Can You Plant Grass In July?

It's the height of summer, and the height of hot weather, and your lawn is looking, to put it mildly, a little worse for wear. Or maybe you never got around to seeding your lawn in the spring, and now you're staring at an expanse of bare dirt. Is it too late to plant grass in July? For the most part, yes. That said, you can give it a try, and provided you offer the right care conditions, you may just end up with a lush, green lawn, even in the heat of summer.

The first thing to do is choose the right type of grass for your area. Grass falls into two major categories: warm-season and cool-season. Typically, cool-season grass grows in the northern part of the US, where winters are cold, if not freezing, and summers are relatively mild. The ideal time to plant it is in the early fall. Warm-season grass, on the other hand, typically grows in the southern part of the US, where winters are mild, and summers are hotter. The best time to plant warm-season grass is in the late spring or very early summer.

So, no matter what you do, don't try to plant cool-season grass in July. You may be able to get away with planting warm-season grass. But keep in mind that if you live in an area with very cold winters, that grass won't likely survive a deep frost.

When planting grass in the middle of summer, pay close attention to three W's — water, weeds, and weather. Just as you need to drink more to stay hydrated in the hottest of heat, your grass seedlings are going to need high levels of moisture to thrive. The soil needs to stay moist, but not waterlogged, for the first few weeks after planting. One way to guarantee your lawn gets adequate water is to set up an automatic sprinkler system and have it spray a mist over the newly planted grass, ideally at least twice a day. Adding a layer of mulch will help the soil retain moisture and cut down slightly on the need to water.

Summer is crabgrass (Digitaria spp) season, and a lawn full of the annual weed can make it challenging for freshly planted grass seed to grow. Hand-pulling crabgrass before it produces seeds is one way to keep it under control and out of your lawn. Mulch may also help prevent crabgrass from taking over your yard.

While you can't control the weather, you can pay close attention to what's going on in your area and time your lawn care around the forecast. For example, wait to plant grass seed if several days of rain, high humidity, or extreme hot weather are predicted. These conditions can make it hard for seed to germinate and can drown seedlings.