How much grass seed per square foot? (rates by grass type)
Extension guides write seed rates per 1,000 square feet, not per square foot: tall fescue (turf-type) at 7 lb per 1,000 sq ft for a new lawn (Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, Table 1) is 3.5 lb for 500 sq ft and 7 lb for 1,000 sq ft; overseeding takes 4 lb per 1,000 sq ft (University of Maryland Extension, Maintaining an Established Lawn, overseeding rate). The tables below give the rate for every grass type in both units, the seed and sod for lawns from 1,000 to 10,000 sq ft and 100 to 1,000 m², and the fertilizer that goes with them. All of it is computed by the same code as the calculators.
Open the grass seed calculator
Seed rate by grass type, new lawn and overseeding
Rates in lb per 1,000 sq ft and in kg per 100 m² (the same figure converted). US types from Penn State Extension, NC State Extension and the University of Maryland Extension; the overseeding figures for bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and the mix apply Ohio State Extension’s rule of thumb (half the new-lawn rate). Read on 2026-09-20.
| Grass type | New, lb/1,000 sq ft | Overseed, lb/1,000 sq ft | New, kg/100 m² | Overseed, kg/100 m² | Source (new lawn) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky bluegrass | 2.5 | 1.25 | 1.22 | 0.61 | Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, Table 1 seeding rates |
| Tall fescue (turf-type) | 7 | 4 | 3.42 | 1.95 | Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, Table 1 |
| Perennial ryegrass | 4.5 | 5 | 2.2 | 2.44 | Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, Table 1 |
| Fine fescue | 4.5 | 2.75 | 2.2 | 1.34 | Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, Table 1 |
| Bermudagrass | 1.5 | 0.75 | 0.73 | 0.37 | NC State Extension Gardener Handbook, chapter 9 Lawns, seeding rate |
| Zoysiagrass | 1.5 | 0.75 | 0.73 | 0.37 | NC State Extension Gardener Handbook, chapter 9 Lawns, seeding rate |
| Sun and shade mix (bluegrass, fine fescue, ryegrass) | 3.5 | 1.75 | 1.71 | 0.85 | Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment, Table 1 mixtures |
| Lawn seed | New, lb/1,000 sq ft | Overseed, lb/1,000 sq ft | New, kg/100 m² | Overseed, kg/100 m² | Source (new lawn) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General-purpose lawn (ryegrass and fescue) | 7.17 | 4.71 | 3.5 | 2.3 | Rolawn, Overseeding a Lawn |
| Shade lawn | 7.17 | 5.12 | 3.5 | 2.5 | Johnsons Shady Lawn Seed label |
| Hard-wearing lawn (ryegrass) | 10.24 | 10.24 | 5 | 5 | Boston Seeds Quality Hard Wearing Lawn Seed, Landscape Centre listing |
Seed and sod by lawn size
Seed for the region’s starting grass type (tall fescue (turf-type) in the US, general-purpose lawn (ryegrass and fescue) in the UK) as a new lawn and as overseeding, the bags at the starting bag size, and the sod rolls with the region’s extra for cuts (10% US, 5% UK). Pallets of 50 rolls in the US; UK turf is sold by the roll.
| Lawn | Seed, new lawn | Seed, overseeding | Bags (new) | Sod rolls | Pallets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | 7 lb | 4 lb | 1 × 10 lb | 110 | 3 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 14 lb | 8 lb | 2 × 10 lb | 220 | 5 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 21 lb | 12 lb | 3 × 10 lb | 330 | 7 |
| 4,000 sq ft | 28 lb | 16 lb | 3 × 10 lb | 440 | 9 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 35 lb | 20 lb | 4 × 10 lb | 550 | 11 |
| 6,000 sq ft | 42 lb | 24 lb | 5 × 10 lb | 660 | 14 |
| 7,000 sq ft | 49 lb | 28 lb | 5 × 10 lb | 770 | 16 |
| 8,000 sq ft | 56 lb | 32 lb | 6 × 10 lb | 880 | 18 |
| 9,000 sq ft | 63 lb | 36 lb | 7 × 10 lb | 990 | 20 |
| 10,000 sq ft | 70 lb | 40 lb | 7 × 10 lb | 1,100 | 22 |
| Lawn | Seed, new lawn | Seed, overseeding | Boxes (new) | Turf rolls | Pallets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m² | 3.5 kg | 2.3 kg | 4 × 1 kg | 105 | — |
| 200 m² | 7 kg | 4.6 kg | 7 × 1 kg | 210 | — |
| 300 m² | 10.5 kg | 6.9 kg | 11 × 1 kg | 315 | — |
| 400 m² | 14 kg | 9.2 kg | 14 × 1 kg | 420 | — |
| 500 m² | 17.5 kg | 11.5 kg | 18 × 1 kg | 525 | — |
| 600 m² | 21 kg | 13.8 kg | 21 × 1 kg | 630 | — |
| 700 m² | 24.5 kg | 16.1 kg | 25 × 1 kg | 735 | — |
| 800 m² | 28 kg | 18.4 kg | 28 × 1 kg | 840 | — |
| 900 m² | 31.5 kg | 20.7 kg | 32 × 1 kg | 945 | — |
| 1,000 m² | 35 kg | 23 kg | 35 × 1 kg | 1,050 | — |
Fertilizer product by N-P-K
Product per 1,000 sq ft at 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft of nitrogen (Purdue Extension AY-27, Maintenance Calendar for Indiana Lawns, September; the Purdue formula: nitrogen wanted ÷ N%), with the phosphate and potash that come along. The UK table uses the label rate of the starting bag, 2.1 g per m² of nitrogen, per 100 m². Feeds per year: 4 for a cool-season lawn (Purdue AY-27), 3 for a warm-season lawn (Clemson HGIC 1216), 2 in the UK (RHS).
| N-P-K | Product per 1,000 sq ft | Spreader rate | P2O5 applied | K2O applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32-0-4 | 3.13 lb | 3.13 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 0 lb | 0.13 lb |
| 24-0-6 | 4.17 lb | 4.17 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 0 lb | 0.25 lb |
| 16-8-8 | 6.25 lb | 6.25 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 0.5 lb | 0.5 lb |
| 10-10-10 | 10 lb | 10 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 1 lb | 1 lb |
| 6-2-4 | 16.7 lb | 16.67 lb per 1,000 sq ft | 0.33 lb | 0.67 lb |
| N-P-K | Product per 100 m² | Spreader rate | P2O5 applied | K2O applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32-0-4 | 0.66 kg | 6.56 g per m² | 0 kg | 0.03 kg |
| 24-0-6 | 0.88 kg | 8.75 g per m² | 0 kg | 0.05 kg |
| 16-8-8 | 1.31 kg | 13.13 g per m² | 0.11 kg | 0.11 kg |
| 10-10-10 | 2.1 kg | 21 g per m² | 0.21 kg | 0.21 kg |
| 6-2-4 | 3.5 kg | 35 g per m² | 0.07 kg | 0.14 kg |
Every figure above is the calculators’ own arithmetic on the starting values, whose sources and dates are listed on each calculator page. The label on your bag wins.
Frequently asked questions
- How much grass seed per square foot for a new lawn?
- Divide the rate per 1,000 sq ft by 1,000: kentucky bluegrass 0.0025 lb, tall fescue (turf-type) 0.007 lb, perennial ryegrass 0.0045 lb, fine fescue 0.0045 lb, bermudagrass 0.0015 lb, zoysiagrass 0.0015 lb, sun and shade mix (bluegrass, fine fescue, ryegrass) 0.0035 lb per square foot. Nobody weighs seed per square foot, which is why the guides and the calculator work per 1,000 sq ft (or per m² in the UK).
- How much grass seed per square foot for overseeding?
- About half the new-lawn rate: kentucky bluegrass 1.25 lb per 1,000 sq ft, tall fescue (turf-type) 4 lb per 1,000 sq ft, perennial ryegrass 5 lb per 1,000 sq ft, fine fescue 2.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft, bermudagrass 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft, zoysiagrass 0.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft, sun and shade mix (bluegrass, fine fescue, ryegrass) 1.75 lb per 1,000 sq ft. The University of Maryland gives the tall fescue, bluegrass and fine fescue figures; Penn State the ryegrass renovation rate; the warm-season and mix figures apply the half rule from Ohio State Extension.
- How much grass seed for 1,000 square feet?
- At the tall fescue (turf-type) rate, 7 lb: 0.7 (buy 1 bag) of 10 lb. Kentucky bluegrass needs far less (2.5 lb) because its seed is small; the table by lawn size shows the figures for 1,000 to 10,000 sq ft.
- How much grass seed per square metre (UK)?
- general-purpose lawn (ryegrass and fescue) 35 g/m² new, 23 g/m² overseeding (Rolawn, Overseeding a Lawn); shade lawn 35 g/m² new, 25 g/m² overseeding (Johnsons Shady Lawn Seed label); hard-wearing lawn (ryegrass) 50 g/m² new, 50 g/m² overseeding (Boston Seeds Quality Hard Wearing Lawn Seed, Landscape Centre listing). A 1 kg box covers about 29 m² of new lawn at the general-purpose rate.
- How much sod instead of seed?
- Sod is bought by area, not weight: 110 rolls of 10 sq ft for 1,000 sq ft with the 10% extra for cuts, 3 pallets of 50 rolls (CT Sod, How many square feet of sod comes on a pallet); in the UK 105 rolls of 1 m² for 100 m² with 5% extra (Rolawn). The sod calculator does it for your own area and supplier.
- How much fertilizer per 1,000 sq ft goes with a new lawn?
- Product = nitrogen wanted ÷ N%. At 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft of nitrogen (Purdue Extension AY-27, Maintenance Calendar for Indiana Lawns, September) a 32-0-4 bag is 3.13 lb per 1,000 sq ft and a 10-10-10 bag 10 lb; the third table lists more analyses. A starter fertilizer's P2O5 is in the last two columns.
Last updated 2026-09-20. Rates from university extension guides and product labels, each with its source and date: the label on the bag wins.