Many homeowners strive for that elusive Lush-Green Lawn but aren’t sure what the best grass seeds you should plant in your region. If you’re planning to reseed your lawn or patch some bare areas, you’ve come to the right place.
Today we’ll share our reviews for the best grass seeds to buy – and help you grow grass fast to achieve that perfect emerald green lawn in the climate where you’re located.
Before Viewing the Best Grass Seed for New Lawns – Check Out the Grass “Hardiness Zone” Map Below: First, Find your Zone, Then refer to the grass seed choices in our review, and determine if your zone will accommodate that grass seed choice.
The 8 Best Grass Seeds To Buy In 2023:
Editor’s Choice: Jonathan Green 10322 Black Beauty
Why We Like It
Featuring a blend of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye, and black beauty tall fescue, this mix gets our vote for the best overall grass seed. The Jonathan Green Black Beauty is blended explicitly to grow dark, lush green grass, creating perfect depth and color to your lawn.
Specs
- 7-pound bag
- Covers up to 2,800 square feet
- Rated for partial shade to full sun
- Suitable for clay soil
- Drought and disease resistant
Our Take Away
Overall, this mix from Jonathan is a versatile solution for a wide range of lawns. Using it, you’ll easily be able to improve any property and grow a robust, healthy bed of grass.
Best Application for Growing
- All Growing Zones
- Partial Shade or Sun Exposure
- Germination TIme – 7 – 14 days*
JONATHAN GREEN GRASS SEED
Runner Up – Best Grass Seed: Pennington “Smart Seed”
Why We Like It
Pennington Smart Seed will produce thick, healthy grass while using less water.
According to the manufacturer, this intelligent blend of grass seed requires up to 30 percent less water than comparable mixes from other brands, making it a perfect solution in dry climates.
Pennington’s Smart Seed mix is also highly resistant to insects and fungus, which helped push it into our top choices in our best grass seed reviews.
Specs
- 7-pound bag
- Covers up to 3,330 square feet
- Low water requirements
- Grows in the sun or shade
Our Take Away
From intensive patch repair to complete seeding of a new lawn, Pennington Smart Seed does a great job of growing new grass in various conditions. Our reviews found this seed germinates quickly and grows well in various climates and sun or shade.
Best Application for Growth:
- Any Growing Zone
- Sun or Shade Exposure
- Very drought tolerant
- Germination Time: 7-14 days *
PENNINGTON GRASS SEED
Best Grass Seed for Shade: Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade
Why We Like It
Many homeowners struggle with “how to plant grass in the shade.” And one of the biggest challenges of maintaining a healthy lawn is getting grass to grow and thrive in low-light conditions.
However, with Scott’s Turf builder for a dense shade mix, you can get a thick, healthy lawn, even in areas that don’t receive much sunlight. We’re also big fans of the seed coating used in this blend, which helps the seeds retain additional water.
Specs
- Tall fescue blend
- 3-pound bag
- Water absorbent coating
- Grows with as little as 3 hours of direct sunlight per day
Our Take Away
Simply put, Scott’s Dense Shade mix is a low-light grass seed blend that works and works well. This seed blend is a great place to start if you’re trying to get the darker areas of your lawn back into proper shape.
Best Application for Growth
- Transition Regions – Best for Growing Zone 6 & 7
- Requires only 3 hours of sunlight per day
- Germination Time: 6 – 21 days *
SCOTT’S GRASS SEED
VIDEO: How To Plant Grass Seed
Fastest Growing Grass Seed: Jonathan Green 10820
Why We Like It:
Whether your lawn has suffered from winter draught or you’re patching bare spots in your lawn – If you want to fix a lawn quickly, fast germination times are essential. This blend from Jonathan Green germinates in just 5 -14 days, ensuring that your yard will be on its way to recovery as quickly as possible. Suitable for both sun and shade conditions.
Specs:
- Germinates in 14 days or less
- Covers up to 1,500 square feet
- Fast-growing
- Great for rapid patch repair
Our Take Away:
Our review found that this Jonathan Green grass seed mix is excellent for both overseeding and starting entirely new lawns in various conditions. Thanks to its versatility, this seed is an excellent option for people who usually have difficulty growing grass in their yards.
Best Application for Growth:
- Northern and Transitional Climates
- Sun or Shade Exposure
- Germination Time: 5-14 Days *
JONATHAN GRASS SEED
Best Grass Seed for Lawn Repair: Scotts EZ Seed
Why We Like It
Sometimes, lawns need more than just a bit of patching; these cases are when Scotts EZ Seed repair mix comes into play. With mulch, seed, and fertilizer mixed into a single product, this grass seed blend practically ensures grass will grow, even in difficult spots.
Also, if you live in a hotter climate, Scott’s EZ seed is considered a favorite seed for patching St. Augustine Grass. It works for repairing bare patches or boosting the growth of St. Augustine grass plugs.
Thanks to the seed blend, this mix will grow in just about any light conditions.
Specs
- 20-pound bag
- It covers up to 445 square feet
- Includes mulch, fertilizer, and grass seed
- Will grow in dense shade
Our Take Away
Although it takes a lot of this mix to tackle a relatively small area, it’s one of the most powerful tools you can use to repair your lawn.
If you have large sections of your lawn needing repair, a few bags of this Scott’s EZ seed Repair, with mulch and fertilizer blend, will help you get your yard back on course in a hurry.
Best Applications for Growth:
- All Zones
- Sun or Shade
- Germination Time – 10-14 days *
SCOTTS EZ GRASS SEED
Best Grass Seed Patch Kit: Scotts Thick’R Lawn
Why We Like It
A great performer in sunny or shaded conditions, Scott’s Thick’R Lawn grass seed is a versatile and all-in-one seeding product. And, It includes grass seed, fertilizer, and soil, ensuring the grass seed will germinate quickly and thrive on the added nutrients.
Specs
- Grass seed, soil, and fertilizer combination
- The bag Covers up to 1,200 square feet
- It greatly improves lawn thickness
Our Take Away
In our opinion, Scott’s Thick’R Lawn seed and soil blend is a secret lawncare weapon any novice homeowner should keep handy. While it’s great for any application, it also stands out as the best grass seed for overseeding and keeping weeds at bay.
If your lawn could use some extra thickness to look its best, consider using Scotts Thick’R Lawn to get quick, effective results.
Best Application for Growing:
- All Growing Zones
- Great for Patching – Includes soil, fertilizer, and grass seed
- Germination Time: 8 -14 days *
SCOTTS THICK-R-LAWN – GRASS SEED
Best “Bermuda” – Grass Seed Repair: Pennington One-Step Complete
Why We Like It
Because it is primarily grown in Southern states and scorching climates, Bermuda grass isn’t always easy to maintain. This is why we’re pleased Pennington came up with a Bermudagrass seed product for patching Bermuda lawns.
With fertilizer included, Pennington’s One Step Complete allows new Bermuda grass seed to germinate quicker and blend into any existing lawn.
Specs
- 8.3-pound bag
- Covers up to 125 square feet
- Rated for full sun
Our Take Away
In our view, Pennington One Step Complete Bermudagrass solves the problem of caring for bermudagrass lawns and saves a lot of work in growing a lawn fast. Pennington One-Step Complete is also one of the best grass seeds for full-sun areas.
Best Applications for Growth
- Use for Bermuda Grass Lawns Only
- Growing zones 10 & 11 (only)
- Sun or Shade Exposure
- Germination Time: 12-14 days *
PENNINGTON ONE-STEP GRASS SEED
Best “Heat Tolerant” Grass Seed: “Zenith” Zoysia Grass Seed
Why We Like It
Although grasses are hardy naturally, extreme heat often gets the best of them. However, Zoysia grass is one of the best-rated grass seeds for hotter climates, and that is why Zenith Zoysia brand grass seed rounds out our review of the best seeding products for Hot climates.
While Bermuda grass is a clear favorite for hot climates, Bermuda grass mostly looks and feels, well, like “crabgrass.”
If you want a more attractive, thinner blade of grass and a thick, lush, hardy lawn in blazing hot climates, Zoysia grass is one of the very best options you can plant.
Specs
Our Take Away
Zenith Zoysia grass seed grows a gorgeous and thick lawn. With that said, zoysia is a more challenging variety of seeds to germinate than others, meaning you’ll have to control conditions to establish your new grass carefully.
Once it’s mature, though, zoysia grass is a tough, hardy grass that will keep your lawn looking great year after year.
Best Application for Growth
- Sun or Partial Shade Exposure
- To Grow in Zones 7 & 8 – plant between June – August
- To Grow in Zone 9 – plant between May – September
- To Grow in Zone 10 and warmer – plant year-round
- Germination Time: 14 – 21 days *
ZENITH ZOYSIA GRASS SEED
*Note: The manufacturer estimates seed germination times. Actual seed germination will occur based on your soil conditions, available sunlight, water, and temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) – Best Grass Seeds
What is the Best Time To Grow Grass from Seed?
As a rule of thumb: the Ideal “air temperature” to grow grass seed is between 60 – 70 degrees.
More specifically: Cool-climate grasses (Rye, Kentucky Blue, Fescue) can be planted as low as 55 degrees, and Warm weather grasses (Zoysia & Bermuda) can germinate in up to 80-degree air temperatures.
What Is the Best Grass Seed for Shade?
Per our review above, the best grass seed for shade we’ve found is Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade. With the ability to grow in as little as 3 hours of sun per day, this seed mix outperforms even most dense shade seed products.
What Is the Best Grass Seed for a New Lawn?
In our opinion, Jonathan Green Black Beauty is the best grass seed to establish a new lawn.
Because Black Beauty grass seed is a mix of Kentucky blue, Rye, and Fescue, it is engineered to grow thick, dark green lawns. This seed blend is perfect for establishing a new property from scratch.
If you select this seed, you’ll be amazed at how good your new lawn looks once the grass is mature.
How Long Does It Take Grass Seed to Germinate?
The answer to this question varies by seed type. Some seeds germinate in as little as five days, while slower-growing varieties can take up to 21 days. Check the seed product you plan to use for detailed information on germination and growing time.
What Is the Fastest Growing Grass Seed?
Based on our reviews, the fastest-growing grass seed is the Jonathan Green 10820 blend. With germination occurring in 5-14 days, this grass seed will have you on your way to a new lawn before you know it.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many options for finding the right grass seed for your lawn. It is, however, essential to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for planting the grass seed type at the recommended temperature range.
Our reviews found that Jonathan Green Black Beauty, Scotts Thick’R Lawn Patch, and Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade were the best grass seed options overall, depending on where you live and what you hope to achieve.
Remember that different grass seeds respond better or worse to hot or cold temperatures and sun or shade. The successful germination and growth of grass seed will depend on the available sunshine, temperatures, and precipitation you provide.
Don’t forget to use proper lawn mowing methods to ensure your grass stays healthy!
Good luck Growing your new lawn, and Please be sure to leave us a comment below. Thanks again for visiting BesthomeGear.com.
Additional References and Further Reading:
- Need to Replace the Pull cord on Your Lawnmower? – BestHomeGear.com
- 8 More Ways To Use Your leaf blower! – BestHomeGear.com
- How to Grow Grass from Seed – Pennington.com
- What You Can Do In Your Yard – Fertilizer/Nutrient Pollution Tips – EPA.Gov
- How to Grow New Lawn From Grass Seed – MichiganStateUniversity.Edu
- How to Fix A Bumpy lawn! BesthomeGear.com
