Grass Seed Calculator
Two thousand square feet of a new tall fescue lawn is 12.00–16.00 lb of seed, 5.44–7.26 kg, from the 6-to-8 pound range per 1,000 square feet.
Last updated . Tall fescue is selected first. Area starts at 2,000 ft². The job starts on a new bare lawn. No price.
A grass seed calculator for a new lawn or an overseed. The rate is a published pair per 1,000 square feet, tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass. The result is both ends of that pair, in pounds and in kilograms.
Rolls of turf instead of seed: sod calculator. Compost on the lawn before seeding: compost calculator.
Grass seed pounds
The pounds are the low and the high of the range Sarah Browning printed on 3 November 2019 for Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County. New bare lawn: tall fescue 6–8 lb and Kentucky bluegrass 2–3 lb per 1,000 sq ft. Thin-lawn overseed: tall fescue 3–4 lb and Kentucky bluegrass 1–2 lb per 1,000 sq ft. A typed rate is not accepted.
Results
Pounds from one extension range
Seed pounds are the area divided by 1,000, times the low end, and the same area times the high end. Kilograms multiply each of those pounds by 0.45359237. The form shows the span. It does not pick a midpoint, and it does not accept a rate you type.
The pairs are the ones Sarah Browning, Nebraska Extension Educator, printed on 3 November 2019 in “Dormant Lawn Seeding” for Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County. A new bare lawn is tall fescue at 6 lb to 8 lb, or Kentucky bluegrass at 2 lb to 3 lb, per 1,000 square feet. A thin lawn being overseeded is tall fescue at 3 lb to 4 lb, or Kentucky bluegrass at 1 lb to 2 lb, per 1,000 square feet. The note says an overseed is usually half, then it prints those figures. This page follows the printed figures. The page is lancaster.unl.edu/dormant-lawn-seeding/.
A later Nebraska turf note, dated 15 August 2023, prints different ranges for a new lawn. This calculator does not blend the two bulletins. Perennial ryegrass is not on the menu.
Seed for 2,000 square feet
| Job | Rate per 1,000 ft² | Pounds | Kilograms |
|---|---|---|---|
| New tall fescue | 6–8 lb | 12.00–16.00 lb | 5.44–7.26 kg |
| Overseeded tall fescue | 3–4 lb | 6.00–8.00 lb | 2.72–3.63 kg |
| New Kentucky bluegrass | 2–3 lb | 4.00–6.00 lb | 1.81–2.72 kg |
| Overseeded Kentucky bluegrass | 1–2 lb | 2.00–4.00 lb | 0.91–1.81 kg |
Worked example
Leave 2000 ft², Tall fescue, and New bare lawn. Rate reads 6–8 lb / 1,000 ft². Seed reads 12.00–16.00 lb. Kilograms reads 5.44–7.26 kg. The pounds are 2 × 6 and 2 × 8. The kilograms are those pounds times 0.45359237.
Grass seed questions
How many pounds of tall fescue seed a new 2,000 square foot lawn?
Leave area at 2000 ft², species on Tall fescue, and seeding on New bare lawn. Rate reads 6–8 lb / 1,000 ft². Seed reads 12.00–16.00 lb. Kilograms reads 5.44–7.26 kg.
What changes for overseeding that same tall fescue lawn?
Leave 2000 ft² and Tall fescue, and set Seeding to Overseeding a thin lawn. Rate reads 3–4 lb / 1,000 ft². Seed reads 6.00–8.00 lb. Kilograms reads 2.72–3.63 kg.
How much Kentucky bluegrass is that for a new lawn?
Leave 2000 ft², set species to Kentucky bluegrass, and set seeding back to New bare lawn. Rate reads 2–3 lb / 1,000 ft². Seed reads 4.00–6.00 lb. Kilograms reads 1.81–2.72 kg.
And for overseeding Kentucky bluegrass?
Leave 2000 ft² and Kentucky bluegrass, and set Seeding to Overseeding a thin lawn. Rate reads 1–2 lb / 1,000 ft². Seed reads 2.00–4.00 lb. Kilograms reads 0.91–1.81 kg.
Why is overseeded bluegrass 1–2 and not half of 2–3?
Sarah Browning’s 3 November 2019 note for Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County says an overseed is usually half, and then it prints the numbers. The printed thin-lawn figures are Kentucky bluegrass 1 lb to 2 lb and tall fescue 3 lb to 4 lb per 1,000 square feet. Half of a 2-to-3 range is not 1-to-2. This form uses the printed pair, not a calculated half.
Are these the only rates, and is a 2023 note mixed in?
Only these two species, and only the 2019 pairs. A new tall-fescue lawn is 6 lb to 8 lb per 1,000 ft². A new Kentucky bluegrass lawn is 2 lb to 3 lb per 1,000 ft². The form will not take a rate you type. A 15 August 2023 Nebraska turf note prints different new-lawn ranges. Those figures are not averaged with the 2019 pairs. The source used here is “Dormant Lawn Seeding” at lancaster.unl.edu/dormant-lawn-seeding/.
What if the area is blank?
Clear the area. Rate, seed, and kilograms read —. The note reads: Enter an area greater than zero. Pounds are the area divided by 1,000, times each end of the pair. Kilograms are the pounds times 0.45359237.