There’s nothing better than looking out to your back garden and seeing a lawn of fresh, luscious green, healthy grass. However, as most homeowners soon realise, actually achieving this suburban dream can be pretty difficult. Thankfully, there are many products out there that can help you to grow and maintain lush grass. Perhaps the most satisfying option of all is seeding since it delivers excellent results but also requires some work. If you’re a hands-on gardener, then this may be the option that you can want to go for it. Our guide to the best grass seed will get you there quicker than you thought!
Best Grass Seed – All-Rounder
If you just want an all-rounder grass seed then you can’t go wrong with Speedy Seed. This specially formulated seed is rigorously tested for quick sprouting and quick growing seed. One box will give you a coverage of about 84 square meters and it also comes with a handy distributor built into the cardboard box.
We found this a great seed for those who just want to reseed or overseed a general-purpose lawn, and true to its word it is speedy. We saw shoots after just 6 days!
Best Hard Wearing Grass Seed
If you have young kids, big kids, or just like to use your lawn a lot then you need hard-wearing grass seed. These seeds contain varieties specially formulated to survive being run, jumped and walked on. Say goodbye to bald patches in your high traffic areas. This professional-grade lawn seed contains 50% Dwarf Perennial Ryegrass a grass known for its resistance and hard-wearing properties. In our tests this seed took longer to germinate than the speedy seed, coming in around 10 days. However it did establish well, it just took a little longer!
Different types of grass seed
As with all things in life, there’s not just one type of grass seed that you can apply to your garden. There are plenty of different options. Some of these differences are to do with how the grass will eventually look, while others are more to do with the type of climate and environment the buyer will be using them in. There are grass seeds that are suitable for shaded lawns that don’t receive much sunlight, for example.
So when it comes to buying your grass seed, there are a few things you’ll need to look for. For example, you should consider how much work you want to do. There are plenty of great grass seeds out there that will give you a good lawn with next to no effort. However, the minimal effort does come with a downside: your lawn is unlikely to be out of this world. The bulk of grass seeds contain both ryegrass and red fescue; these are highly effective but won’t give you a yard worthy of the Chelsea Flower Show. Perhaps the best thing about the red fescue options is that they’re hardy. They’re not going to disappear anytime soon.
Other options will give you a lighter, more picturesque lawn, though, of course, these are also more sensitive. Much of the decision regarding which type of seed you should choose will depend on the general activity that’s present in your yard. If you’re going for a garden that’s more aesthetically pleasing. On the other hand, if you have children who you know are going to trample their way through your garden all the time, then a hardier option will be best. You’ll want a grass that isn’t going to wither and die just because your kids have been running through it. Perhaps the best option for this type of active garden will be.
When is the best time to sow grass seed?
It’s of vital importance that you sow your grass seed at the right time if you’re going to yield the best results. So when is this, exactly? In general, you’ll want to sow the seeds sometime between late summer and mid-autumn. That’s because this time of the year provides the perfect environment for grass to grow well. Fewer weeds are fighting for nutrients, there’s usually enough rain, and it’s still warm. If you’ve missed the chance to get your seeds in the ground during autumn, then you don’t necessarily have to wait for an entire year — springtime can also be good, providing the seeds get enough water. But don’t try in summer or the middle of winter — it’s highly unlikely that anything will grow.
What is the best seed for clay soil?
A big part of whether you’ll have success with your grass seeds will depend on the soil that you’ve got in your yard. For the most part, it’s not anything that you’ll have to be concerned with since there’s an option for all types – but you will want to know what you’re dealing with before you start, especially if you have clay soil. If your soil is malleable like plasticine, then you’ve probably got clay soil. You’ll want to look for grass seeds that contain perennial ryegrass, which grows in virtually all types of soil.
What is the best seed for shaded areas?
We don’t all have sun-kissed lawns. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have beautiful grass. You can, if you invest in the right seeds. Some types of grass grow exceptionally well even in shaded areas; these are Bent Grass, Fescue, and Smooth Meadow-Grass. You’ll find that so long as your garden isn’t completely dark, then these should provide a nice lawn of grass.
