Many homeowners dream of a lush, green carpet of grass upon which your children and pets can frolic. But achieving that goal can sometimes be fraught with challenging growing conditions. Disease, pests, drought, and scorching temperatures can quickly lay waste to a yard. Growing a lawn that creates your neighbors green with envy begins with choosing the proper grass seed.

There is a seemingly endless sort of different seed types and products on the market, which may make choosing the proper one an involved process. Climate, shade, and pedestrian traffic all play roles during which grass seed is that the right pick for your lawn. This guide reviews the factors you ought to consider when it involves choosing the simplest grass seed which will turn your yard into a striking carpet of green.

• BEST OVERALL: Scotts Turf Builder Thick’R Lawn Sun & Shade – 3 in 1
• BEST FOR SUNNY SPACES: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sunny Mix, 3 lbs
• BEST FOR WARM SEASON: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Southern Gold Mix
• BEST FOR COOL SEASON: Jonathan Green 10323 Black Beauty Ultra Mixture
• BEST FOR DENSE SHADE: Pennington Smart Seed Dense Shade, 3 lb
• BEST for top TRAFFIC: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed High Traffic Mix
• BEST KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Kentucky bluegrass Mix
• BEST BERMUDA GRASS: Scotts 18353 Turf Builder Bermudagrass, 5 lb
• BEST FAST GROWING: Pennington Smart Seed Perennial Rye, 3 lb
• BEST LOW MAINTENANCE: Scotts Turf Builder Zoysia Grass Seed and Mulch, 5 lb

Popular sorts of Grass Seed

Grass seed falls into two main categories: warm-season and cool-season grasses. Warm-season grasses endure hot southern climates far better than cool-season grasses. During the winter, warm-season grasses turn brown as they are going dormant. Cool-season grasses grow quickly within the cool weather of fall and spring before going dormant within the summer heat. Warm-season grasses are often reseeded during the spring and summer, while spring and fall are the optimal time to reseed cool-season grasses.

Warm Season

1. Bahia: This warm-season grass is popular in hot climates due to its heat tolerance and drought-resistant qualities. While other grasses burn to a crisp within the hot sun, with its broad leaves and coarse texture, Bahia grass thrives. This makes it a beautiful grass species within the Deep South.
2. Bermuda: like many other warm-season types of grass, Bermuda grass thrives in hot climates because of its exceptional ability to tolerate heat and withstand high traffic. Bermuda grass requires good drainage, full sun exposure, and many nutrients. The grass doesn’t tolerate weather well, making it an honest option within the southern part of the country.
3. Buffalo: albeit it’s considered a warm-season grass, buffalo grass thrives during a broad range of climates and is sort of common in states like Montana that have harsh winters. Like other warm-season grasses, it goes dormant and turns brown in colder weather. The planting season for buffalo grass is from April to May.
4. Centipede: Centipede grass is understood for being heat tolerant and really low maintenance. This makes it a well-liked grass with those that don’t enjoy spending tons of your time managing their lawns. Centipede thrives fully sun but will tolerate some shade. thanks to those requirements, it does best within the Southeast. Plant centipede grass seed within the spring when all danger of frost has passed.
5. St. Augustine: As its name suggests, St. Augustine is one of Florida’s hottest grasses. this is often because it can tolerate high heat and humidity. It features blue-green grass blades that spread quickly through a lawn. St. Augustine can also tolerate saltwater, which makes it a well-liked option for coastal yards. Since it spreads rapidly, one of the foremost effective ways to determine St. Augustine grass is by planting plugs. Plant St. Augustine seed within the spring or summer.
6. Zoysia: Zoysia may be a tough sort of grass. It’s known for its ability to face up to heat, drought, and high pedestrian traffic. Zoysia forms a dense lawn that chokes out weeds with little or no maintenance required. Although some sorts of zoysia can only be grown from sod or plugs, some grass seed companies offer a spread that will grow from seed. Zoysia grass should be planted within the spring once the threat of frost has passed.

Cool Season

• Fescue: Tall fescue is probably the foremost common grass type within the country. this is often because it adapts well to several different climates because it tolerates heat, cold, shade, and drought reasonably well. this is often primarily thanks to a rootage that will reach as deep as two to 3 feet. Tall fescue is straightforward to determine but can suffer under heavy traffic. Plant and reseed tall fescue within the fall and spring.
• Kentucky Bluegrass: this is often the sort of grass most people imagine once they consider the right lawn. With its lush deep green appearance, Kentucky bluegrass may be a prized species. This grass isn’t easy to grow, requiring a high level of maintenance and care. Its shallow rootage doesn’t tolerate heat well, making it more suitable for northern lawns. Kentucky bluegrass should be planted and reseeded within the spring and fall.
• Perennial Ryegrass: English ryegrass shouldn’t be confused with annual ryegrass, a short-lived grass used for erosion control. English ryegrass comes back year after year. Ryegrass germinates quickly, making it popular for brand spanking new lawns. It does best in colder climates with mild summers; however, it can still be found within the southern part of the country. English ryegrass should be planted or reseeded within the fall.
• What to think about When Choosing the simplest Grass Seed
• When deciding which grass seed is best for your lawn, it’s crucial to think about several important factors, including climate, maintenance, and sun requirements. Check below for a few of the weather you ought to consider when purchasing grass seed.

Climate

With enough determination and money, you’ll grow most of the above grass seeds almost anywhere within the country. It’s not uncommon to ascertain beautiful Kentucky bluegrass lawns within the baking heat of the Southwest. But going against climate guidelines will make the work tons harder and costlier, requiring significant investments in irrigation systems, water, and fertilizers. listening to climate will make establishing a lawn far more manageable. Consider where you reside and what grass types will thrive in your region with minimal maintenance and watering.

Reseeding vs. New Planting

How you set about reseeding a lawn versus planting a replacement lawn is sort of different. When seeding a replacement lawn, you’ll be applying seed to the bare dirt you’ve prepared for brand spanking new planting. For reseeding, you’ll be attempting to thicken an already existing lawn. thereupon in mind, you sometimes need about twice the maximum amount of seed to start out a replacement lawn as you would like to reseed an existing lawn.

Traffic Level

Grass types vary in how well they tolerate pedestrian traffic. If you’ve got kids or pets and decide to use your backyard extensively as a neighborhood for play, consider selecting grass types that will take some abuse and still keep it up growing. Zoysia and Bermuda grasses are the foremost tolerant of pedestrian traffic, while fescue does poorly with heavy traffic.

Required Maintenance

While some property owners enjoy fussing over their lawns, many householders dread long hours spent maintaining a yard. Consider which grass types require the smallest amount of care and the way much work you’re willing to place into a lawn. Zoysia grass, for instance, requires annual dethatching, while English ryegrass won’t self-repair and requires patching. Bermuda grass, as compared, requires little or no maintenance.

Sun Exposure

Various grasses tolerate different levels of sun exposure. Some grasses, like Bermuda grass, demand full sun but other varieties, like tall fescue, had best with partial shade. Assess the sun exposure of your lawn and determine what quiet grass seed you ought to use. Some seed companies produce specific seed mixes for full shade, full sun, or lawns with shaded areas and full-sun areas.

Single Seed vs. Mix

When selecting a kind of grass seed, you’ll choose one specific seed type or a mix that mixes several different species. choose one seed type if you’re trying to realize a specific search for your lawn. While single seeds are harder to take care of, the effect of one species lawn is often well worthwhile.

Mixes are easier to grow and maintain because companies blend the mixes for improved drought or heat tolerance. They also generally grow more uniformly with no use for patching. However, your lawn will lack the attractive uniform look of one species lawn.

Germination Percentage

Despite your best efforts to organize your yard for seeding, some seeds simply weren’t meant to become plants. this is often where germination percentage comes into play. Germination percentage may be a measure of the viability of a set of seeds. it’s calculated by dividing the number of seeds that germinate by the entire number of seeds. Given what proportion grass seed can cost, the upper the germination percentage, the higher, and it mostly relates to seed quality. Although you would possibly be tempted to shop for a less expensive bag of grass seed, the likelihood is that it’ll have a lower germination percentage, leading to significant waste. High-quality grass seed features a 90 to 95 percent germination rate, making it well worth the additional investment.

Our Top Picks

You can find grass seed for sunny areas, shade, high traffic, hot and cold climates, and more. These top grass seed picks cover many lawn and grass types to suit various uses.