For some gardeners, a lawn can be their pride and joy, taking up a large section of their yard space. For others, it may be smaller and more utilitarian; just a bit of green to fill a space. Whatever the size or reason you have a lawn, a well-maintained turfed area can enhance any property. It’s not only about the maintenance of the lawn but also the type of grass seed that you have used to grow it. So what is the best grass seed for your local environment, and for your soil?
Best Grass Seed
If the wrong grass seeds are used then no matter how much care and attention you give it, it will never look healthy. So, if you are looking for that lush green lawn look, then it’s useful to know about the different types of grass seeds, both in terms of types of seed and brands. This applies not only for the local climate but also for the pH balance in the soil, and various local conditions such as foot traffic.
Before you determine the exact type of grass seed you need to use, consider the following questions:
- Regardless of your climate, is your lawn in the shade or does it have sun all day long?
- Are you laying a new lawn or filling in bare patches? If you are laying a whole new lawn, you could also consider readily laid sod that just needs rolling out and putting in place.
- What type of pH balance is in your local soil?
- Do you want a low maintenance grass, such as a drought-resistant one so there is no need for extra watering?
Once you’ve considered these factors, you need to find the right seed for your climate. Grass seeds are usually split into seasonal categories. Seasonal refers to the active growing period. There are only two broad Seasonal types: Warm and Cool.
Seasonal Growth and the Local Environment
The U.S.A. has Four Climate Zones:
- Warm and Humid – South-East and the Gulf States.
- Warm and Arid – Include the South-West states.
- Cool and Humid – Northeast and parts of Midwestern states.
- Cool and Arid – Parts of Midwest and West states.
Hardiness Zones
Beyond this, there are 10 “Hardiness” zones across the United States. These zones are essentially broken down by minimum temperature variations and are particularly important to keep in mind when working with plants and yard trees.
These zones can be super helpful in getting oriented, though, for the most part, lawn grasses are broken down into two general categories: “warm season grasses” and “cool season grasses”.
Beyond that, native grasses and specialty grasses are particularly suited to certain areas of the country, and we discuss those below.
Warm Season Grass Growth
- Area: Warm humid and arid climes of the Southern states.
- Temperatures: 75-90F.
Seed Type
Here’s a couple of examples:
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda Grass is a hardy grass and needs little maintenance. Surprisingly, while it fares well in a drought, it does not grow well in the shade. It’s not too fussy about the soil though, as it grows a thick luscious lawn in sandy to clay and alkaline to acid.
Buffalo Grass
Buffalo is native to the US and does will in semi-arid areas, such as in the Southwest states. Though it’s a warm Season grass it can do well in the near-freezing temperatures of the night. What it doesn’t like is lots of foot traffic. Once compact the roots will suffer.
When to Plant
- Can be planted in the summer if maintained well, but the beginning of fall is ideal.
- Autumn planting gives the seedlings time to establish their roots before winter sets in.
- Plant the seeds before general daytime temperatures drop below 55F.
Maintenance
This type of seed will grow well, even if situated in the sun all day. When the temperatures drop the growing stops and your grass will turn brown. It has not died; the roots are just dormant underground.
Cool Season Grass Growth
- Area: Cool humid and arid climes of the Northern and Midwest areas.
- Temperatures: 65-80F.
Seed Type
A mixture of fescues (narrow-leaved grasses) can be used, such as Ryegrass; Kentucky and Bluegrass.
- One popular seed is the Kentucky bluegrass with fine bluey-green blades.
- Ryegrass can withstand high foot traffic and does well in patching up those bare areas.
- If you have a shady area, then Creeping Red Fescue is ideal and produces a low maintenance lawn. It does good in winters that go below -15F as it likes the cold to lay dormant for some time.
When to Plant
- Fall or spring.
- Day temperatures should be around 65F.
Maintenance
Low. Classed as an all-year-round grass. Growing period is during the cooler, but not freezing, months. These are hardy grasses that can tolerate heat as well as the cold. Only the coldest of temperatures will stop growth. Dormancy occurs between 50-90F.
General Soil Conditions and Preparation
You are now armed with the knowledge that there are two main climate-types of grass seed; Warm and Cool. If you want the perfect lawn there are still a few more considerations to take into account. We can’t cover them all in this article, but here are a few tips to get you started.
Soil Type
It’s easy enough to find out the pH balance of your soil by buying a measuring kit, they’re not too expensive. Alternately, if you don’t want to buy a kit, your soil will most likely be pretty similar throughout your neighborhood, so you if you’re not sure, you could ask a neighbor who likes to garden.
Last update on 2024-11-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
While it is possible to alter the pH balance of soil by using the right fertilizers and lime, it won’t be an easy task for a large area. The ideal pH balance is around 6.8, but most grass seeds do well between 5.5-6.5 pH.
Soil pH balance
- If your pH is below 5.5, it might warrant the use of a more aggressive growing seed, such as Centipede grass seed. It’s a perennial grass and popular in the Gulf coast states, favoring sandy soil. This is a warm season grass. A full lawn can take approx. 8 weeks to become established.
- For soil above 6.5 pH, you might want to consider Bentgrass, Bluegrass, Tall Fescue, St Augustine, and many other similar types. Grass seeds do better with a higher pH balance than a lower one.
Insects and Diseases
- No grasses are completely resistant to diseases and pests. Though grasses such as Zoysia and Bermuda have a higher resistance to insects.
- Zoysia does not like be waterlogged as this can cause the roots to become susceptible to funguses and they become shallower.
- Chinch bugs are a pest in hot and arid climes. You can’t lay down insecticides until you know you have them as pre-treatment does not work.
- Beetle larvae grubs like wet grass. Kentucky Bluegrass can be vulnerable to these little pests.
Ryegrass and Bluegrass have a higher resistance to other diseases but are by no means immune.
- Brown Patch affects all grasses between April and October, including Ryegrass. There are a few reasons why, such as falling wet leaves, high nitrogen levels, or even just the rapid changes in temperature from day to night. If you see brown patches, try and improve the drainage of the soil, ie prod the surface with a pitchfork for aeration holes.
- Bluegrass can suffer Pythium blight which thrives in hot and humid weather. Once infected, the entire lawn can be destroyed in a matter of days. Look out for mycelia (white fungus webs). Again, improve drainage to reduce soil compaction. There is a specialist fungicides like Scotts DiseaseEx for treatment, but be sure you have the correct diagnosis before use.
Drought Tolerance
- Only a real problem in extreme dry climes or as a result of unusual weather patterns. Bermuda and Zoysia grasses cope well with this because they have a deep root system. The roots would simply stop growth and lay dormant until the rains return.
- Ryegrass and Bentgrass are not ideal in dry conditions. Ryegrass is relatively maintenance-free in the Cool Season, but doesn’t do too well in the hot months.
Wear and Tear
Not only do the blades of grass need to cope with foot traffic, but also pollution as well, particularly if near roads with heavy traffic.
Pathways
When possible, turn regular pathways in the lawn into walkways of some sort. We’ve all seen the impact of the shortcuts people make through lawns, and the resulting brown patches where convenient walkways are.
The best thing to do is to figure out where your most common pathways through your lawn are and place some pavers, stones, bluestone, flagstone, etc. These will improve the aesthetic of your lawn, and also remove some headaches, as you will no longer be fighting to keep grass that is constantly being trampled on alive.
Other Tips
- Fescues and ryegrasses are pretty tough on wear and tear usage. The thick roots help to prevent weeds from settling in.
- Turf grasses such as Centipede, probably have the weakest tolerance as the roots are shallow. Though these grasses are quite low maintenance, the blades are quite delicate. The recovery from high volume foot traffic will be slow.
Mowing
Some grasses cope better with lower mowing levels, such as Bermuda and Bentgrasses. Whereas Argentina and Pensacola need to maintain longer blades.
When you cut grass, it bleeds sap. This means that a blunt mower can lead to jagged cuts, making it prone to disease. It is a similar effect that any open wound would have, for a human.
Grass Seed Buyers Guide
Here we’ll look at a a few of our favorite grass seeds to use in both warm and cool climates. We also look at our favorite patch mix that makes quick work of dead spots on your lawn.
Pennington Smart Seed Northeast
Turf Building
- Cool Season Grass Seed.
- Formulated for the Northeastern States.
- Drought tolerant seed treated with coating technology.
- Ideal for a lawn in the sun or the shade.
- Resists exposure to heat.
- Quick growing.
- Thick blades.
- Comes in various weights
The seed coating helps the seed to absorb water more quickly, and retain it for longer. This will ensure the seed has the best possible start and will allow for a fast growth rate. It provides extended drought resistance. There is also a protective fungicide in the coating.
Ideally, water daily until the seedlings reach a couple of inches tall.
Pennington Grass Seed grows well in temperatures between 60-80F. It’s best to plant either early Fall or early Spring. Follow the instructions and when the growing season arrives you should soon have a thick green lawn. Germination should begin around a week after sowing. Also good for repairing patches.
You can expect a mixture of seeds in this bag, containing a variety of Red Fescues, Ryegrass, and Bluegrasses. It grows like a winter rye-grass, so not recommended for hot, dry climes.
Many customers find that it grows better if you feed it with fertilizer. Scott’s Sun and Shade Mix doesn’t quite fall into the category of “leave it alone to do its thing”, but it’s pretty set and forget, especially if you have an automatic water timer or wifi water timer.
It’s also recommended not to lay any weed killer over it until it’s been mowed at least 4 times.
As a rough guide, a 3lb bag should be enough for around 1200 sq. ft for reseeding.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pennington Bare Spot Repair Mix
Bare Spot Repair Mix
- For Bare patches and thinning such as pet-damaged areas.
- Mixes well with other grasses.
- Includes fertilizer
- Quick growing.
- Covers 100 sq feet.
- Weight 1lb.
This stuff is awesome if you only need small patch infill. There’s no need to do a ton of prep work for reseeding with this repair mix, simply throw this patch mix down and regularly water until it fills in the bare spaces. It’s ideal if you’ve got a sod lawn with some dead patches, or have a few dead spots in a larger lawn.
This seed will practically grow on concrete! Ok, not really, but it works very well.
While the seed mix may vary a bit from the rest of your lawn, typically in patch situations, it’s incredibly hard to tell.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Scotts Turf Builder Bermuda Grass Seed – 10 Lbs
Turf Builder
- Ideal for the Warm Season of the Southern states.
- 1lb covers 1000 sq ft.
- Heat and drought resistant
- Quick grower and aggressive spreader.
- Seeds germinate better in daytime temperatures of 70-90F and can take between 5-30 days to fully develop.
- Treated seeds with WaterSmart Plus coating, which helps it absorb more water than uncoated seeds.
Scotts Bermudagrass Turf Builder is a popular seed that does well in the scorching heat of the sun. These Bermuda grass seed bags comes in all sizes.
Best time to plant is spring or early summer. Can be used for a full new lawn, or for patches, blending in with other grasses. Fine blades but lots of them, creating a thick texture for a lush green lawn.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
What’s the best way to lay grass seeds?
let’s have a look at Scott’s recommendations, which you can tweak to any brand you prefer.
PREPARATION
- Once you have raked the area for seeding, spread out some of their LawnSoil before putting the seeds down.
Turf Builder Lawn Soil
Lawn Soil
- SmartWater product, which allows more efficient use of water, ideal for dry conditions.
- Contains fertilizer.
- Ideal if you’re laying sods or grass plugs.
- Comes in various sizes and quantities.
Scotts Turf Builder Lawn soil has added fertilizer, including worm castings similar to what might be produced from worm compost bins, that help grass seeds to grow so well.
This stuff can be a great boost to your seed.
Sowing Grass Seed
There are many ways for sowing your lawn seeds, either manually and with a little help such as this mechanism on wheels:
Scotts Snap System – Spreader
Seed Spreader
- Snap the bag in place. Lock the mechanism. Then off you Go.
- Wheel the equipment around the area treated for seeding.
- Fold-down handle for easy storage.
- Automatic settings.
This is a really great system of lawn care that does away with the awkward cutting of fertilizer bags, pouring into the hopper, and the like.
The snap system only works with Scott’s own Snap Bag collection but it’s not limited to laying seeds. You can use it to spread seed, weed killer, insect treatments, and fertilizers. It saves on carrying heavy bags around in your arms. Simply lock the bag in place and push around, couldn’t be easier.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Native Grasses
When you hear the phrase, “native grass,” it refers to the original grasses the grew many years ago in particular regions. These are the seeds that chose the area, rather than being chosen by people to be grown there. Because these seeds are in their natural environment, they should be the perfect choice for the regions they grow within.
In the past, many gardeners have preferred to bring in non-native seeds. This is usually because they can be more attractive. Today though, gardeners are turning back to the native grasses more and more, for their biodiversity and for beauty. However, they may not produce the typical “lawn”, but will likely result in more of a natural prairie-like area.
If you are planting native grasses, they can take more than one season to establish. Often when you buy the best grass seed packets, it can contain a mixture of grasses. Here are few of the native grasses in North and South America.
North American Native Grasses
Big Bluestem
Big Bluestem grass seeds grow tall on the Great Plains. It is a warm-season perennial and produces deep, long roots. The spikelets on the stems resemble a turkey’s foot, so it’s also known by this name.
The grass makes excellent forage for farmed animals and horses, though it might not be desirable for a lush green lawn. This grass could look good as an ornamental grass planted in areas where you want it to become a permanent feature. The only real maintenance then will be stopping it from spreading.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Switchgrass
Switchgrass is another long native grass and can be found on the prairies. It’s a valuable resource in conservation areas. Makes good hay when matured, and the seeds are popular with birds.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Southern American Native Grasses
St Augustine Grass
St. Augustine grass produces thick blades of a dark green nature. It is a tough native species. The seed will root in most soils and the grass does good in the shade. This species is also and quite tolerant of drought conditions, so long as it is not prolonged.
One negative aspect is that it does not tolerate heavy foot traffic.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Buffalo Grass
Buffalo is native to Central America and often used in mixed grasses. This makes for a healthy lawn, although it is slow growing it produces short but thick blades.
It copes well with heat and minimum water, staying a luscious green throughout the summer months.
Last update on 2024-11-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Conclusion: Best Lawn Seed For Your Needs
There’s just something magical to lawns, even those small urban yards that are hemmed in and only get light a few hours a day. It’s still magical. Grass is just about the only plant that you might want to lay down on and watch the clouds go by on top of, or relax and gaze at the stars while laying on top of.
As much as we understand the negative impacts of massive lawns, it’s easy to forget a lot of the positives that come from lawns, as well.
Consider these:
- Grass provides more oxygen than plants. An area of 55 square feet produces enough oxygen for one day, for one person.
- Grass produces moisture into the air. This lowers the surrounding temperatures as the moisture evaporates. You could call it a natural air conditioner.
- Grass removes carbon from the atmosphere. It also absorbs pollutants. The large grassy areas in the U.S are estimated to remove 37 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere.
- Grass roots break down contamination in the ground.
So, if you’re considering laying a paved yard, remember how environmentally friendly a beautiful lawn can be.
Find the right grasses for your environment, whether it be cool or warm, and sow your grass at the right time of year, as best you can. Water it regularly, and get your lawn tested to find out the appropriate fertilizer to use. This will reduce chemical run-off, and improve the quality of your lawn.
Then just use patch mix to take care of bare spots, and you’ll have the ultimate lawn!
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