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Provided you're using an appropriate starter fertilizer for grass seed, you can put down seeds and fertilizer at the same time. However, putting them down separately, one after the other, on the same day will help to avoid over- or under-applying the lawn food. Avoid using a fertilizer with weed control elements, as these will likely keep the grass seeds from starting.  

Lawn care is tough work—even when you hire pros, there’s no guarantee your grass won’t die (unless, of course, your company offers a guarantee). But lawn care companies don’t control the rain or watering restrictions. Your type of grass also impacts the type of care required to keep a lush lawn—and how much that care costs. Talk to a lawn care pro to determine the best times to treat your lawn based on type of grass and your climate.

Adding seed to existing grass is often known as overseeding, as opposed to reseeding. Reseeding refers to the process of filling in bare or dying patches of lawn—or in some cases, full lawns—whereas reseeding supports existing lawns to prevent thinning. Overseeding is an ideal annual lawn care practice for grass fighting drought, disease, weeds, or pest issues.

First, you should figure out whether you have dormant or dead grass. Dead grass won’t come back, so you’ll have to reseed if you’re hoping for a lush lawn. However, grass can go dormant if it hasn’t received enough water or if temperatures are too cold. If it’s still decently warm outside, you can revive dormant grass by watering it. But if it’s mid-January in New England, for example, you’ll need to wait until the weather warms up again. If you want to keep grass green in winter, consider a grass like Kentucky bluegrass, which maintains its color year-round.