Grass Seed Calculator
The fields start on tall fescue, 5,000 square feet, new lawn. Switch the grass to use that grass's cited band. St. Augustinegrass has no seed rate.
Result: seed
New lawn, 5,000 square feet. The cited band is 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
Rates are extension figures, restated here in our words.
How Much Grass Seed Do You Need?
Pounds = area in square feet ÷ 1,000 × pounds per 1,000 square feet
Pounds per acre are that per-1,000 rate times 43.56, because an acre is 43,560 square feet.
A new 5,000 square foot tall fescue lawn is 30-40 lb. The band is 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Seeding rate: Virginia Cooperative Extension (SPES-299); also Penn State Extension, K-State Research and Extension.
Overseeding is cited for tall fescue at 3 to 4 pounds and Kentucky bluegrass at 1 to 1.5 pounds, from K-State Research and Extension. Overseeding for ryegrass and the warm-season grasses is not verified.
Perennial ryegrass is 4 to 5 pounds for a new lawn at Penn State Extension. Virginia Cooperative Extension lists 3 to 5 pounds for the same job. The calculator uses 4 to 5 and shows the Virginia band beside it on the ryegrass page.
Bermudagrass is 1 to 2 pounds hulled, and 5 to 10 pounds if the hull is still on. Zoysiagrass is 1 to 2 pounds. St. Augustinegrass is planted from sod or plugs. NC State Extension lists no seeding rate for it.
Seeding Rates From Extension Sources
| GrassGrass | New lawn, lb per 1,000 sq ftNew | Overseeding, lb per 1,000 sq ftOverseed |
|---|---|---|
| Tall Fescue | 6 to 8 | 3 to 4 |
| Kentucky Bluegrass | 2 to 3 | 1 to 1.5 |
| Perennial Ryegrass | 4 to 5 (Virginia lists 3 to 5) | Not verified |
| Bermudagrass | 1 to 2 hulled; 5 to 10 unhulled | Not verified |
| Zoysiagrass | 1 to 2 | Not verified |
| St. Augustinegrass | No seed rate | No seed rate |
Common Mistakes With the Grass Seed Calculator
- Buying seed for St. Augustinegrass. The cited guidance is sod or plugs.
- Using the new-lawn band for an overseed when that overseed rate is not verified.
- Weighing unhulled bermudagrass at the hulled rate. The unhulled band is 5 to 10 pounds.
Next Lawn Steps
Grass Seed Calculator FAQ
How many pounds of tall fescue seed does a new 1,000 square foot lawn need?
6 to 8 pounds. Seeding rate: Virginia Cooperative Extension (SPES-299); also Penn State Extension, K-State Research and Extension.
How much Kentucky bluegrass seed is listed for overseeding?
1 to 1.5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Overseeding: K-State Research and Extension.
Is an overseeding rate listed here for bermudagrass?
No. That rate is not verified.
How many pounds are in an acre at 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet?
261.4 pounds. Multiply the per-1,000 rate by 43.56.