Guides / Lawn · Updated November 2026

Grass seed per square foot

Rates from Purdue and University of Kentucky turf science, plus the usual extension range for ryegrass. They're for uncoated seed.

Short answer

Seed rates come in pounds per 1,000 sq ft, since one square foot takes next to nothing. Tall fescue on a new lawn is 6 to 8 lb per 1,000 sq ft. That's 0.10 to 0.13 oz a square foot. Overseeding fescue takes about half that.

Rates by grass type

Grass	New lawn, per 1,000 sq ft	Overseeding, per 1,000 sq ft	New lawn, per sq ft
Tall fescue Most of the middle US	6 to 8 lb	3 to 4 lb	0.10 to 0.13 oz
Kentucky bluegrass North	1.5 to 2 lb	1 to 1.5 lb	0.02 to 0.03 oz
Perennial ryegrass Fast, north	7 to 9 lb	4 to 5 lb	0.11 to 0.14 oz
Bermuda, hulled South, full sun	1 to 2 lb	0.5 to 1 lb	0.02 to 0.03 oz

Per sq ft = lb per 1,000 × 16 oz ÷ 1,000. Bermuda is hulled seed.

How much to buy for a new lawn

Plan on the top of the range. Seed is sold by the pound, so round up.

Lawn	Tall fescue	Kentucky bluegrass	Perennial ryegrass	Bermuda, hulled
1,000 sq ft	8 lb	2 lb	9 lb	2 lb
2,500 sq ft	20 lb	5 lb	23 lb	5 lb
5,000 sq ft	40 lb	10 lb	45 lb	10 lb
10,000 sq ft	80 lb	20 lb	90 lb	20 lb

Top of the new lawn rate, rounded up to the pound. For overseeding, use the overseeding rate above.

Coated seed

Coated seed is about half coating by weight. If the bag says coated, plan on close to double the pounds.

When and how to sow

Sow fescue, bluegrass and ryegrass in late summer to early fall. Spring works, but crabgrass and heat beat a lot of it. Bermuda goes in late spring or early summer, once the soil is up near 65°F.

On bare dirt, rake the seed into the top ¼ in and roll it. Keep the top damp every day until it's up. To overseed, mow short and rake or core aerate first. Seed sitting on thatch won't take.

Before you buy

Use a broadcast spreader and go over the lawn twice, the second pass crossways. You get even coverage and fewer bare stripes.