Grass Seed Germination In Winter
Although the preferred time to sow grass seed is the late summer or early fall you can successfully sow grass seed in the winter.
Grass seed germination in winter. Guy jenkins consumer manager at johnsons lawn seed says many gardeners in the south do sow in winter but ideally the ground temperature should be 6c at least. Sowing seeds in the fall or winter is an old technique used worldwide. The seed lies dormant all winter and is ready to sprout the first chance it gets in the spring. Our fridges are usually set for 5c.
If you miss the optimal lawn seeding window you can still put down grass seed in the winter. This is called dormant seeding the seed will lay dormant until the soil starts to warm up in spring when it will germinate. You may have tried it yourself in the vegetable garden sowing spinach and corn salad mache in the late fall for harvesting soon after the snow melts. Dormant seeding comes with some risk but can be beneficial and save you time on seeding in spring.
Use your lawn mower to control the height of your winter grass once it begins to flourish. Dormant seeding can be extremely successful. Use a lawn mower on the lowest setting to cut back the summer grass. While this comes with risks it can also be beneficial and save you time on seeding in spring.
If you put down grass seed in november or december the seed will just lay dormant until the soil starts to warm in spring.