Whether buying for a new lawn or patching up a damaged lawn, its important to choose the best grass seed for your garden. Choosing the wrong type could end up a waste of money, with the seeds struggling to germinate and grow due to soil, lighting, and weather conditions.
Also, the wrong type of grass seed may grow into an unsightly lawn that detracts rather than adds to your garden. Gardens have unique growing conditions, which is why it is so important to know what grass seeds are most suitable for these conditions, while lifestyles also determine suitability of grass.
For instance, if you have children and pets then you want a hard-wearing grass rather than fragile ornamental grass!
EverGreen Multi-Purpose Grass Seed Carton
These multipurpose grass seeds from EverGreen are perfect for creating a hardwearing and healthy lawn year-round. Featuring a mixture of ryegrass and fine fescues grass seeds, the grass is suitable for both new lawns and patch-up repairs, producing a hardy growth that is easy to maintain.
The seeds are suitable for over seeding your current lawn too, which is a simple but effective technique for improving your lawn by adding new and healthy growth throughout. They are also suitable for sunny and shaded spots, making them a good buy if your garden has lots of trees and other shaded spots.
So, whether you want a new lawn, cover up patches, or simply add more growth and vibrancy then these multipurpose seeds from EverGreen are worth buying.
Should you sow during ideal weather conditions, either in early spring or autumn, germination takes around five days. Planting during less than perfect conditions results in slower germination, typically between 10 and 14 days. Many buyers consider this the best grass seed for sale in the UK.
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GroundMaster Hard Wearing Lawn Grass Seed
These grass seeds from GroundMaster are another hardwearing type suitable for most UK gardens. Expect a thick, healthy growth from the seeds, which are a mixture of strong creeping red fescue perennial ryegrass (Troya Lolium and Double Lolium varities).
As these seeds produce robust grass, they are suitable for lawns that see high traffic, whether that’s kids playing, pets running around, or a bit of both. Should your garden be well lived in then this is a great choice of seeds for repairing the lawn.
The seeds are versatile, being suitable for new lawns, over seeding thin lawns, or making repairs on patchy lawns. Germination takes between five and ten days in moist and warm soil, so it’s a quick growing variety for anyone that wants fast results for their lawn.
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Superstar Back Lawn Grass Seed
These Superstar Back Lawn grass seeds are perfect for those back lawns that see a lot of wear and tear over the weeks and months. Whether it’s a lack of sunlight, high traffic from kids or pets, lots of trees, or less than perfect soil conditions, these seeds will withstand it all.
This is some seriously tough grass seeds, making them ideal for many British gardens that face all kinds of rough conditions. By using a high percent of perennial ryegrass (80%) the seed mixture is extremely hardwearing, while a smaller amount of strong creeping red fescue (20%) offers a nice finish to the lawn.
Its recommended to sow 50 grams of seed per square metre, with seed available in 2kg, 10kg, and 20kg bags. Smaller amounts are suitable for repairing patchy spots while more is needed for new lawns and over seeding thin lawns.
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Gro-Sure Aqua Gel Coated Smart Grass Lawn Seed
Gro-Sure is a reputable garden seed manufacturer in the UK, and their Aqua Gel Coated Smart Grass seeds are ideal for almost any type of lawn. You can use these for almost anything you need, be it creating a lush new lawn, covering up patch areas in your current lawn, or over seeding to add more growth in drab lawns.
Coated in a unique aqua gel ingredient, the seeds don’t dry out as fast as other grass seeds during the germination process, making germination more likely. This means you can even plant during drier periods, although its still recommended to plant them during peak conditions for the best results possible.
The blue coating also makes sowing the seeds much easier. They are clearly visible from the blue coating, allowing for much more efficient sowing, which in turn increases the likelihood of successful germination. This coating also reduces the chance of birds and other wildlife eating the seeds.
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Gardeners Hard-Wearing Lawn Grass Seed
Looking to establish a new lawn as quickly as possible? Then be sure to try out these hardwearing garden lawn seeds designed especially for UK gardens. Taking just a few days to germinate, expect a full, lush lawn in around 2-4 weeks from planting, while even quicker results for patch ups and over seeding.
The seeds feature a unique mixture that includes dwarf amenity ryegrass, creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, and brow top bent. This offers the perfect combition of hardwearing and attractive grass that lasts in rough conditions but looks good year-round.
Coverage from the seeds is also impressive, with 35sqm for a new lawn and 55sqm for over seeding or repairs on existing lawns. Not only are the seeds fast growing and hardwearing, but also resistant to disease and weeds, making it great all-rounder for almost any UK garden.
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Grass Seed Buying Guide
Knowing what grass seeds are right for your garden is often difficult, especially with so many options available, so check out the buying guide below for everything you need to know:
New Lawn or Patch-Ups?
Different grass seeds are suitable depending on what you need. For instance, patching up dead spots of grass on your current lawn means you should purchase seeds that are similar or the same to the grass currently in the lawn.
While it’s possible to use different seed types, which may be necessary if you don’t know or can’t fund the current type of grass, it’s better to get as close a match as possible. There are many types of grass seeds designed specifically for patch-ups, so keep an eye out for these if you are repairing your current lawn.
There are generally more options when planting a new lawn. Because you don’t have any grass to worry about matching, you basically choose whatever type of seed you want. For example, those looking for a premium quality or ornamental lawn can invest in better quality seeds, while those looking for low-maintenance lawns have plenty of options too.
Grass Type
Many are surprised to see how types of grass seeds there are, but not all of these are suitable for garden lawns here in the UK. For instance, most of the warm climate grass species are not the best for British lawns as the weather and soil conditions make them impossible to grow.
So, you will find that most grass seeds sold here are of the cool season variety. These are also almost always mixed seed varieties, as lawns benefit from several types of grass to ensure a healthy and vibrant appearance.
For example, many mixed grass seeds consist of dwarf ryegrass and creeping red fescues. These are suitable for hardwearing lawns but don’t necessarily offer a luxury lawn appearance. These seeds are good for lawns that see high traffic and mild shade.
Luxury and fine lawn seeds are often mixtures of fescue grass, such as creeping red fescue and chewings fescue, while brown top bent grass seeds are also commonly used for these lawn types. While the slow growing makes them seemingly low maintenance gardening, they do require frequent mowing and are not too hardwearing.
Furthermore, many seed types are intended for lawn repair. These seeds combine grass seeds with fertilizer and other ingredients to offer a simple but effective seed for fixing damaged lawns. It’s a handy option if you only need to repair patchy spots, saving the hassle and expense of buying everything separately.
Sun and Shading
Certain grass types don’t fare well under shaded conditions, so always make sure you check your lawn for shaded spots to ensure you buy a suitable seed. Most garden seed mixtures state how effective they are in shaded conditions.
For instance, there are garden seed mixtures that work well in both shaded and sunny spots. These are great for lawns where there are some shaded areas but also sunny spots, giving a uniform seed that works well in all conditions.
Soil Type
The type of soil in your garden may impact the type of seeds to buy, so be mindful of this and try to determine what type of soil you are working with. For instance, clay soil retains water much better than sandy soil, which drain much quicker so are often drier.
While most grass seeds are suitable for all soil types, it will influence things like watering. Clay soil will need less watering when seeds are germinating and growing, while sandy or stony soils may need more frequent watering to ensure healthy growth.
hOW TO PLANT GRAss seeds
It’s important to consider how you plan on planting the seeds.
For example, you may need to buy a lawn spreader for evenly spreading seeds across larger areas, especially if planting a completely new lawn into soil. They remove the guesswork of how many seeds to use per square metre, which often gets confusing when done by hand.
Soil also needs to be suitably prepared for the seeds, such as turning and levelling before planting. This requires standard gardening tools but also a fair amount of hard work. When planting grass seeds into the soil you must remove all weeds current plants, while also removing any stones and rocks you come across that may hinder growth.
Fertilizer is also needed to ensure germination and encourage healthy growth. These ingredients can be bought separately or you can buy a seed mixture that combines these with the seeds. It’s generally a good idea to do this as it makes the planting process much more straight-forward.
As you may expect, planting seeds for patch ups over an existing lawn are generally much easier to do. Simply rake out dead grass and remove moss, add the recommended amount on the area, rake together with soil and give a light watering
In any case, always read the sowing instructions prior to buying grass seeds. This avoids any confusion over how to plant seeds, which often feels daunting when doing so for the first time.
Timing is Important
Grass seeds best germinate in early-spring and in autumn. Each of these seasons offer the best growing conditions for the seeds, which prefer warmer solid, ample moisture, and weather that isn’t too warm or cold.
Choosing either of these periods is recommended for easier lawn growth. The seeds will germinate much quicker and growth occurs at a much faster rate too. Expect germination to take around one to two weeks depending on the seeds.
For instance, rye grass types take around five to ten days, while creeping red fescue takes a little longer at around one to two weeks. Again, weather conditions impact this growing rate, which is why its best to plant the seeds in either spring or autumn.
Enough moisture needs to be present in the soil, which is why you should avoid planting during summer unless you want to water the lawn daily. Adding mulch may improve moisture retention should there be a lack of rain after sowing the seeds.
Learn how to use a lawn moss killer and check out our buying guide on choosing the best weed killer. If you are unsure what tools to use we have you covered with our guide on choosing the best weeding tools.
Last update on 2023-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
