Grass Seed Types That Will Grow Well In Your Area

I’ve said it before and I will say it again guys, “if you are going to have an organic lawn that is thick and lush, you need to learn to plant and grow grass seed.” So let’s talk about grass seed types that you may run across and place into your lawn to improve its health and vigor. (heck yeah man, VIGOR!) J

Keep in mind as you read.

1) what climate zone are you in? The hand-dandy little map here will help you. I am gonna give you the best zones for each grass seed type listed below so you can make a wise decision. I live in zone 5 (Indiana) in case you are wondering and want to stalk me or whatever J

2) seed blends are always best. What I mean is blending different varieties of the same type seed together (like Midnight Kentucky Blue and Moonshine Kentucky Blue) and/or also blending totally different seeds together (like Kentucky Bluegrass mixed with Perennial Ryegrass). We do this so we avoid a mono-culture that can allow disease to takeover the entire lawn. Long story short: Blends perform better year-round and overall.

Kentucky Blue Grass

I have found this grown just about everywhere in the Midwest and into the East, and it is probably the most common grass seed type people look for when they want to add some thickness to their lawns or start one from scratch. Kentucky Blue is great because it thickens overtime all on its own, and makes a dense yet soft turf mat under foot. It does well in full sun or partial shade. The best part about Kentucky BlueGrass is that when you add iron to it (like using Milorganite Organic) it will turn dark blue! Nice! Grow in Zones 2-6 and some parts of zone 7 (be ready to irrigate more in zone 7)

Here are some VERY high quality KY Blue brands that I recommend.

Scotts 18208 Turf Builder Heat-Tolerant Blue Grass Seed Mix, 20-Pound

Perennial RyeGrass

I don’t recommend using Perennial Rye as a single source lawn. But it does make an excellent companion grass with Kentucky BlueGrass or Turf Type Tall fescue. It is soft and germinates very quickly from seed (6 days or so with proper watering) Just make sure you are getting “perennial Rye” and not “annual.” Feel free to add this to an existing lawn or buy it in a “sun and shade” type mixture at the store (or right here). Zones 4-7 work good for this grass type.

Turf Type Tall Fescue

When you see pics of my lawn in my videos or on the site here, you are seeing a 90% Turf Type Tall Fescue lawn that I hand-seeded in 2005. I used Armada Tall Fescue along with some Kentucky 31. I have over the years mixed in some Perennial Rye as well. The picture here on the left is a closeup of the tall fescue planted in my front yard. You can see the nice rich green color attained by this variety. Newer cultivars mimic Kentucky Bluegrass better than ever.

Tall Fescue varieties from the last 5 or 10 years are really soft and make a great turf lawn. Older varieties tend to be harsh under bare feet, so choose wisely!

Tall fescue stands up to heat very well and also requires less watering. Just be consistent with it. Zones 4-7 are ideal for Tall Fescue.

You can also give tall fescue a nice blue color with iron, which is a nice bonus.

Amturf 77022 Ultra Tall Fescue Grass Seed 3-Pound Bag

Zoysia Grass

I don’t really like this turf grass, but it does have a purpose and that being in very hot, dry areas of the country. There are not many “warm season” grass types that you can grow from seed, but Zoysia is different. It grows rapidly forming a super thick and dense carpet. It is quite “rough” under foot but it will choke out weeds in a snap and spreads super fast.

DO NOT plant zoysia in lawns that are already established with a different grass type. It won’t blend and will look funny. I have seen this grass in the Midwest, but it does not turn green until June up here!

Plant it safely in zones 7 and 8 and some parts of 9. You can also grow Zoysia in zones 5 and 6 but it will not turn green until June in those areas.

-

Tagged as: bluegrass, grass seed types, rye grass, tall fescue, zoysia