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The Spruce / Chloe Jeong
Grass seed can be used to grow a lawn from scratch or sprinkled onto existing turf to make it thicker and patch up bald areas. It can also address spots where fungus, poor sunlight, insects, or pet urine have caused your grass to go brown or thin out. Whether you have a small yard or multiple acres, any homeowner is wise to have some seed on hand.
Having said that, there are several different kinds of seed, so you'll want to make sure you get a variety that works for your yard and climate. Some contain blends that can grow year-round in the sun or shade, while others are better suited for the winter or summer. We searched high and low to find the finest seeds for growing a beautifully green lawn and selected versatile options that retain water, contain fertilizers, grow quickly, resist diseases, and stand up to heavy foot traffic.
Here, the best grass seed for sprucing up your yard.
Best Overall: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix
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Thrives in sun and shade
Holds up in droughts and cold winters
Resists disease
Not suited for Southern lawns
When it comes to versatility, Scotts Turf Builder is tough to beat. As its name suggests, the Sun & Shade Mix thrives in scorching sunlight or densely shaded conditions. The fine-bladed grass can even hold up in droughts and cold winters.
Each individual seed is wrapped in a special WaterSmart coating, which absorbs twice the amount of water as its uncoated counterparts. The coating also protects your seedlings from various lawn diseases and feeds them essential nutrients to jumpstart growth. You can count on fast-growing turf that's thick, green, and healthy.
Best for Shade: Pennington One Step Complete for Dense Shade Areas
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Formulated with mulch and fertilizer
Grows fast
Great for spot treatments or larger areas
Suited for Midwestern lawns
Pennington One Step Complete blends the brand's Smart Seed with mulch and professional-grade fertilizer, allowing it to thrive in densely shaded areas. This all-in-one grass seed sprouts seedlings in as little as a week, even in the tricky corners of your lawn that don't see more than two hours of direct sunlight a day. Whether you're growing a lawn from scratch, or you're just looking to patch up sparse areas, this ultra-absorbent mixture is a quick and easy solution for achieving a lush, spot-free yard.
Best for Full Sun: JB Instant Lawn Signature Sunny Premium Lawn Seed
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Works with new and existing lawns
Comes in various sizes
Grows fast
Not suited for Midwestern lawns
JB Instant Lawn's Sunny Blend is formulated for direct sunlight. It loves clear skies and flourishes in non-shaded areas with six or more hours of sun exposure a day. The brand's signature perennial ryegrass seed produces thick sod-quality lawns with fine blades and a deep green hue. It can be planted with your existing grass or used to grow a lawn from scratch with a germination period between six to ten days.
Best for Cool Season: Barenbrug Winter Wonderlawn Super Over Seeding Grass Seed
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Grows fast
Thrives in sun and partial shade
Stands up to heavy traffic
Not suited for Northern lawns
For the chillier season, you'll be glad to have a bag of Winter Wonderlawn on hand. Containing a blend of Italian and perennial ryegrass, the mixture is ideal for overseeding your lawn during the coldest months of the year.
This grass seed establishes quickly and germinates within four days, even in the fall and winter. After a few weeks, you'll have dense growth of fine-bladed grass with a deep green color.
Best for Warm Season: Water Saver Lawn Seed Mixture with Turf-Type Tall Fescue and RFT
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Resists disease
Grows fast
Thrives in sun and shade
Tolerates drought conditions
Not suited for Southern lawns
Water Saver contains a mixture of turf-quality tall fescue and RFT (rhizomatous tall fescue) seeds. The blend has a gorgeous color, a nice texture, and stands up to various diseases.
This lawn seed establishes quickly, roots deeply, and retains water, allowing it to tolerate high temps and drought conditions. It thrives in the sun or shade, and thanks to its deep roots, it can be mowed shorter than other varieties.
Best for Heavy Traffic: Jonathan Green Black Beauty Heavy Traffic Premium Grass Seed Mixture
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Stands up to heavy traffic
Resists weeds and insects
Comes in various sizes
Not suited for densely shaded areas
If you have kids, pets, or an otherwise busy household, we recommend Jonathan Green Black Beauty. The brand's Heavy Traffic Premium Mixture contains a healthy blend of fescue and perennial ryegrass seeds. Fescue emits an amino acid that naturally acts as a herbicide, so it will curb emerging crabgrass and broadleaf weed seedlings. Not only that, but this reliable formula stands up to abrasion and is naturally resistant to insects.
Best Fast-Growing: Vigoro Fast Grass Seed Mix
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Grows fast
Great for spot treatments
Thrives in sun and shade
Only for existing lawns
Vigoro Fast Grass Mix germinates impressively quickly and sprouts in as little as three days. Anytime you need speedy ground cover, erosion control, or want to repair patches in your yard, this is your best bet.
The seed works in both sunny and shady areas and produces lush green grass with semi-fine blades and virtually no weeds. It's ideal for temporarily filling in bare spots, and depending on when and where you plant it, you might see continued growth.
Best Bermudagrass: Sta-Green Grass Seed Bermudagrass
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Grows back annually
Resists disease
99 percent weed-free
Longer germination period
Bermudagrass is a warm-weather perennial, meaning it flourishes in the spring and summer and grows back annually. This grass seed from Sta-Green contains a premium blend of 99 percent weed-free bermudagrass.
The germination period is longer than other species (about two to three weeks). But thanks to a special QuickGrow2X coating, the mixture grows faster than other bermudagrasses and resists disease. Soon enough, you'll have a beautiful lawn with medium-textured grass that's dense, lush, and feels good between your toes.
Best Bulk: Mayberry Seed Bulk Seed Premium Lawn Grass Seed 25 Lbs.
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Works with new and existing lawns
Non-GMO
Thrives in sun and shade
Can grow in different regions
Expensive
If you have a lot of ground to cover, we recommend getting a box (or two or three) of Mayberry Bulk Seed. One box contains 25 pounds of premium grass seed, which is enough to plant 5,000 square feet of new lawn. If you're overseeding an existing yard, it'll go twice as far.
The non-GMO mixture contains turf-type fescue, shade-tolerant chewing fescue, and perennial ryegrass, all of which thrive in bright sunlight or shaded areas. We also appreciate that this versatile grass seed can grow almost anywhere in the U.S.
Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix is the best grass seed overall. The seeds have a special coating that makes them more absorbent, allowing your turf to thrive year-round in the sun or shade (view at Amazon). However, if you have pets or kids and want something that can grow with heavy foot traffic, Jonathan Green Black Beauty Heavy Traffic Premium Grass Seed Mixture might be a better choice (view at Amazon).
What to Look for When Buying Grass Seed
Climate
One of the most important things to keep in mind when buying grass seed is the climate, as some blends do better in certain regions. For instance, bermudagrass is native to the southern hemisphere, so it thrives in the South and the Southwestern United States.
That being said, some grass species (such as fescue and ryegrass) can grow in a variety of climates. Be sure to check the product description before purchasing grass seed to confirm it can grow where you live.
Sun Exposure
Another thing to consider is the level of sun exposure your seedlings will get. Species like bermudagrass and some types of ryegrass need at least a few hours of sunlight a day to thrive, whereas fescue can grow in densely shaded areas.
Some mixes are formulated to grow in the sun or shade, any time of year. Check the product information before buying grass seed to make sure it's suitable for the amount of sunlight your yard gets.
Maintenance
If you're in the market for low-maintenance grass seed, look for an option that contains fertilizer. That way, your seedlings will have the nourishment they need to grow quickly and flourish. Some blends also contain mulch, which helps keep the soil healthy, retains water, and prevents weed growth.
Speaking of weed growth, you may want to get grass seed that specifically indicates it's a weed-free (or 99 percent weed-free) formula. Additionally, some seeds are individually coated with a special substance that makes them more absorbent (meaning they don't need to be watered as often) and resistant to disease.
FAQs
When is the best time to plant grass seed?
The best time to plant grass seed depends on the type of seed and the climate. However, since most mixtures germinate when temperatures aren't too hot or cold, planting in the spring or fall is typically ideal. Seedlings thrive in semi-warm soil with moderate daytime temps and slightly cooler evenings.
How do you prepare the soil for grass seed?
To prepare the soil for grass seed, start by removing any sticks, large rocks, and weeds from the surface. Then break up the soil with a spade, hoe, garden fork, or a core aerator, continuing to remove rocks and debris as you go. If your grass seed doesn't contain fertilizer, you'll also want to add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil before planting.
How often do you need to water grass seed?
Grass seed needs to be watered once or twice a day until it germinates. How much and how often depends on where you live and what the weather is like, but the goal is to keep the top layer of soil moist at all times. When your seedlings are about an inch tall, you can switch to watering every other day. After a few weeks, when the grass has established, weekly or bi-weekly watering should suffice.
Why Trust The Spruce?
The Spruce contributor Theresa Holland is an experienced commerce writer with several years of experience covering home improvement. She's spent countless hours researching yard care and landscaping products, not only for the content she writes but also for personal use. You can see more of her home-related stories on MyDomaine.
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