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Cultivating a perfectly green lawn is never easy. Simply planting seeds (or using some ready-roll lawn) and watering it regularly is not enough. Unfortunately, the art of a luscious-green lawn is not very simple. Even people with a gorgeous, vibrant yard can struggle with consistent results. The secret is selecting the right turf Grass. You need to be very specific about the type you select for your lawn to help make sure it’ll be successful and eye-catching

The right type of seed will depend on your location, the climate, your property’s unique landscaping and how much shade your lawn area has. You can find a variety of solutions for getting your lawn greener with some of the leading grass seeds for 2022. This guide will also help highlight what you need to consider when choosing the most suitable option for a cutting-edge lawn.

Top Picks

Best overall: Scotts Grass Seed

Scotts Grass Seed is a seed blend that can tolerate direct sunlight and dense shade, making it a suitable option regardless of the sun exposure your yard receives. The standout feature of this option is its water-smart coating. This technology helps this product stay moist twice as long as uncoated seeds, giving them a jumpstart at the growth stage. It also helps protect seedlings against diseases while they’re still fragile. These fast germinating seeds start growing within five to 10 days with adequate water and mildly warm temperatures. We chose this option as the best overall on this list because of the versatile use it offers customers.

Key Features:

Perfect for high foot traffic: Jonathan Green Grass Seed

When planted correctly, these seeds germinate within one to two weeks. The Jonathan Green blend is great for new lawns, patching, or over-seeding. This option includes tall fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass which grow uniformly into a rich, green lawn. Black beauty grass blades have a waxy coating similar to the invisible outer coating on apples. This helps prevent moisture loss and is naturally insect resistant. This is a good option if your lawn sees a fair amount of foot traffic and has medium-watering requirements.

Key Features:

• Tolerates full sun and partial shade

• Thick, bright-green growth

• High drought resistance

Most low-maintenance: Eretz Grass Seed

This is a great option for areas of your yard that face high foot traffic and even works well as forage grass for pastures and wildlife. The seed is state certified, germinates relatively quickly and is weed-free. Fescue also has a coarse texture and doesn’t require excessive watering once established. If you’re looking for something that is not going to require a ton of maintenance, this could just be the grass for you. Keep in mind that it is a bunch-type grass and might not grow as evenly as other higher-maintenance options.

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Most versatile: Greenview Grass Seed

Whether your lawn receives full sun or shade, Greenview Grass Seed is a safe choice since the blend includes seeds that will thrive in both types of environments. Useful for new lawns or over-seeding, you can expect germination within one to two weeks. The seed mix is 99.9% weed-free and resistant to insects and diseases. This is a good choice for high-traffic zones where kids and pets can enjoy plenty of fun with soft grass beneath their feet.

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Quickest growing: Oregon Grown Grass Seed

Ryegrass is known to be a cool season grass and is another suitable option for areas that will sustain a relatively high level of foot traffic and activity. This option germinates and establishes very quickly compared to some other products, however, it does require a fair amount of watering and won’t do well in extreme temperatures. Ryegrass is used for both temporary and permanent lawns and is ideal for over-seeding warm-season lawns. This will help maintain their green color during the colder winter months.

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How to find your next grass seed: A buyer’s guide

You may have considered a “quick-repair mixture” as a fast solution to your dull-looking backyard. These mixtures tend to use annual ryegrass since they can revive a lawn fairly quickly. The problem is, that your lawn will only look good initially since repair mixtures will die out after the first season. They also tend to have a lighter color and coarser texture than many other varieties of grass.

So, if a quick-repair mixture is not the answer, how do you choose a suitable grass seed? You should take the following factors into account for a better chance of long-term success in cultivating and maintaining your lawn:

1. Level of shade

While some grass types thrive with plenty of sunlight, others only do well with large amounts of shade. Make sure you know how much sun exposure the area you want to cultivate gets and then match that with suitable grass seed.

Kentucky bluegrass, fescues, bahia, and buffalo grass all require full-sun exposure but can tolerate some shade. Bermuda grass, on the other hand, will not do well at all in shady conditions.

2. Foot traffic

If your lawn is going to be a place subject to a lot of wear and tear, foot traffic, and activity, make sure to choose a grass seed that can hold up to all that action. Fine grass like fescue can easily become patchy, brown, or dry with high wear and tear while Kentucky bluegrass can take a bit of a beating. Kentucky bluegrass is self-mending too, meaning that the grass creeps in to fill in any holes naturally. It will require more maintenance though, and it needs regular fertilizing, watering, and mowing.

3. Yard size

A large yard needs a lot more seeds than smaller lawns. When considering the cost of seed, also take the quality of the grass seed into account. Low-quality seeds may not all germinate, meaning you’ll have to purchase twice as much. In the end, this can cost you the same, if not more, and require double the effort. If you have a big area to cover on a tight budget, turfgrass seed is a good option. When possible, aim for a higher-quality seed to ensure you get the results you want the first time around.

4. Sloping sites

If you are using seeds on a sloping site, you may have to do a little extra work to prevent soil erosion and keep seeds from washing away. Once your seeds have sprung, they will actually be very beneficial at helping avoid soil erosion. To get them to that stage successfully, you can either spread straw over the freshly seeded ground on gentle slopes or use biodegradable, erosion-control netting.

5. Grass seed vs. ready roll

The option that’s ideal for you will depend on your budget, how much time you can dedicate to a new lawn, and the type of grass that will work best in your particular climate. When using ready-roll grass, the roots may not establish as well as planted seeds since the growth process has already taken place.

Although ready-roll grass is a much faster (and more costly) solution, you will only be able to choose from the available grass types. Just like when planting seeds, the grass type should be compatible with the sun or shade exposure your intended area gets, and you also need to inspect your soil for compatibility.

People also asked

Q: How long will it take for my grass seeds to grow?

A: The time it takes for your seeds to grow into an established lawn depends on the grass seed type, the seed quality, the soil quality, and your climate. In favorable conditions, the seeds will germinate within five days to two weeks and can take anywhere between 30 to 60 days to establish. Make sure to keep watering the seedlings as directed throughout the entire growth period.

Q: How often should I water my new grass?

A: Watering is critical for germination and seedling growth. In the initial stages, the soil needs to stay moist. How much watering this requires may depend on your climate. Light rain can also do the job for you, but in warmer conditions, you might need to water once or twice a day to prevent dried-out soil (and seeds).

Q: How long should I wait before I mow my newly planted lawn?

A: Once the seedlings reach around three inches, you can mow your lawn. Ideally, you want to make sure that the grass is well established and avoid mowing too low the first few times.

Q: What grass type is commonly used on golf courses?

A: Creeping bentgrass is often used on golf courses, it can handle a lot of wear and tear and take full sun as well as partial shade. It offers a dense yet soft lawn, making it a great choice for golf courses.

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