In central Virginia, the best time to apply grass seed is mid-September or generally any time between 1st of September and end of October.

We recommend and like to use a premium grass seed, usually a blend of 3 to 5 types of grass seeds is best. Going with “K1” (Kentucky 31) is a tried and true favorite and it’s inexpensive but we have found that the grass blades are stiff and aren’t comfortable to walk on barefoot, and it seems to not germinate as well as a premium seed, nor does it last the drought part of the year as well as a premium mix. Sure, it costs a bit more but you get more germination, it doesn’t die out as quickly which means you carry more grass from year to year in your lawn, and it’s more comfortable to walk on. For very large areas, say above one acre, we would suggest Kentucky 31 due to keeping costs down.

It depends on if it’s new construction or an existing lawn. New construction takes about double what an existing lawn would need. It depends on the grass seed and it’s application rate which is usually stated on the bag tag. For example, if the recommended seeding rate for a specific blend of grasses is 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet, multiply 6 by 43.56 to get 261.36. Thus you would need about 261 pounds of seed for 1 acre. Note that 43.56 is taking into account that one acre is 43,560 square feet. Of course, Lynchburg Property Works LLC will do all the figuring and applying for you.

Most people go out and buy 10-10-10 which is fairly weak and doesn’t last long (a few weeks) since the bag only has 10% of each NPK, the rest is stone which is for broadcasting and offers zero benefits to your lawn. If you do the math, 10-10-10 is actually more expensive because you need to buy and apply more of it to equal the higher numbered NPK fertilizers. The three numbers stand for the amount or percent of nitrogen(N) – phosphorus(P) – potassium(K). We generally recommend a fertilizer like polymer-coated slow-release type. A big number first is best for spring since it promotes green growth, and a bigger number in the middle is best for fall which aids in root growth. Do not use fast-release fertilizer. And, do not put down too much fertilizer as it can “burn” your yard. Remember, too much of a good thing can be bad.

It depends on the NPK numbers of the type of fertilizer you are going to use. If you plan to use 10-10-10 for example, the bag has 10% fertilizer so a 40 pound bag has 4 pounds of each NPK. Generally speaking, 1 pound of fertilizer is needed per 1,000 square feet of lawn which means after doing the math you need 43.56 pounds of nitrogen per acre of grass. From above, the bag has 4 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer in it so you’ll need about 11 bags for your one acre. We like to see a little less used than more, since less gives the bump your lawn needs, doesn’t waste money, and avoids over-applying which can “burn” the lawn.

From time to time we hear people say and think that sod is the end-all answer to get a lush lawn and they mention it without knowing more about it. Sure, it can go down quick but you need to remember the cost of sod, and getting a lush yard really doesn’t take that long if done correctly. Most of the time we would recommend sod for a commercial project where you need to have grass for foot traffic sooner than later say for a grand opening. Sod is not necessary in most cases.