Growing a successful lawn from seed is a task that hinges on choosing the best grass seed for your situation. With a multitude of different seed options, it’s worthwhile to research all the available options. We are happy to share our insight and guide you through all the different options to find the best grass seed for you. Remember to never sacrifice quality for price. Top quality seeds are always worth the investment.
Attempting to discover the best grass seed can be confusing because of all the choices and different weather conditions. Selecting the best grass seed is highly dependent on what area of the United States you live in. Your climate zone is imperative to identify first. The two categories of grass seeds are warm season and cool season. Warm season grasses prosper in the southern warmer region of the country, while cool season grasses grow in the midwest and northern regions of the country. Warm season grasses achieve their full potential in the summertime. Cool season grasses are more tolerant to shade and flourish in the fall and spring seasons. The primary step of choosing the best grass seed simply depends on where you live. In addition, your durability and maintenance requirements are important factors to take into consideration when choosing the best grass seed.
Warm Season Grass
What separates warm season grass from cool season grass is its ability to thrive in the dreadful heat of summer, as well as being able to resist drought deterioration. If your lawn turns dull and brown during the summer, your best option is seeding with warm season grass.
Bermuda grass is the most popular choice of seed for warm seasons. Bermuda is a high quality grass that requires minimal maintenance and can survive through droughts. It also has the ability to grow in many different types of soil and withstand heavy foot traffic. Bermuda is used prominently in parks, sports fields, golf courses, and all-purpose utility turf fields. Moreover, it is one the the best grass seed for full sun because it performs poorly in the shade. Bermuda grass seeds are relatively inexpensive and very easy to grow. Compared with most other grass seeds, bermuda grass thrives without much outside help. Homeowners appreciate the simplicity, as well as the quality of this grass seed, making it the most widely used across the country. If you live in a warm season area, burmuda grass seeds are adequate for all your basic needs.
Another great warm season grass seed is Zoysia grass. Like bermuda, Zoysia is a low maintenance grass that produces weed free growth. Furthermore, Zoysia grass is slow growing and extremely dense which means you don’t have to worry about mowing the lawn frequently. Zoysia seeds produce beautiful grasses perfect for casual home and golf course owners. Additionally, Zoysia grass performs well in humid conditions, and must be planted in warm season areas to avoid tarnishing the color of the grass. If you are looking for a grass seed that is easy to take care of because of its disease resistance and durability, Zoysia is the perfect choice.
St. Augustine is grass seed that does well in even hotter/humid climates than Zoysia and Bermuda. It possesses high heat resistance and does very well in the sun. St. Augustine is a dense, dark green grass that requires medium maintenance because it is not as drought resistant as other grasses. Growing St. Augustine is popular in the deep south and is the best grass seed for Florida. This grass is not ideal for sport use because of its coarse texture, and is primarily used for business and home lawns. Notably, St. Augustine has very high shade tolerance making it the best grass seed for shade.
Cool Season Grass
Cool season grasses are strains that grow well in milder weather and are able to tolerate little heat. For this reason, these grasses grow best in the fall and spring, and are ideally planted in the fall before the cold winter season arrives.
Kentucky Bluegrass seeds are the most popular variety of cool season grasses because of its overall strength and ability to grow in many diverse conditions. Bluegrass requires an average amount of lawn care and produces marvelous sport and home grasses. Dense, rich, and finely textured, this is the type of grass that all homeowners strive for. Importantly, bluegrass is great against droughts because of its fast growing characteristics that create a strong root system.
Perennial ryegrass is similar to bluegrass, but is much more resistant to foot traffic, making it excellent for northern golf courses. Furthermore, ryegrass is the best grass seed for dogs because of its ability to endure heavy use. Ryegrass is also the best grass seed for shade for the upper half of the country where cooler weather subsides. This grass seed grows and spreads quickly, and gardeners often is use it cover up patches while slower growing grass germinates. Perennial ryegrass is great to combine with other seeds to produce a multifaceted lawn.
Tall fescue is great because it is more heat and drought resistant than other cool season grasses. This makes it optimal for somewhat warmer area of the country and is the best grass seed for full sun. The tall fescue is a bunch type grass which grows quickly during the spring and fall. Tall fescue performs extremely well in the “transitional zone” because of its adaptability and is the best grass seed for clay soil. The “transitional zone” are states in the mid-eastern part of the country, making tall fescue the best grass seed for nj, pa, nc, and ohio
Conclusion
If you’re looking to buy grass seeds, make the best choice for your family and home. A couple extra dollars in the beginning will save you an immense amount of time, money, and frustration in the long run. High quality grass seeds will not contain the stems, fillers, and empty hull seeds that cheap grass seeds consist of. Additionally, the best grass seed grows to be greener, denser, and more resistant to: weeds, drought, shade, and the sun. Cheap grass seeds will get you a cheap looking lawn that is not worth the effort to grow and maintain.