Before purchasing lawn seed, you need to measure your proposed lawn area.
Eventhough taking a measurement is important, measuring to the nearest millimetre is not required. Lawns come in a variety of shapes and sizes - which can make it difficult. However, we’ve put together this blog to help you get the right amount of grass seed for your new or existing lawn.
How to Calculate the Area of Your Lawn?
Calculating the area of your lawn is the first step in determining how much grass seed you need.
Use our grass seed calculator to help you establish how much grass seed you need for your lawn. Or, we’ve listed below how to calculate the size of your lawn depending on its shape:
Rectangular Lawn
For a rectangular lawn, simply multiply the length and width in square meters. For instance, a lawn that is 10m long and 5m wide has an area of 50m².
Circular Lawn
If you have a circular lawn, use the formula: R x R x Π (Pi), where R is the radius of the circle and Π is approximately 3.14.
Triangular Lawn
For triangular lawns, the formula is (L x W) / 2, where L is the length and W is the width of the triangle.
Irregular Shaped Lawn
For irregularly-shaped lawns, you can estimate the area by drawing a plan on graph paper or using a rough estimate. Accurate measurements are crucial for determining the right amount of grass seed, ensuring you achieve the desired lawn density without wasting resources.
Why is getting the right amount of grass seed important?
Proper seeding is the cornerstone of achieving a lush, vibrant lawn. Using the right amount of grass seed ensures even coverage, promotes healthy growth, and prevents overcrowding.
When you use too little seed, you risk ending up with sparse patches that can make your lawn look uneven and unhealthy.
On the other hand, too much seed can lead to overcrowding, where the grass competes for nutrients, water, and sunlight, resulting in poor growth and wasted resources. Understanding the importance of proper seeding helps you make informed decisions when it comes to calculating the right amount of grass seed for your lawn. This balance is key to fostering a healthy, dense, and visually appealing lawn. This is why we recommend using a grass seed calculator to ensure you’re purchasing the perfect amount.
Should I buy more grass seed than I need?
Grass seed is generally much cheaper than turf so you can afford to be a little on the generous side when calculating quantities. We recommended ordering around 30% more grass seed than you think you need.
10% should be added for mismeasuring, 10% for seeds eaten by the birds and an additional 10% for filling in any thin spots around a month after sowing. This equates to approximately a third more seed than is required for your measured area. Any excess can be used in the future for lawn repairs, so will not be wasted.
Grass seed sowing rates
Here are some examples of when to use higher and lower grass seed sowing rates.
Minor repairs
For small areas requiring a minor repair, most homeowners use too much seed, resulting in dense tufts. In these cases only 25 grams per square metre is all that is needed.
Mowing your lawn
If you wish to keep your lawn as short as is tolerable for the type of grass that you have, then increase the sowing rates by 20-30% above the highest recommended rate.
Clean seed bed
When creating a new lawn, it takes time to create a weed-free soil. However, spending this time does mean that you can use up to 50% less seed, but it will take longer to establish and thicken. If you haven't removed the weeds, and just dug them in, add 20% to the higher seeding rate.
Cold or dry weather conditions
If you are seeding in less than ideal conditions (cold or dry), increase seeding rates by up to 100% to compensate for losses. However, most seeds won't germinate below around 8°C, or if conditions are too dry.
How to improve the establishment of grass seed?
Adding a granular lawn fertiliser treatment such as BS Pre-seeding Granular Lawn Fertiliser 6.9.6 will improve the establishment of grass seed. It also encourages root and shoot development to promote quicker grass coverage.
Sometimes the seeding rate on the bag is given as a range. For instance, our BS Economy Grass Seed should be sown at a rate of 25-50 grams per sq/m.
Over-seeding your lawn after scarifying or raking
You should always overseed after scarifying to help the lawn return to a dense turf as quickly as possible. It is also a perfect time to introduce new types of grasses to your lawn.
For more information about overseeding, take a moment to read our overseeding an existing lawn article where you will find some useful tips to help you.
Lawn Seed from Boston Seeds
At Boston Seeds, our grass seed is sold certified, which means it has exceptionally high standards of purity and germination for the best results. We have a number of different varieties of grass seed for a number of different conditions and uses.
It is important to choose the right lawn seed for your lawn, for example, if you have a shaded garden, then it is crucial to choose a lawn seed that thrives in the shade or if you have children or dog, then choosing a hard wearing lawn seed is important. If your current lawn just needs a bit of care, then our lawn repair grass seed can get your lawn back to looking its best.
Read our guide on how to care for your lawn to keep it looking its best once it's established. Or, take a look at our monthly lawn care tips to see how to care for your lawn in each month of the year.
How we can help!
At Boston Seeds we take pride in excellent customer service. If you're growing a lawn from scratch but unsure how much grass seed you need, our handy Grass Seed Calculator can help you figure it out in just a few clicks!
With Next Day Delivery on hundreds of items too, choosing from our extensive range of lawn seed couldn't be easier. Ordering regularly or looking for large volumes? Click here to apply for a trade account today - we review all applications within one working day.
Have a question about best practice when it comes to growing your lawn from grass seed? Or unsure which grass seed is best for your needs? Get in touch with our friendly experts who'll be happy to help.
