Achieving a lush and dewy green lawn demands a lot of effort. It can never be possible to get your desired lawn without growing the best grass seed for new lawns or overseeded lawns.
The whole game of lush, smooth, healthy, and well-growing grass circulates around the grass seed type grown on the lawn. Unfortunately, most people go with the wrong grass seed type, which might be recommended by a family member living in another climatic region.
Not just choosing the right grass seed type is enough to get the lawn you dream of, it also requires much maintenance and pre-sowing efforts. But the major factor is ultimately the best grass seed for a lush green lawn.
The major fact behind the persons complaining about the yellow lawn patches or bare spots in their lawns is growing the wrong grass seed type. Only a grass type compatible with the particular environment can withstand the climatic changes and weather of that region.
From the huge market of grass seed with a number of brands, it is much difficult to buy the best grass seed for a new lawn. To overcome that issue I built this guide on best grass seeds for all regions having particular climatic conditions i.e. weather, rainfall, cold and warm.
In this guide, all aspects from choosing the grass seed, preparation of soil, fertilization and maintenance are well described. In short, all the necessary facts to grow a new lawn are described from valuable sources.
Let’s get started.
Buyer’s Guide: Best Grass Seed For New Lawn
Before choosing a grass seed for a new lawn, there are many considerations that will ensure the best possible results. Make sure to keep in mind all these factors while buying any type of grass seed.
1. Seed type
The seed is a primary role in the success of lawn grass. Always choose the best compatible grass seed type for a particular weather condition of your region. The cool-season grass will perform best only in cooler regions and the warm season in warmer regions. Make sure to choose the grass seed type wisely to ensure a healthy grass lawn.
See our seed guides for specific states:
- Best Grass Seed for Michigan
- Best Grass Seed for Ohio
- Best Grass Seed for Minnesota
- Best Grass Seed for Virginia
2. Cultivars
Any grass seed species could have many advanced cultivars with a much better establishment of the lawn. The old cultivars have a low tolerance to drought, heat, and cold stress but the new cultivars have better tolerance to stresses. Make sure to read the seed qualities before buying grass seed.
3. Seed mixture type
Some grass species have a successful growth rate individually due to the better growth in the sun as well in shades. But most of the grass seeds are manufactured especially for the sun or shades. For these grass types, the mixture of both seeds is advised for even grass covering in sun and shaded spots of lawn.
4. Maintenance requirement
It is the most important factor to consider while choosing a grass seed for a new lawn. Many kinds of grass have high maintenance requirements and need scheduled mowing, irrigation, and fertilization. But some need much low maintenance to grow. Keep in mind the maintenance requirement factor as it is not a work of a day to maintain the grass.
5. Soil condition
Soil type and conditions impact the seed growth badly if not managed wisely before planting a seed. All of the grasses have unique soil requirements. Some grow well in sandy soils and some in dry and cool. Make sure to keep the soil status in mind before sticking to any grass type.
Expert Tip
While purchasing a grass seed make sure to prefer the grass seed quality overpricing. High-quality seed is the biggest key to a successful lawn.
Make sure to read the label of the seeds package and specific ingredients in the seed mixture. A grass seed having a mixture of seeds has better levels of protection than an individual grass seed.
Additionally, be sure to know the amount of additional matter in the seed mixture. This amount should never be more than 2%. One more thing to note here is the age of grass seed as the grass seed of more than 10 months has less germination and may fail to germinate.
Reviews: Best grass seed for new lawn
1. Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun and Shade Mix – best grass seed for sun and shade
Scotts Turf Builder is a premium-grade quality grass seed that gives a uniform and strong turf. It is specially designed for full sun with partially shaded lawns.
The fine and smooth-bladed structure of the Scotts grass seed makes it the first choice among the growers for planting a new lawn.
The great thing about this grass seed is the medium to high tolerance to the drought of the grass due to the presence of WaterSmart PLUS coating over the grass seeds.
WaterSmart PLUS coating of seeds is a unique addition by the Scotts that makes the seed germination boosted due to more water absorption. It does provide the seed with essential nutrients needed in the early growth days and protects from disease attacks.
It is the premium choice for seeding a new lawn in the extreme conditions of dense shade and scorching sunny areas.
You can use this grass seed for planting a new lawn as well as for repairing bare patches and thin spots in the existing lawn.
A single bag of this grass seed is enough to spread the seed over 8000 sq. ft.
Features
- Top quality grass seed
- Tolerate drought
- Best grass seed for sun and shade
- WaterSmart PLUS coating helps absorb more water
- Protects from diseases
- Best grass seed for new lawn
- Covers 8000 sq.ft.
2. Jonathan Green 10323 Black Beauty Ultra Mixture – best grass seed for uniform covering
Jonathan Green is a famous grass seed-producing brand that provides quality turf in lawns. This 10323 Black beauty ultra mixture is a most demanding grass seed among the people who love to plant a mixture of seeds for getting more diversity in the lawn for better establishment.
The premium feature of this grass seed is the presence of an invisible waxy coating on seeds provided by Jonathan Green. This coating helps to protect the seed from diseases and preserve moisture in the leaf.
It possesses a diversity of grass seeds like Black beauty tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass. A mixture of these grass seeds gives more diversity to the lawn for uniform turf covering in all shade and sunny spots of the lawn.
It grows well in sandy and clayey soils having full sun and partial shades.
The great benefit of planting this grass seed is the natural insect resistance to protect the grass blades and roots from insect attacks after establishment.
A single bag of this grass seed is enough to plant a new lawn of 10000 sq. ft.
Features
- Best grass seed for uniform covering
- Contains grass seed mixture of Kentucky, ryegrass and tall fescues
- Best grass seed for sandy soils
- Have insect resistance
- Dark green color grass
- Covers 10000 sq. ft.
3. Pennington Smart Seed Smart Tall Fescue Grass Seed – best grass seed for poor drained soils
Pennington Smart Tall fescue grass seed is a well-known grass seed product for its extreme tolerance to droughts. Pennington is a well-known brand for producing grass seeds of various species.
The shiny feature of this grass seed is the Pennington Penkoted technology that is premium addition by Pennington to ensure maximum seed growth.
The great thing about this Tall fescue grass seed by Pennington over all other fescues is the low mowing requirement which makes it a valuable choice for busy people.
It takes around 7-21 days for proper germination if all the initial requirements of soil preparation are done along with proper watering.
The great thing about this grass is the adaptation of grass in a wide range of soils including the good growth in the poorly drained soils.
Features
- Best grass seed for poor drained soils
- Penkoted technology for better growth
- Germination in 7-21 days
- Less mowing than other fescues
- Great drought tolerance
4. Zoysia Plugs – 200 Large Grass Plugs – best grass seed for southern regions
If you are searching for grass with low maintenance requirements, Zoysia grass is the premium choice for you. Zoysia grass is high drought-tolerant grass and loves to grow in full sunny regions.
Zoysia grass needs much less mowing and watering due to the better root establishment that makes it resistant to drought during the hot summer days.
Zoysia plugs are the pre-planted plugs of zoysia grass seed in pots. They are guaranteed grass plugs that will initiate their growth onwards in the soil after transplanting.
The benefit of choosing the zoysia plugs over seeds is the 100% grown plugs and less work in preparing beds for seeds.
Zoysia grass is traffic-friendly grass and forms thick carpet on the soil.
It becomes dormant during the winter and again greens up in the summer season. The best time to plant zoysia grass is Spring and Summer.
All you need to do is planting these zoysia plugs 12 inches apart in the area of 200 sq.ft. The later working of watering and fertilization are the same as for other warm-season grasses.
Features
- Best grass seed for drought tolerance
- Warm season grass
- Needs 6 hours sunlight
- Traffic friendly gras
- Less watering and mowing
- 200 plugs is enough for 200 sq. ft.
5. X-Seed Ultra Premium Quick and Thick Lawn Seed Mixture – best grass seed for thick turf
X-Seed Ultra Premium Quick and Thick Lawn grass seed is another grass seed mixture having more than 1 species of grass seeds. X-Seed is a professional-grade grass seed mixture for planting a new lawn.
It contains a blended mixture of 55% perennial ryegrass, 30% Fine fescue, and 15% bluegrass.
The mixture of these top-quality grass seeds makes it a valuable blend for growing lawns in central and northern regions of the U.S.
It has fast germination if provided with all the requirements of watering and fertilization timely.
The presence of blends of ryegrass, fine fescue, and bluegrass makes it a premium choice for sun and shady lawns in the northern regions of the U.S.
A single bag of the X-Seed Ultra grass seed mixture is enough to plant a new lawn of 7000 sq.ft.
Features
- Best grass seed for northern regions
- Fast germination
- Contains ryegrass, bluegrass and fine fescue
- For sun and shade
- Covers 7000 sq. ft.
- Best grass seed for new lawn
6. WaterSaver Grass Mixture with Turf-Type Tall Fescue – best grass seed for less watering
WaterSaver grass mixture is a complete blend for growing grass in the northern climatic zones. It does also contain turf-type tall fescue for the quick growth of grass to fill damaged and open spots.
It is a low-maintenance grass having the ability to self-repair itself. It grows best in the sun and shades.
The presence of fescue grass produces a thick and uniform covering of turf on the soil along with resistance to weed problems.
The premium feature of this grass seed is the establishment of a strong root system that will let you have less overseeding.
It requires less water to maintain a turf-rich lawn and smooth covering by its strong root system. It helps to withstand stressful weather conditions.
A 10lb of WaterSaver grass seed is enough for seeding 1000 sq.ft. of lawn area.
Features
- Best grass seed for transition and northern regions
- Grows best in sun and shade
- Strong root system
- Less water and maintenance
- Self repairing turf
- Rich green color
- Protect against insects and diseases
- 10lb for planting 1000 sq.ft.
7. Scotts 18353 Turf Builder Grass Seed Bermuda Grass – best grass seed for warm climates
Scott’s turf builder Bermuda grass seed is the best grass seed for southern regions due to its better establishment along with less water requirement. Scotts is a well-known brand for producing grass seed with WaterSmart PLUS technology for better water absorption.
This grass seed mixture produces turf that can withstand heat and drought.
Bermuda grass is high traffic tolerant grass that’s why it is observed in most lawns in the southern states of the U.S.
It requires high maintenance for building a smooth turf. It grows aggressively to produce a durable and thick lawn.
The premium feature of this grass seed is the maximum germination guarantee by the producer by adding WaterSmart PLUS coating on seeds for more moisture absorption as well as disease protection.
The grass seeds produce fine-bladed textures having high drought tolerance.
Features
- Best grass seed for high traffic lawns
- Warm-season grass
- Spread to grow a thick lawn
- Drought tolerant
- WaterSmart PLUS coating for 2X more water absorbance
- Fine bladed texture
8. Zenith Zoysia Grass Seed (2 Lb.) – best grass seed for warm season lawns
Zenith zoysia grass seed is a top-quality grass seed for growing lawns in the warm season lawns. Zenith provides premium-grade grass seeds for the uniform turf in lawns.
Zoysia grass ends up in dense, dark green colored lawn with thick and uniform turf.
It has a high tolerance to drought and extreme heat. This feature makes it the best grass for warm-season areas.
This grass is widely adapted to the full sun and light shade lawns of warm regions of the U.S.
After preparing the soil, zenith zoysia seed sprouts in 14-21 days in the warm soils.
A bag of 2lb. grass seeds are enough to cover the lawn area of 2000 sq.ft.
Features
- Best grass seed for warm season lawns
- Dense and dark green lawn
- Sprouts in 14-21 days
- Full sun and light shade
- 2lb grass seed for 2000 sq.ft.
Types of grass seed
Mainly the grass seeds are classified into two parts i.e. cool-season grass seed and warm-season grass seed. Both of these types are included with many species of grass types as:
Cool season grasses – Best grass seed for Northern regions
Cool-season grasses are the best grasses for the Northern states of the USA. These grasses thrive best in cool and humid environments of the north and northeast states.
Cool-season grasses thrive during the late spring and early fall months. The optimal temperature of 65-70 degrees exactly matches the growth temperature for northern grasses.
Any cool-season grass that could tolerate the cold, grows best in warmer temperatures to some extent.
Such grasses are recommended to plant during the fall season to ensure root development before the setting of frost.
Cool-season grasses included a variety of species while the Kentucky Bluegrass and Red Fescue are the typical cool-season grasses. The most popular cool-season grasses are:
- Kentucky bluegrass: It is the most classical grass seed and the preferable choice for the Northern areas. It needs full sun and grows less in the shady area.
- Fine Fescue: It is a perennial bunchgrass and grows best in poorly drained soils.
- Bentgrass: Bentgrass is famous for having a great name in grasses for golf courses. A specific variety of bentgrass, Colonial bentgrass is made for home lawns.
- Ryegrass: Ryegrass can be annual or perennial. Annual ryegrass is best for quick green covering while the perennial grass variety has the fame for wear tolerance, especially for the children’s romping in the lawn.
- Tall fescue grass: Drought tolerant grass.
- Creeping fescue: Besides having slow germination, this fescue grass is perfect for shade tolerance and fewer maintenance requirements. It is an excellent companion for bluegrass to thrive in shady spots on the lawn.
Warm season grasses – Best grass seed for Southern regions
Warm-season grasses are a well-growing grass type for Southern regions having warmer climatic conditions. These grasses thrive during the summer months and have a potential drought resistance.
They become dormant during the cooler season and turn brown in color and again become greener in the coming warm season. But make sure to properly irrigate the lawn to protect the lawn from dying during the dormant stage.
A variety of grass seeds are included in the category of warm-season grasses. Bermuda and Zoysia grass are the most prominent warm-season grasses that are commonly found in the lawns of southern regions of the USA.
These are some famous warm season grass species:
- Bermuda grass: It is a high maintenance grass but top preferred grass due to heavy traffic tolerance.
- Zoysia grass: The most perfect warm-season grass that can tolerate cool stress.
- Bahiagrass: It has a high tolerance to heat and drought and provides a thick and dense coarse turf.
- Centipede grass: Low maintenance grass but have slow growth. Have much drought tolerance.
- Buffalograss: Native variety of grass for North America and has high drought tolerance.
After choosing any grass seed for your lawn, spread the grass seed in the lawn evenly as advised. Make sure to not concentrate the lawn with much grass seed.
After seeding, fertilization and watering are primary requirements for ensuring seed growth. The life of grass depends on the maintenance of the lawn and majorly the mowing of grass with quality mowers.
You can choose a top-quality mower for any particular grass species from our expert guides:
- Best lawn mower for Buffalo grass
- Best riding lawn mower for Zoysia grass
- Best lawn mower for St. Augustine grass
How to plant new grass
Planting a new lawn can be more interesting and easy if you know the proper steps. Following these steps will lead your lawn to an all-time lush green and evenly covered lawn.
If you are going to plant a new lawn, make sure to follow these essential steps.
1. Choose the best grass seed
The secret behind a lush green lawn is the best grass seed. Always choose the right grass seed type for your lawn as per the climatic conditions of the region.
Grass seeds planted in the regions having improper environmental temperature will result in the form of barren patches and yellowing of grass blades and ultimately death.
2. Soil preparation for planting a new lawn
Follow these steps to get the desired prepared soil
- Loose the top 2 to 3 inches of soil
- Remove any stones, or debris from the soil
- Break the soil clumps, if present any
- Prepare the fine bed for grass seed
- Level the soil surface for even distribution of water
- Never use any pre-sowing weed killer before planting grass seed
3. Plant grass seed
- Evenly distribute or spread the grass seed over the soil surface
- Get a quality lawn spreader or mechanical seeder for seed spreading
- The optimal value of seed spreading is 16 seeds per square inch. Huge traffic of seeds in low space will onset competition for nutrients and water. It will result in weak and thin grass.
4. Mulching of seeds
Lightly rake the grass seed bed such that the ¼ inch of soil comes over the grass seeds. A lot of quality mulching material for soil covering is present in the market that places the seeds in place and retains more moisture.
5. Irrigation and Fertilization
Retention of the moisture over the grass seedbed is the primary factor to determine the germination percentage. Keep the soil moist for more time and do not saturate the seeds completely.
The second important thing is regular and optimum fertilization which has a major role in growth optimization.
When to plant grass seed
The best time for planting grass seeds is in the spring and fall seasons. Planting the grass seeds during this season results in the form of a healthy lawn.
If you are going to do the spring planting, never apply any weed killer to the grass. Delay the weed killer application after the grass germination and at least 3 mowings.
In case of fall planting, make sure to apply the week killer after the seed germination.
Final Words
A great quality and weather conditions compatible grass seed can grow into a uniformly covered lawn. Never plant a grass seed without considering its maintenance requirements and climatic conditions.
Some grass seeds are specialized for warmer regions and some for cooler regions. Make sure to select any grass seed after complete knowledge of their growth requirements.
Kentucky bluegrass and Ryegrass perform great in the cool season of the northern regions while the bermudagrass is at top of grasses in the warmer regions of the U.S.
While going to plant a new lawn, the first thing is to buy the best grass seed for a new lawn and it can never be a good choice for buying grass seed if you have no knowledge of grass seed qualities.
