Wednesday, 16 November 2022
What type of grass seed is right for my lawn?
Lawn care is extremely important if you want your garden to be healthy. However, maintaining a healthy lawn is a full-time responsibility that not everyone has the time to commit to. One of the best ways to do this is to plant the correct grass type.
From warm-season grasses to cool-season grasses, it is essential to fully understand external elements that dictate the best kind of grass to plant in your garden, such as the weather and the soil type. To help ensure you have the best chance of growing a healthy lawn, we created this expert guide to all things lawn seed related.
Types of grass seed
The main types of grass seed can be divided into 4 main categories:
- Hard-wearing
- General purpose
- Ornamental
- Shady
Hard-wearing grass
This kind of grass is designed to take on a lot of wear and tear. It is therefore the ideal type of grass if you have young children, or grandchildren, or have a lot of friends and family over for garden parties because your grass will experience heavy foot traffic. The main species of grass that is used in hard-wearing grass seed mixture is annual ryegrass. This is because perennial ryegrass can reach optimum growth in virtually any type of soil, from sandy soil to clay-like soil. It is extremely resistant, and it germinates quickly.
General purpose
General-purpose lawn seed is probably the most popular kind of grass, because it is good for virtually all situations. It is just what you need for a garden that gets moderate use and is in a fairly typical climate that is not too demanding. Whilst it contains a fair amount of perennial ryegrass, it is also mixed with different grass seed types, such as red and tall fescues. This kind of grass will grow quickly and has good sun and shade tolerance.
Ornamental lawn
If aesthetics are all that matter to you, and your garden is not used regularly, you might want to opt for ornamental lawn seed. Ornamental lawn seed mixes are one with a lot of fine version of fescues and bent grasses mixed in. Ornamental grass is also more demanding when it comes to the type of soil it will thrive in.
For it to grow to its full potential, you need to plant ornamental seeds in acidic soil. It is also important to consider that this type of grass requires more maintenance and grows far slower than the previous two. Time and effort must go into the upkeep of ornamental grass, but if properly looked after, you will have a lush lawn that the entire neighborhood will envy.
Shady grass seed
If you have a lot of trees in your garden, or your garden simply does not receive a lot of direct sunlight throughout the day, you need a grass seed that is shade tolerant. Like most other plants, grass needs a certain number of hours of sunlight per day and regular watering to thrive.
This type of grass seed has a few different species mixed into it, including dwarf ryegrass, small meadow grass and both hard fescues and finer fescues, as the combination makes it a more resistant mix. Whilst shady seed might not be the solution for your entire lawn, it can be the perfect solution for those areas of partial shade under trees or at the periphery of your garden.
Why choosing the right grass seed is essential
Determines health
The ultimate goal of planting grass seed is to be able to grow a healthy lawn, but if you plant the wrong seeds, all you will end up with is dead grass. If you carefully choose the right type of grass seed that is designed to thrive in the kind of garden that you own, you will see the development of healthy grass blades which will transform into a lush green lawn.
Influences maintenance
The type of grass you choose will also decide how much maintenance you will need to put into your lawn. Whilst some species are fairly self-sufficient, others require constant care. The level of dedication and time you have for your lawn will therefore influence the best type of lawn seed you should sow. If you don’t have the time or resources to commit to regular ongoing maintenance of your lawn, it would be a bad idea to choose a high maintenance combination of seed as it will quickly die and you will have to begin the process all over again.
How to tell what is wrong with my lawn?
Tips to choose the best grass seed for your lawn
Although choosing the right kind of seed is important, most people don’t understand how to do it. Below are expert tips to help ensure that you make the right choice when it comes to determining what type of lawn seed will be best for your garden.
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Understand your soil type
All gardens have different soil types and each kind of soil is best suited for a different type of grass. On the whole, the best all-purpose topsoil type that will accommodate most grass varieties is loam-soil. Loam-soil is a mixture of sand, clay and silt. It has an abundance of nutrients and is free draining. If your soil is not as universal as loam soil, you will have to hand pick grass types that will thrive in the soil samples you have.
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Think about the weather
The weather is another leading factor to choosing what type of grass seed is best for your lawn. For example, there are warm-season grass and cool-season grass. Cool-season grass seed has a better cold tolerance and is suited to colder weather, whereas warm-season grass seed thrives in warmer climates. Whilst some seed are drought-tolerant, others require constant rain to keep the soil moist if it is to grow in a healthy way. It is essential to assess your weather cycles before you commit to a specific grass species.
Lawn care services
Lawn care is a job that requires constant commitment. However, not everyone has the time to put in the effort to maintain a healthy lawn. If you can’t keep up with frequent mowing, pruning and weed control, Vertdure is here to help. We offer a variety of different lawn care packages to ensure that everyone can benefit from a well-kept garden.
Additional services we offer include: