Time sensitive: is it too late to plant grass seed now?

You're supposed to keep your seed moist for at least 2 weeks, so it doesn't matter if there's a day of rain or not.

B0000rt wrote: ↑ You're supposed to keep your seed moist for at least 2 weeks, so it doesn't matter if there's a day of rain or not.

Yes I know that but it's better to have some rain especially at the beginning rather than me having to water it several times a day. I'm more concerned about the temperatures at this point, not the rain as I don't mind watering.

I put down grass seeds during all weekends in Sep. I had done some changes in flower beds resulting in lots of bald areas. The seeds that I put in first half of Sep germinated and started growing within 7-10 days and were so tall that I had to mow them last weekend. Now I have a nice lush green area there. The seeds that I put down in the later half of Sep took much longer to germinate and are growing slowly probably because of the colder weather now. I'll have to wait till spring next year to see how that area turns out. Personally I think first half of Sep was probably the best time for overseeding.

yes, still go for it. The seed will take longer to germinate, but the soil will be staying above freezing for a while yet. I planted bulbs in mid-dec last year with no problems. (This is assuming you are in the GTA or somewhere south - but I can't tell because you didn't say.)

Thanks GTAian and Cliff. I'm in Guelph. I planted the grass seed yesterday but in the future I will make sure I do it well before the leaves drop. I had to rake the leaves 3x and even then there were was a substantial amount of leaves and other crap. My backyard is about 3000sq, front and side is another 700 sq or so - took about 7 hours to put down top soil, fertilizer, grass seed and then water, which was a huge pain. Next year I'm going to wait until there's a high probability of rain for 3 days in a row at the end of Aug or beginning of Sep.

Do you plant seeds once a year or twice? I just bought the house and the yard hasn't maintained for quite sometime so I have a bunch of bald patches, which is why I am planning on doing it again in the spring and probably next fall. However, I'm not sure if this round is going to be successful, I might lay down sod in areas where I'm planting new growth.

You can overseed as many times as you like. But since your in Guelph you'll have to stick to the wetter times of the year since you can't freely water it in like people in other city's can. Whatever areas that have seed that doesn't take now, just reseed it again in the spring after you give the yard a good rake and a first cut.

You have the seed down, see what happens. Cooler soil will result in lower germination rate. Those leaves are a pain. Once the grass germinates, those leaves block the sun and warmth that they need. I'm not a fan of doing raking or blowing of leaves on newly seeded grass. Do not want to disturb the soil. Keep it moist, some help from Mother Nature, you may have good results. Next year see what comes back, reseed, overseed or sod. Growing grass from seed can be challenging, very rewarding if you get good results. Takes patience, perseverance and a lot of TLC. Good luck. Let us know next year, how things worked out.