Is it too late to plant grass seed?

Those who tried to patch dead spots in the lawn or seed a new lawn at the traditional prime time just after Labor Day had little success this year.

Grass seed needs consistently damp soil to sprout, and that late-summer dry spell didn’t cooperate. Only those who regularly sprinkled or sprayed water after seeding got the job done.

Now that end-of-September showers finally dampened and softened the soil, conditions are better for grass-seeding.

But is it now too late? Is it possible to give it another shot? Is it worth trying to thicken a thin lawn or to repair sections that haven’t “greened up” from that late-summer browning?

Although end of September is the “textbook” cutoff date for ideal grass germination in most of Pennsylvania, that doesn’t mean seeding is a wasted effort from he