best time to dormant seed in your location:

• Check the soil temperature a few days in a row. Use a soil thermometer or look the data up on a soil temperature app.
• Watch the forecast and wait until the risk of warm spells has passed.

What’s the best temperature to dormant seed your lawn? Dormant seeding is commonly used for cool-season grasses. Their seeds germinate at 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and are typically seeded late summer to early fall (mid-August to September). To dormant seed them late fall to winter, wait until soil temperatures drop below 50 degrees F (under 40 degrees F if ryegrass is seeded). 

What happens if you dormant seed too early? Your seeds might catch a warm spell and germinate. In this case, it won’t be dormant seeding anymore but a very late fall seeding. Seedlings that sprout late in fall can’t handle the winter cold. Most die, making your efforts useless.

What about snow? Will snow kill grass seed? Snow is a precious ally for dormant seeding. It protects the seeds from harsh temperatures, blizzards, and hungry birds.

Bob Mugaas and Sam Bauer from the University of Minnesota Extension say, “This method generally works best when the newly seeded areas are covered with several inches of snow soon after seeding that remains in place over the entire winter.” 

Pro tip: Don’t spread seeds over thick snow — it limits seed-to-soil contact. 

How to dormant seed a lawn step-by-step

Dormant seeding is similar to regular seeding, except you water less. When the soil temperature is suitable for spreading the dormant seeds, follow these steps:

Step 1: Remove fallen leaves, twigs, rocks, outdoor furniture, toys, and any other debris from the area you plan to dormant seed this fall.

Step 2: Clear the ground to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. If it’s a small area, hand raking is a good solution to remove the thatch layer and break the soil surface to receive the seeds. 

When seeding a larger area loosen the soil with a core aerator – it makes tiny holes where seeds can rest safely until germination. After lawn aeration use a hoe or a rake to remove the dead plants and roots aeration brings to the surface. 

Use a power rake only if the thatch layer is over ½ inch thick, and set the blades to penetrate the soil about ¼ inches deep. The University of Nebraska Extension says power raking is not recommended when the existing turf is dormant. “When plants are not growing, they have limited ability to repair power raking damage, so could be susceptible to winter injury.”

Step 3: Spread the seeds. Use a manual rotary spreader for small areas or a broadcast spreader for larger ones.

To ensure success, spread 30% to 50% more seeds than the recommended seeding rate for your turf type. As Jim Murphy from the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station states, “Dormant seedings have greater risks associated with higher seedling mortality and loss from wash-outs, bird feeding, etc.” 

When dormant seeding, you’re often working with a small amount of grass seed. Mixing it with dry sand, compost, or sawdust makes it easier to spread it uniformly.

Rake the seeded area to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.

Step 4: Lightly water the seeded bed. Bob Mugaas and Sam Bauer recommend applying only about 0.05 to 0.10 inches of water, explaining, “At this time of year, cool temperatures and short days will help keep the areas moist far longer than in summer. While just barely damp soil is okay, it is important that the area does not become soggy and saturated with water.” 

Step 5: Dormant seed care during winter months. If you live in an area where snow covers the soil and doesn’t thaw until spring, you don’t need to do much. 

If there’s a dry winter, with less snow and rain, you might need to sprinkle a bit of water to keep the soil moist. Consider spreading a layer of straw mulch to protect the seeds if winters come with little to no snow in your location.

Should you apply fertilizer at the same time as dormant seeding? No. There’s no actively growing grass to use the nutrients at this time, and the winter rain and snow will convert the fertilizer to toxic runoff.

What can go wrong with your dormant seeding: 

• “Situations in which dormant seeding fail include areas of soil erosion and the use of dark colored mulches, which raise surface temperatures.” say Pam Sherratt and Dr. John Street from the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at the Ohio State University.
• Dry winters also can lead to seeds drying out and failing to germinate unless provided with proper water. 
• Unexpected warm periods can lead your seeds to germinate prematurely and die when later exposed to freezing temperatures. 

What to expect from cold seeding:

• Most seedlings sprout by late April to early May (depending on the grass seed variety).
• In some cases, thin areas might still be visible and require further overseeding in the spring. But don’t rush into it; give the seeds enough time to germinate.  
• Apply a starter fertilizer in early May to support root development.
• Schedule the first mow when seedlings sprout and are 3 to 4 inches tall.

Benefits and disadvantages of dormant seeding

Dormant seeding is a targeted solution, most effective as a repair tool for thin lawns and small areas with bare soil. It’s less used to install new lawns or reseed large areas in existing lawns because of the higher seed mortality rate.

Here are the most common benefits and drawbacks when using dormant seeding.

Benefits of dormant seeding:

• You can seed the lawn during a less busy period of the year.
• It’s a backup solution when missing the regular fall seeding window.
• Grass seeded during the dormant season germinates two to three weeks earlier than turf seeded in early spring.
• Seedlings deal with less weed competition.
• Dormant-seeded grass has more time to grow and a better tolerance to summer stress.
• This seeding method requires less water during germination and the first growth stages.
• It’s a natural process that follows Mother Nature’s reseeding schedule.

Disadvantages of dormant seeding:

• Grass seeds are exposed to birds, wind, and runoff without a snow blanket to protect and insulate them. 
• Seed mortality rate is higher than with fall or spring seeding.
• You can’t apply the regular crabgrass preventer or any pre-emergent weed killer you’d use in early spring.
• Warm spells during winter can trigger germination too early and expose seedlings to deadly freezing temperatures.
• Dormant seeding is less effective when used on a thick and healthy dormant lawn because of the low seed-to-soil contact.

What is the best seed for dormant seeding?

You can dormant seed any grass, but this method works best with cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and fine fescue. These grasses are more resilient to cold and benefit most from starting the season sooner in the spring. 

“Among the cool season grasses used for turf, perennial ryegrass has the greatest chance for development of turf cover from a late-fall seeding since the species has been observed to germinate at temperatures below 40° F but above freezing,” says Jim Murphy from the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, the Center of Turfgrass Science.

Can you dormant seed warm-season grasses? 

Yes, you can dormant seed warm-season species like Bermuda and Zoysia. In this case, the soil temperature must fall below 59 degrees Fahrenheit before seeding to prevent germination. However, the method is less often used for overseeding residential lawns and more for sports venues.

“Seeding in late winter is a viable option for golf course or athletic field schedules as workloads and use patterns are typically lighter during these months compared to April or May,” says Dr. Aaron Patton, an Assistant Professor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture at Fayetteville.

Other options to grow grass faster in the spring

If you want to speed up grass germination in the spring, you can try pre-germinating the seeds or slice seeding the lawn.

Seed pre-germination

Pre-germinating the grass seeds is soaking them in water for two to six days until the first root pops out. Then, you spread the seeds over the lawn. This method reduces germination times and also increases germination rates. Read our guide on grass seed pre-germination for more details.

Slice-seeding

Slice seeding uses a special machine, called a slice seeder, which digs the ground and pushes grass seed directly into the soil. It speeds up germination and improves seed-to-soil contact. Learn more from our article  “What is slice seeding?”.

FAQ on dormant seeding

Will a freeze kill grass seed?

Grass seeds are resilient and can survive in frozen soil while dormant. However, if the seeds germinate following a warm spell, seedlings are often killed by winter frost.

What is seed dormancy?

Seed dormancy is a stage in the seed’s life when it is unable to germinate. This can happen due to external factors such as cold, lack of sunlight, or moisture — in this case, the seed protects itself by remaining dormant. Dormancy also can be caused by internal factors — the seed is not mature enough to sprout and stays dormant while continuing its development. 

Can you sow grass seed in winter?

You can sow grass in winter using the dormant seeding method if the weather allows it and the soil is not yet completely frozen.

Hire a pro and wake up to a gorgeous lawn!

Sometimes, even dormant seeding can fall on a crazy-busy schedule, and DIY-ing your lawn care seems an impossible task. Relax and let the pros take over your lawn worries. Find the best lawn care company with Lawn Love and enjoy the green, thick grass covering your yard year-round!

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