Grass Seed for Turf & Lawns

Determining the Right Grass to Grow
There are many types of grass seed available on the market today, but it can be dizzying to sift through all the different types and variants. There are things you must consider when choosing grass seeds, and it begins with deciding on what type of lawn you want:

• Maintenance: You can pick grass seed based on how often you want to mow, how often you want to fertilize, and how often you want to water your lawn.
• Conditions: Where you live also determines what type of grass will do best. Soil conditions, environmental stressors, climate, shade, and sun all play into the ideal choice.
• Aesthetics: Different types of grass seed have different characteristics. Fine or broad textures, varying colors, density can all be chosen through varieties.

Take Kentucky Bluegrass seed, for example; this type of grass will be fine textured and high quality, long lasting and able to recover quickly from injury and able to fill in thin spots. It is has a medium to high maintenance level and requires routine fertilizer and moist, well drained soil. It is slow in germination and establishment, but the end results are aesthetically pleasing and lush. Tall fescue, on the other hand, is considered a low-maintenance grass with a coarse texture. It's generally hardier, able to tolerate low fertility soils, droughts, diseases, and insects. However, this type of grass doesn't look as "pretty."

Choosing the Right Grass Seed
A big factor for choosing the best grass seed is to determine which grass seed flourishes best in your area, or zone. You can contact your local extension office to figure out what types are commonly used in your area. Grass seed is sold in mixtures of different varieties that work well together to make a nice looking lawn.

• Sometimes you'll see bargain or economy mixes that are just listed with generic names, like fescue, ryegrass, etc. You don't know what you're buying, so you may end up with very low quality grass that doesn't last more than a few years.
• Always choose mixes that list the specific cultivars of the variety of seed to avoid poor quality seed. It may say something like the name and a number (fine fescue 3, improved bluegrass 1.)
• Look for high germination and low weed seed percentages.
• The most expensive mix doesn't mean it is the best, so always read the label to compare before you purchase your grass seed.