Why We Don’t Recommend Spring Seeding in New Jersey
Spring seeding in New Jersey may seem like a good idea when March, April, and May arrive. The weather starts to warm up, the lawn begins to wake up, and thin or bare spots become more noticeable. However, even though it feels like the right time to plant grass seed, spring seeding is usually not the best long-term solution for New Jersey lawns. In most cases, young grass seedlings struggle to survive the summer heat, and seeding can interfere with important crabgrass prevention and weed control treatments.
While it may seem like the right time to plant grass seed, spring seeding often creates more problems than it solves. There are two major reasons why we typically advise against it.
Young Grass Usually Cannot Survive a New Jersey Summer
Think of it like putting an infant outside during days of intense summer heat. That young grass simply is not strong enough yet to protect itself.
Once the hot weather sets in, the seedlings often go dormant as a survival response. From there, many begin to wither, thin out, and eventually fail. Even if the lawn looks like it is improving in the spring, the results are usually short-lived once summer conditions arrive.
Spring Seeding Interferes With Weed and Crabgrass Control
The second major issue is that spring seeding prevents us from properly applying crabgrass pre-emergent and certain weed control products.
If we skip crabgrass prevention in order to seed, the lawn may become overrun with crabgrass by early summer. If we apply crabgrass prevention, the new seed may not establish properly.
The two processes cannot successfully coexist.
Spring Seeding Is Usually a Short-Term Fix
Although spring temperatures make seeding feel like a good idea, it is usually only a temporary solution. By June, many of those young seedlings will either die from heat stress or be crowded out by weeds.
That is why we recommend waiting until fall for seeding whenever possible. Fall gives new grass the best chance to establish strong roots before facing summer stress.
The One Exception
Years ago, we had one memorable exception to this advice.
A gentleman in Blackwood asked about spring seeding. We explained why it was not the best option and told him we would gladly contact him for our fall seeding program. He replied that he was 94 years old and was not sure he would still be around in the fall.
In that case, we honored his wishes and seeded in the spring.
The Bottom Line
Spring seeding may be tempting, but for most New Jersey lawns, it is not the best long-term decision. The better approach is to focus on weed prevention, crabgrass control, and overall lawn health in the spring, then plan seeding for the fall when conditions are much more favorable.
A healthy lawn is built with the right timing, and in New Jersey, fall is the best time to seed.