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Grass Seed Calculator

Use this free grass seed calculator to learn exactly how much seed you need for your project. 

Order the perfect amount of seed based on your lawn size, grass seed type, and growing zone.

Grass Seed Calculator

Sarah's Grass Seed Calculator

Sarah the Lawn Chick (transparent background)There’s nothing more frustrating than buying the wrong amount of grass seed. 

You do the hard work of preparing your lawn, spreading the seed and starter fertilizer, are dilligent about watering, and the results are a thin lawn where weeds quickly take hold. 

That’s why I created this free grass seed calculator to help you determine how much grass seed per square foot you should plant for GREAT results. 

Wondering “How do I calculate how much grass seed I need?”

It couldn’t be easier. There are only three steps to get your results.

How to Use My Grass Seed Calculator

  1. Enter the square footage of the lawn area where you’ll be planting grass seed,
  2. Select your location on the map in a single click, and
  3. Choose the type of grass you want to plant from the drop-down list. These are grass varieties that should thrive in your growing zone.

Try it out for yourself right here:

What size area will you plant?

If you don’t know your lawn’s square footage, calculate it accurately using my free Lawn Size Calculator.

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Where will you be planting your seed?

Select your location by clicking the map.

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What kind of seed will you use?

Every type of grass requires a different seeding rate.

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LawnChick.com is reader supported. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

FAQs About This Grass Seed Calculator

Do you have some questions about how the calculator functions, or need some help using it? I’ve tried to address these for you below:

Lower on this page you’ll see a breakdown of the numbers and exactly what I consider the proper seeding rate per 1,000 square feet of lawn for different grass types. This is the data that is used in my grass seed calculator to deliver my suggested seed weight for your lawn size.

In general I recommend you use half as much seed for overseeding an existing lawn as you would for planting a new lawn.

In most cases I suggest that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for how much seed to spread for best results.

The type of grass seed you buy will change this slightly. For example, some grass seeds you purchase will have seed coating, fertilizer and mulch in with the seed (so your 25 pound bag of grass seed may only contain 12-14 pounds of actual seed). Others have 100% seed that is very fresh and most of it will germinate without issue.

It’s always important to read the label and understand what you’re buying and spreading on your lawn. That bag of seed from the box store may be half the price … but it also may be half the seed.

With all of that said, in my experience most homeowners want a thick, full lawn right away after seeding, and may not have the patience to wait for seedlings to fill in over a couple of seasons.

I have always found that seeding a little on the heavy side produces the best results, because not all the seed will germinate, some will be eaten by birds and critters, some may wash away, etc.

The seeding rate I suggest accounts for some of these factors, and should deliver good results for you.

Having an accurate measurement of the lawn area where you’ll plant your grass seed will help you be sure that you spread the perfect amount of seed for great results.

I have a free lawn size calculator which allows you to measure your lawn using satellite imagery to help with this.

Use My Free Lawn Size Measuring ToolIt’s better than a lot of tools out there because you can also subtract the square footage of outbuildings, walkways, garden beds, etc. from your total lawn area to get the most accurate measurement of the grass area you hope to seed or overseed.

You can use that right here to make sure you’re seeding at the correct rate on your upcoming project.

A little. My blog is reader supported and I earn money in two ways. I try to be transparent about both and you can read my advertising policy here.

  • Display Advertising – The ads that you see on the website earn me some income every time someone views them.
  • Affiliate Marketing – Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that if you click through to a retailer and buy a product I’ve recommended, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It’s like the internet’s version of word-of-mouth marketing, and the person sharing their recommendation can earn a small fee for doing so.

Most of the product recommendations in the grass seed calculator above are affiliate links, but I’m recommending these products because they are high quality, have great reviews, and will work well for my readers. Many I have personally tried and can vouch for their quality.

There are so many choices when it comes to grass seed, I’ve tried to do the research for you to save you some time.  My motto is provide as much value as I can to my website visitors, and if I earn enough to keep the lights on by recommending great products, all the better.

If you’ve found this tool helpful, making a purchase after clicking through these links is an easy way to support my blog and will help me develop more useful free tools like this for my readers. But no pressure – the seed calculator and product recommendation are 100% free either way. You do you!

The information on this page was written by Lawn Chick Owner Sarah Jameson and has been reviewed for accuracy by Horticulturists Nicole Forsyth, M.S. and Arthur Davidson, A.S.

I invite you to read our editorial policy and publishing principles to learn more about how we source, fact-check, and review content for accuracy.

How Much Grass Seed Per Square Foot?

How Much Grass Seed Per Square FootMany homeowners wonder how much grass seed to use per square foot of lawn area, and the seeding rate for grass varies for different types of turfgrass, and what kind of seeding project you’re tackling. 

Typically, homeowners want to either kill their lawn and start over, plant a new lawn on bare soil after a construction project, or they hope to thicken up their existing lawn by aerating and overseeding it (sowing grass seed into an established lawn to create a denser canopy and better appearance).

As a rule of thumb, you will want to use half as much seed for overseeding as you would if you were planting a new lawn. 

Below I share the grass seeding rates per 1000 square feet that I recommend for some of the most popular grass seed types:

How Much Grass Seed Per 1000 Square Feet?

Each turfgrass variety has unique growth habits and prefers different conditions to thrive.

  • Some lawn grasses spread laterally via rhizomes or stolons to fill in bare areas, and as such you can spread less seed for a full, thick lawn.
  • Others are bunch-type grasses which require a higher seeding rate to achieve the thick, full appearance you want.

Where your lawn is located will also determine what type of grass you should plant, as some warm season grasses can’t survive the cold winters of northern climates and some cool season grasses cannot survive the heat and drought of southern climates.

Grass Zone Map

If you live in the transition zone you may be able to grow either type of grass, but your micro-climate within this part of the United States will determine which grass is best for you.

Seeding Rate for Cool Season Grasses

Here are the seeding rates per 1000 square feet and per acre for different cool season grass types:

Kentucky Bluegrass

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 3 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 1.5 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 130.7 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 65.3 pounds for overseeding.
Tall Fescue

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 10 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 5 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 435.6 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 217.8 pounds for overseeding.
Perennial Ryegrass

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 10 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 5 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 435.6 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 217.8 pounds for overseeding.
Sun & Shade Mix

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 6 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 3 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 261.4 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 130.7 pounds for overseeding.
Kentucky 31

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 10 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 5 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 435.6 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 217.8 pounds for overseeding.
Shade Mix

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 6 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 3 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 261.4 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 130.7 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding Rate for Warm Season Grasses

And here are the seeding rates per 1000 square feet and per acre for different warm season grass types:

Zoysia

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 2 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 1 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 87.1 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 43.6 pounds for overseeding.
Bahia

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 10 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 5 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 435.6 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 217.8 pounds for overseeding.
Bermuda

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 2 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 1 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 87.1 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 43.6 pounds for overseeding.
Centipede

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 0.5 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 0.3 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 21.8 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 13.1 pounds for overseeding.
St. Augustine*

Seeding rate per 1000 square feet

  • 2 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 1 pounds for overseeding.

Seeding rate per acre

  • 87.1 pounds for a new lawn.
  • 43.6 pounds for overseeding.

* St. Augustine is not planted from seed, but rather is installed via sod or by planting St. Augstine grass plugs.

A thick, beautiful St. Augustine lawn can be established quickly by planting high quality plugs like these ones on Amazon.

Plant your plugs 12″ apart and within a few months your lawn will fill in nicely, saving you a lot of money over sod.

If you are seeding either a sun and shade mix or a shade mix of seed in the south, look closely at the grass types used. Often, your seeding rate will resemble that of seed mixes listed above under cool-season grass types.

Sarah's Tips for Planting & Growing Grass Seed

Need some guidance or information to make sure you have a successful seeding project? The articles below can help.

Grass Seed RateBut as a short summary, I recommend that you always pay special attention to:

  • Soil Preparation – you want loose soil that is easy for new grass to push roots into. Aerating or dethatching your lawn can help improve success when overseeding, and using a slice seeder can be effective as well.
  • Soil Temperature – seed only germinates under certain conditions.
  • Seed Depth – plant your seed too deep and your seed may not germinate. Too shallow and it’ll be bird food.
  • Watering – you need to keep your seed moist for germination, then gradually transition from short frequent watering to less frequent, deep watering to encourage roots to grow deep and seek out moisture.
  • Fertilizing – use a quality starter fertilizer when you seed, and follow up 4-6 weeks post-germination with a secondary fertilizer.
  • Weed Control – creating favorable conditions for grass seed will also create favorable conditions for weed seeds that are already in  your soil. Have a plan to address the weeds that will inevitably grow during seeding. My list of the best weed killers is a good place to start.

Popular Articles About Planting & Growing Grass Seed

Here are some of my most popular articles on the subject to provide some additional guidance:

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