Plant dichondra in late spring or early summer. Sow about one pound of seed per thousand square feet, and cover it only lightly.
Sow in late spring, barely covered
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Late spring or early summer, once days stay warm | Sowing into cold soil |
| Rate | About one pound of seed per thousand square feet | A heavy dump that buries the seed in clumps |
| Cover | Press the seed in, or cover it only lightly | Burying the seed under a thick layer of soil |
| Moisture | Keep the surface moist until seedlings fill in | Letting the seedbed dry for a day while it is sprouting |
Wait until late spring or early summer, when the ground is warm. Rake a weed-free bed that drains. Scatter about one pound of seed per thousand square feet, and cover it only lightly so it stays near the surface. [1] Keep the surface moist until the seedlings knit. kidney weed is the green carpet you sow this way. Silver Falls is not this seeded lawn — hang it after frost on How to Grow Silver Falls. [2]
When do I sow dichondra?
Sow in late spring or early summer, when the ground is warm. Cold soil stalls germination.
How much dichondra seed do I need?
Plan on about one pound per thousand square feet. Barely cover the seed. Deep burial is a common miss.
How to plant a dichondra lawn
Start with a warm, weed-free bed. Scatter the seed lightly, then keep the surface moist until it knits.
- Wait until late spring or early summer, when days stay warm, before you sow.
- Rake a weed-free bed that drains. Pull weeds now; they are hard to pick out of a young carpet. [3]
- Sow about one pound per thousand square feet, and cover the seed only lightly so it still sits near the surface.
- Keep the surface moist until the seedlings fill in. That may mean light water more than once a day in heat. The first leaves are long and narrow; the kidney shape comes later. [4]
- Once the seedlings knit, switch to a deep soak. Sun, water, and feed after that are on How to Grow Dichondra.
Set plugs, or lift a rooted runner
You can also start a patch from plugs. Stems root where they touch soil, so a rooted runner lifts cleanly in the same warm window.
- Set plugs, or lift a small rooted piece, in late spring or early summer — the same window as a sowing.
- Press the nodes onto moist soil at the same depth they grew before. Do not bury the leaves.
- Water to settle, then keep the patch moist until new runners take.
What fails at planting
Burying the seed, sowing into cold soil, or letting the seedbed dry for a day is the usual reason a sowing never fills. Keep the seed near the surface and the top moist until the carpet knits.
If seedlings stall, the bed was cold or the surface dried — keep it moist until they knit.
FAQ
Why do the first seedlings look like grass?
The first leaves are long and narrow. The round kidney leaves come after. Do not pull them as weeds.
Can I start lawn seed indoors?
Most gardeners sow the lawn outdoors once the ground is warm. Indoor trays are a slow way to fill a patch. Buy seed or plugs for the bed.
Can I overseed a thin patch?
Yes. Rake the thin spots, sow at the same light rate, and keep those spots moist until the new seedlings knit.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] UC IPM -
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/SITEPREP/sdtimert.html - [2] UC IPM -
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/TOOLS/TURF/TURFSPECIES/dichontips.html - [3] Gardening Know How -
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/groundcover/dichondra/growing-dichondra.htm - [4] Seedman -
https://www.seedman.com/GrowingInstructions/Dichondrarepens.htm
This note is part of Dichondra Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors