Skip to main content

Choosing the best grass seed for your lawn – what you need to know

Factor in these tips when deciding on grass seed

Manicured Bermuda lawn
Aimful / Shutterstock

Growing grass from seed is an affordable way to start a lush, healthy lawn. But you need to start with the right seed. What is the best grass seed? It depends on where you live, the conditions in your yard, and how you ultimately want the yard to look. Cool-season grasses give a soft, deep green appearance, while warm-season grasses are known for dense green growth and uniform tan coverage in winter. There are several kinds of each to choose from. Read on to learn how to choose grass seed for your unique situation.

handful of grass seed
Dean Clark / Shutterstock

1. Choose cool-season or warm-season grass

Cool-season lawn grasses grow best when daytime temperatures are in the 60s and 70s, and night temperatures are in the 50s. They are primary choices for northern landscapes, where they look great from right after the snow melts in spring until the first hard freeze of fall. In the lower Midwest and upper South, these grasses offer an evergreen alternative to the warm-season grasses that go brown in winter. Cool-season grasses suffer damage during extended and extreme heat and drought and must be reseeded periodically to repair damage.

Cool-season grasses to consider:

Recommended Videos

Warm-season grasses need hot, sunny days in the 80s and 90s, and warm nights in the 70s to thrive. These grasses are ideal for the Deep South and Gulf Coast areas. Further north, into the upper South and lower Midwest, warm-season grasses experience shortened growing seasons. Gardeners in these areas sometimes use warm-season grasses for hot, sunny areas of the yard and cool-season grasses for sheltered areas. 

Warm-season grasses to consider:

  • Bermuda
  • Centipede
  • Zoysia

When figuring out which type of grass works best for you, looking into your gardening climate zone is a good place to start.

shady lawn with shrub border
Vladislava_Solovyeva / Shutterstock

2. Match the grass seed to your sun exposure level

Grass needs lots of sunlight. In fact, all types of lawn grass perform best with a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight throughout the day. Warm-season grasses prefer at least eight hours of direct sunlight daily during the growing season. If your yard has plenty of sunshine, you won’t have a problem finding a quality grass seed.

Shade-tolerant grasses are just that: tolerant. Shade is never the ideal environment for grass. Although these grasses would still do best with more sunshine, they will grow with a minimum of four to six hours of direct sunlight or perhaps all-day sun that is lightly filtered by a thin foliage canopy.

Tall fescue grass
Jon Rehg / Shutterstock

3. Consider the appearance

Grasses grow in different forms that affect the appearance of the landscape. For a tightly manicured look reminiscent of your favorite golf course, try Bermuda, zoysia, or perennial ryegrass. Bermuda is commonly used on golf course greens where it adapts well to being mowed very short.

Perennial ryegrass is often used on fairways in the north, while zoysia is often used on those in the south. For a more casual look, go with fescue, bluegrass, or a grass seed blend. These grasses look and grow their best when they grow a bit taller, which gives them a softer look.

Tall, thin grass
The_CLICK / Shutterstock

4. Time of year and speed of coverage matter

If the area is bare and needs to be covered right away, sod is the best option. But if it is watered regularly and covered with a thin layer of mulch, grass seed will begin to fill in bare space in just a few weeks. The fastest grasses to grow from seed to mature lawn are fescue, perennial ryegrass, and bluegrass. They germinate in seven to 14 days and can be mowed in a little more than a month. The best time to sow cool-season grass seed is early fall. That allows it three seasons to grow a deep, extensive root system ahead of hot summer weather.

Warm-season grass seed should be sown in late spring or early summer, when nighttime temperatures consistently remain warm. Bermuda sprouts and grows well within a few weeks, with full coverage typically seen by the end of the summer. Zoysia and centipede grasses are much slower to establish and may require a second full growing season to grow in fully.

white dog lying on green lawn
Mary Key / Shutterstock

5. Keep in mind foot traffic

Do you have kids and pets playing on the lawn often? If so, it’s important to consider foot traffic as you choose your grass seed. While high foot traffic can definitely impact appearance, it can also lead to compacted soil, promote weeds, attract pests, and hurt overall grass health. Bermuda grass is a hardy warm-season grass for high levels of foot traffic, while Kentucky bluegrass is a sound option for cooler regions. In the middle, buffalo grass suits more moderate temperatures.

Starting with the right type of grass is a preventative measure against the detrimental effects of high traffic. If the damage has been done, you might need to lay down new sod or get to overseeding patchy areas.

Selecting grass seed to start a new lawn doesn’t need to feel intimidating. When you match your local growing conditions and personal landscape preferences with the grasses that best suit them, you can enjoy a beautiful lawn that fits your lifestyle. 

Mark Wolfe
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mark Wolfe is a freelance writer who specializes in garden, landscaping, and home improvement. After two decades in the…
Best trees for wet areas: Top 6 picks for your garden
Plant these trees if your garden has poor drainage
A line of birches beside a river

If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain regularly, or if you have sections of your yard that tend to collect or hold water, then you might be having some difficulty finding trees that will thrive in your yard. Many plants appreciate well draining soil, but there are still plenty of options if you have an area in your yard that drains more slowly. Whether you have clay-rich soils or a pond, these are some of the best trees for wet areas.
Pin oak

Pin oaks are a great option if you have clay-rich soil and a lot of room. They can grow between 60 and 70 feet tall, although their spread is not nearly as big. Additionally, they grow very quickly, especially for trees of their size. Plant your pin oak in full sun. They will tolerate clay-rich soil and some flooding, but not the shade.

Read more
The best spring fruits to grow: Add these to your garden
Plant these fruits this spring for a tasty harvest
Ripe blackberries on the bush

Spring is a favorite season for many gardeners, and for good reason! The plants begin to wake up, the ground thaws, and you can begin planning and planting your next garden. There are plenty of plants to choose from, but there's nothing quite like fruit fresh from your own garden. From sweet figs to tart blackberries, there are many incredible fruits you can grow. To make the most of your garden, here are some of the best spring fruits you can plant today.
Blackberries

Ripe, juicy blackberries are a delicious treat, and they’re easy to grow. Plant these fruits in early spring and make sure they’re in full sun. Blackberries do best in rich, well-draining soil. Mixing compost into your soil can help significantly. Blackberries need roughly an inch of water each week, and they thrive in soil that is consistently moist but not soaking wet. Most blackberry varieties are ready for harvest in mid to late summer.

Read more
Flower pots 101: Picking the best ones for your spring garden
From hanging baskets to whiskey barrels, here are some of the best flower containers
Pink geraniums in hanging basket

Container gardens come in many different forms, making them a great way to express your individuality and creativity, as well as highlight the particular strengths of your plants. However, it can also be overwhelming. As you browse your local nursery or big-box store, you might come across a wide range of containers in all kinds of colors, shapes, and materials beyond basic plastic nursery pots or orange terracotta planters.

If you find yourself feeling lost with your many available options of flowers pots for your spring garden, we’ve got a handy guide to get you started on choosing the perfect flower containers. Whether you're looking for a solid planter to help with geranium care, some small one that will show off your plants without taking up much room, or something that's just plain interesting, we have you covered! Keep reading to find out what options there are for flower pots for your spring garden.
Hanging baskets

Read more