When to plant grass seed in zone 7a
In zone 7a, where the last spring frost typically comes around April 16, sow outdoors March 5 to 19. For a fall crop, plant September 13 to 27.
The zone 7a schedule for grass seed
- Sow outdoors
- March 5 to 19
- Plant for a fall crop
- September 13 to 27
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 3,981 ZIP codes in zone 7a, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for grass seed.
Dates before the last frost assume the soil has thawed and is dry enough to work: a squeezed handful crumbles instead of sticking. After a late or wet spring, wait for that even if the date has passed.
Frost risk in zone 7a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 7a, the typical last frost ranges from about April 5 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to April 29 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from October 15 to November 2. For a typical place in the zone:
- April 1Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- April 16Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- May 3Safe: a later frost only 1 year in 10
Your dates for grass seed
Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant grass seed where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.
Grass Seed in zone 7a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | Mar 31 | Feb 17 to Mar 3 | Sep 26 to Oct 10 |
| Wichita, KS | Apr 11 | Feb 28 to Mar 14 | Sep 17 to Oct 1 |
| Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY | Apr 13 | Mar 2 to 16 | Sep 16 to 30 |
| St. Louis, MO | Apr 8 | Feb 25 to Mar 11 | Sep 14 to 28 |
| Amarillo, TX | Apr 13 | Mar 2 to 16 | Sep 15 to 29 |
| Providence, RI | Apr 11 | Feb 28 to Mar 14 | Sep 18 to Oct 2 |
| Paterson, NJ | Apr 3 | Feb 20 to Mar 6 | Sep 23 to Oct 7 |
| Bridgeport, CT | Apr 5 | Feb 22 to Mar 8 | Sep 25 to Oct 9 |
| Meridian, ID | Apr 24 | Mar 13 to 27 | Sep 9 to 23 |
| Stamford, CT | Apr 12 | Mar 1 to 15 | Sep 19 to Oct 3 |
| New Haven, CT | Apr 5 | Feb 22 to Mar 8 | Sep 25 to Oct 9 |
| Allentown, PA | Apr 20 | Mar 9 to 23 | Sep 12 to 26 |
How to grow grass seedAll zonesGrass Seed in zone 6bGrass Seed in zone 7bAbout zone 7a
Sources
- Lawn Establishment (HGIC 1203) · Clemson Cooperative Extension Home & Garden Information Center
- Starting a New Lawn · University of Maryland Extension
- AGR-50 Lawn Establishment in Kentucky · University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
- Lawn Establishment · Penn State Extension
- AY-20 Seeding a Turf Area in the Spring · Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
- Choose the right grass seed for a thriving lawn · University of Illinois Extension
- Northern Utah Turfgrass Management Calendar · Utah State University Extension
- Time for Fall Lawn Seeding · University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension (Lancaster County)
- Spring/Summer Lawn Care (Crop and Soil Environmental News, March 2005) · Virginia Cooperative Extension / Virginia Tech
- Planting Summer Grass · NC State Extension, Pender County
- Grass seed germination rates · UC Statewide IPM Program, University of California ANR
- Turfgrass Species (Pest Management Guidelines) · UC Statewide IPM Program, University of California ANR
- ENH14 Overseeding Florida Lawns for Winter Color (2007 revision, archival) · University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS)
- AZ1683 Overseeding Winter Grasses into Bermudagrass Turf · University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- Bermudagrass · K-State Research and Extension, Ford County
- Chapter 10: Turfgrass Management in Tennessee (Master Gardener Handbook) · University of Tennessee Extension
- Chapter 11: Lawns (Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Handbook) · Virginia Cooperative Extension / Virginia Tech