{"id":26912,"date":"2024-07-26T10:44:39","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T10:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/?p=26912"},"modified":"2024-09-04T15:37:58","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T15:37:58","slug":"when-to-plant-grass-seed-missouri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/when-to-plant-grass-seed-missouri\/","title":{"rendered":"When to Plant Grass Seed in Missouri"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Missouri is in a transition zone, where warm- and cool-season grasses can grow. The best time to plant cool-season grass in Missouri is mid-September, but this can range from late August to mid-October. For warm-season grasses, plant from mid-May to early June.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this article, we\u2019ll dive into the best months to plant your grass seed in Missouri, the best time to overseed your lawn, and we\u2019ll also answer some frequently asked questions.<\/p>   <div class=\"wp-block-ub-table-of-contents-block ub_table-of-contents\" id=\"ub_table-of-contents-4054d61c-a3da-47d8-b44d-f8445f73cc49\" data-linktodivider=\"false\" data-showtext=\"show\" data-hidetext=\"hide\" data-scrolltype=\"auto\" data-enablesmoothscroll=\"false\" data-initiallyhideonmobile=\"false\" data-initiallyshow=\"true\"><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header-container\" style=\"\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-header\" style=\"text-align: left; \"> \t\t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-title\" style=\"\">Table of Contents<\/div> \t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-extra-container\" style=\"\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"ub_table-of-contents-container ub_table-of-contents-1-column\"> \t\t\t\t<ul style=\"\"><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/when-to-plant-grass-seed-missouri\/#0-best-time-to-plant-grass-seed-in-missouri\" style=\"\">Best time to plant grass seed in Missouri<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/when-to-plant-grass-seed-missouri\/#2-when-to-overseed-in-missouri\" style=\"\">When to overseed in Missouri<\/a><\/li><li style=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/when-to-plant-grass-seed-missouri\/#3-faq\" style=\"\">FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>   <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"0-best-time-to-plant-grass-seed-in-missouri\"><span id=\"best-time-to-plant-grass-seed-in-missouri\">Best time to plant grass seed in Missouri<\/span><\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Seed-spreading.jpeg\" alt=\"a woman spreading grass seed by hand\" class=\"wp-image-23608\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Seed-spreading.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Seed-spreading-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Seed-spreading-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Seed-spreading-610x406.jpeg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/images\/spreading-grass-seed-by-hand\/240145311?prev_url=detail&amp;asset_id=240145311\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dean<\/a> | Adobe Stock Free | <a href=\"https:\/\/stock.adobe.com\/license-terms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">License<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best time to plant grass seed in Missouri depends on the grass type you will use:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong>For cool-season grasses<\/strong>, the best time to plant in Missouri is mid-September (during the fall), but you can do it as early as late August and as late as mid-October.<\/li>    <li><strong>For warm-season grasses<\/strong>, the best time to plant in Missouri is from mid-May to early June (in spring).<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fall is the best time to seed tall fescue and other cool-season grasses because:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li>It gives the seed enough time to germinate and grow mature leaves before the first killing frost.&nbsp;<\/li>    <li>The weather is optimal to favor seed growth, with mild temperatures that will discourage weed competition.<\/li>    <li>Seeding in the fall gives cool-season grasses two seasons (the fall and the following spring) to establish before facing the stressful summer heat.<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For warm-season grasses, on the other hand, the best practice is to seed them in mid-to-late spring so they\u2019ll have time to germinate during summer before going dormant in winter.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For a step-by-step guide on how you can plant grass seed, visit our article: <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/how-to-plant-grass-seed\/\">How to Plant Grass Seed<\/a>.<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-what-if-you-miss-the-fall-window-for-cool-season-grasses\"><span id=\"what-if-you-miss-the-fall-window-for-cool-season-grasses\">What if you miss the fall window for cool-season grasses?<\/span><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In case you miss the opportunity to seed cool-season lawns in the fall, you can seed them in spring. If conditions are dry, you can prepare the soil and seed as early as February or March. Seeding in April is also possible.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, keep in mind that spring seeding cool-season lawns may not give you the best results. The summer heat and the weed competition are two decisive factors that can impair optimal growth.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-when-to-overseed-in-missouri\"><span id=\"when-to-overseed-in-missouri\">When to overseed in Missouri<\/span><\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/overseeding-800.jpg\" alt=\"a seed spreader on a lawn\" class=\"wp-image-10333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/overseeding-800.jpg 800w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/overseeding-800-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/overseeding-800-768x504.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/overseeding-800-610x400.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/closeup-lawn-spreader-grass-yard-used-1757904407\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shutterstock<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">September is the best time to overseed your cool-season lawn in Missouri, when soil temperatures are around 50 F to 65 F. For warm-season lawns, the best time to seed and overseed is late spring, after the soil temperatures reach between 75 F and 80 F.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Kirksville in northern Missouri, this happens around mid-June, but it can happen earlier in hotter years. In Jefferson City, Charleston, and other areas in central and south Missouri, the soil might reach 75 F in early June.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pro Tip: <\/strong>Learn the best time of the year to perform other lawn maintenance tasks in our <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/lawn-care-calendar-missouri\/\">Month-by-Month Lawn Care Calendar for Missouri<\/a>.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"3-faq\"><span id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/span><\/h2>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"4-how-late-can-you-plant-grass-seed-in-missouri\"><span id=\"how-late-can-you-plant-grass-seed-in-missouri\">How late can you plant grass seed in Missouri?<\/span><\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can plant cool-season grass seeds as late as mid-October and warm-season grasses up until early June. If you missed the fall, you can seed cool-season grasses in the spring (as early as February, if conditions are dry enough, up until May), although you might not get the best results due to weed competition.<\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"5-what-usda-hardiness-zone-is-missouri\"><span id=\"what-usda-hardiness-zone-is-missouri\">What USDA hardiness zone is Missouri?<\/span><\/h3>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"791\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MO300_HS-791x1024.jpg\" alt=\"USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map of Missouri\" class=\"wp-image-26906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MO300_HS-791x1024.jpg 791w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MO300_HS-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MO300_HS-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MO300_HS-610x789.jpg 610w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/MO300_HS.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 791px) 100vw, 791px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/planthardiness.ars.usda.gov\/system\/files\/MO300_HS.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USDA<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Missouri has 6 different hardiness zones. <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/planting-zones-missouri\/\">Missouri\u2019s planting zones<\/a> include USDA hardiness zones 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, and 8a.\u00a0<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing your hardiness zone can help you choose the best grass for your lawn and plants for your landscape. Read our guides to find a selection of plants for your garden:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/missouri-native-plants\/\">Missouri Native Plants for Your Landscape<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/missouri-wildflowers\/\">Missouri Wildflowers for Your Garden<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"6-what-are-the-best-grass-seeds-for-missouri\"><span id=\"what-are-the-best-grass-seeds-for-missouri\">What are the best grass seeds for Missouri?<\/span><\/h3>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"505\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/transition-zone-map.jpg\" alt=\"Map of the United States showing cool-season grass, warm-season grass, and transition zones.\" class=\"wp-image-20743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/transition-zone-map.jpg 800w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/transition-zone-map-300x189.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/transition-zone-map-768x485.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/transition-zone-map-610x385.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Infographic by Juan Rodriguez<\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Missouri is in the transition zone, where both warm-season and cool-season grasses can be grown. Experts consider that cool-season grasses perform better in the northern half of the state and warm-season grasses are better suited to the southern half. The <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/best-grass-seed-missouri\/\">best grass seeds for Missouri lawns<\/a> include:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong>Cool-season grasses:<\/strong> Turf-type tall fescue, fine fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass<\/li>    <li><strong>Warm-season grasses:<\/strong> Buffalograss, Bermudagrass, and Zoysiagrass<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Pro tip: <\/strong>See our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/grow-grass\/\">How to Grow Grass<\/a> to accomplish a lush, green lawn independently of what seed you opt for.<\/p>    <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"7-when-to-call-a-pro\"><span id=\"when-to-call-a-pro\">When to call a pro<\/span><\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Caring for your lawn doesn&#8217;t have to be a struggle. With a helping hand, you can get your lawn in shape with no effort and in no time. <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/missouri\">Call a Missouri lawn care pro<\/a>, lay back, and enjoy the view of your new lawn.<\/p>   <div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle wp-block-ub-content-toggle-block\" id=\"ub-content-toggle-block-abb4ba85-dee1-43fd-a684-d587673175d7\" data-mobilecollapse=\"false\" data-desktopcollapse=\"true\" data-preventcollapse=\"false\" data-showonlyone=\"true\"> <div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion\" style=\"border-color: #f1f1f1; border-top-left-radius: 8px; border-top-right-radius: 8px; border-bottom-left-radius: 8px; border-bottom-right-radius: 8px; \" id=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-block-0b8f86b3-7ea5-462b-8be2-19117456afe9\"> \t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-title-wrap\" style=\"background-color: #f1f1f1;\" aria-controls=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-0-abb4ba85-dee1-43fd-a684-d587673175d7\" tabindex=\"0\"> \t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-title ub-content-toggle-title-abb4ba85-dee1-43fd-a684-d587673175d7\" style=\"color: #000000; \">Sources:<\/p> \t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-toggle-wrap right\" style=\"color: #000000;\"><span class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-state-indicator wp-block-ub-chevron-down\"><\/span><\/div> \t\t<\/div> \t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"wp-block-ub-content-toggle-accordion-content-wrap ub-hide\" id=\"ub-content-toggle-panel-0-abb4ba85-dee1-43fd-a684-d587673175d7\">  <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.missouribotanicalgarden.org\/gardens-gardening\/your-garden\/help-for-the-home-gardener\/advice-tips-resources\/gardening-help-faqs\/question\/739\/when-should-i-seed-a-cool-season-lawn-and-what-should-i-sow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Missouri Botanical Garden<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.missouri.edu\/news\/consider-lawn-needs-in-fall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MU Extension<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.psu.edu\/the-cool-season-turfgrasses-basic-structures-growth-and-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PennState Extension<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/ipm.missouri.edu\/MEG\/2019\/9\/lawnSeed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">University of Missouri<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>  <\/div> \t\t<\/div> <\/div>   <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Main Image Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pandora_6666\/3616524170\/in\/photolist-6vzCD1-msdA6j-dMjpHQ-CxEQXR-6vzN9U-c5RZ9G-6vzQ9N-6vvBuz-6vzRNb-eFJwNR-msc8Ai-ekcsPM-2djoXzE-eFJzSt-2uUxC-c5RWNQ-msdBhY-msdND4-7TLVEW-msdG9F-2ZjD3-CxGk6x-mseF9d-gRUqWw-mscnHe-c5RYmJ-25UGDaW-e1rM9G-msbLvH-msdaHT-msdADJ-msdHxx-mseZo9-mseG8C-24rAwYu-PGwhW-d8QtEN-cvijEA-dUdqCA-eFHFTT-cG8kWA-FoQ4Ds-23AVK-ffjkXn-msdL9V-aLPLs-eZWx2P-mseWow-eFJ4JD-9tEXze\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jo Naylor<\/a> | Flickr | <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The best time to plant cool-season grass in Missouri is mid-September. For warm-season grasses, plant in spring. Discover when to plant in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":26917,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[200],"tags":[583],"class_list":["post-26912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-missouri","tag-lawn-care-mo"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-in-missouri-2.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Teresa Joaquim","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/teresa-joaquim\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}