The Lawn Needs Love

If you have a lawn or want to invest in one, you can always create a border of fragrant herbs, bright flowers or similar to attract the bees around. The grass is not always easy to grow, and you’ll spend a lot of time getting rid of weeds, but can look pretty stellar when taken care of. What I’ve noticed is that many times, Mother Nature has other ideas about a lawn than the owner does. We recently moved into a rental and found looking after the grass isn’t as straightforward as I’d hoped. However, the rewards can be beautiful and green if its well cared for.

Bare spots can appear in grass, and if you spend the time and effort to keep your lawn up, they will stick out like a sore thumb. THese could be due to lawn grubs or other factors. Perhaps you’ve had work done to your house recently. Maybe other activities are common that stunt the growth of grass in a specific area.

Of course, you could also just be due for a complete grass makeover if you’ve had heavy construction activities on your property, like building a new addition. In those cases, you could have a large portion of your lawn that needs help. 

Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as choosing grass seed at random and throwing it on the ground. To get the lawn you want, you’ll have to consider several things when choosing the right seed for your property.

What’s the Weather?

The first step in choosing the type of grass seed your lawn needs is the climate. This part of the process isn’t quite as complicated as you think, because there are only two primary “climate types” of grass seed: cool season and warm season grasses.

These types of seed are self-explanatory, but they’re not the only things you’ll need to keep in mind. Aside from the average temperature you experience, there are also different types of grasses that do well in each region. You’ll need to research the types of grass that grow well in your area to find those types; ask someone at your local nursery or outdoor supply store for help in this area. Country Living gives a good overview of best types of grass as a quick start.

Also, there are other types of grass seed that are well-suited to grow with little-to-no rainfall (best for regions that suffer drought-like conditions regularly), and even grasses that grow without direct sunlight.

To narrow down your selection, look over your property and consider factors like the amount of direct sunlight your lawn receives, how much drainage your lawn has, where it drains to, and the type of soil you have.

Try to find a grass seed that will work for your entire yard if possible. Planting different types of grass in different sections of your lawn will leave you with a noticeable difference in texture and color once the grass grows in, which is most likely not the look you’re going for.

What Are You Up To?

Before sowing grass seed, or even choosing which grass you want for your lawn, you’ll also need to spend a bit of time thinking about how it will be used once the grass has grown in, as well as how much maintenance it will take to keep it looking its best.

A yard that sees lots of traffic from friends and children will need a heartier grass strain than one that is never walked on. And while some grasses grow well with just a regular mowing, others may require more intensive weeding and care to keep your lawn looking spectacular.

If spending time working on your yard is not your idea of a good time, you’ll be much better served choosing a low-maintenance seed. If you enjoy time spent working on your lawn, you may want to choose a seed that’s a bit more time-intensive when it comes to maintenance but gives you a look that better fits your expectations.

Mix It Up

One other option is to choose a grass seed mixture. These pre-packaged mixes of grass seed will include two or more different varieties of grass seed in them, with each chosen for their ability to complement and grow with the other types that are included.

A seed mixture can give you many benefits, from hardiness to maintenance, and they have become a popular choice among many homeowners.

Some of these mixes even include fertilizer and mulch, all formulated to work with the exact grasses included. This formula can make it very easy to start growing the lawn of your dreams right out of the bag. 

Whatever you choose, invest the time and the rewards should be great. For more information, check out this guide on how to plant grass seed by Pennington.

Jessica Meier

Jessica Meier

If you procrastinate long enough in a garden at least one good job will end up getting done!

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