Garden Q&A: Is March too early in the year to sow grass seed? 

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

March is an excellent month for sowing grass seed, writes Peter Dowdall. File picture

Question

Peter, I’m looking at a very patchy lawn after the winter, and I’m tempted to get grass seed down straight away. Is it too early to sow grass seed in early March, or should I wait?

Answer

March is actually an excellent month for sowing grass seed, and this year in particular, we’ve had relatively mild temperatures, which gives you a helpful head start. 

The soil temperature needs to be consistently around 8C-10C for lawn seed to germinate well.

However, if the ground is still waterlogged or sticky underfoot, leave it alone. 

Seed sown into saturated soil is likely to fail, and working the soil in preparation for fresh seed will damage the structure if the soil is waterlogged. 

If the soil has dried out, drains freely and crumbles in your hand rather than clumps, then work away. 

Prepare it well, rake to a fine surface and keep it lightly moist while the seed establishes.

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