5 Grass Seed Types for Your Lawn

A well-kept lawn is a thing of beauty. For any gardener, lush green grass kept mown perfectly is a part of any garden layout and provides somewhere to relax when the sun is out. Grass can, however, suffer from wear, and in extremely hot periods, you may not be able to keep up with the demand for water! The result is the grass can die and turn brown, and you need to re-seed the lawn. 

Or it could be that you have a new patch on which you want to grow a lawn. You just need to buy a bag of grass seed, chuck it down and keep it watered, right?

There’s a bit more to it than that! It’s not that sowing grass seeds is difficult – if you follow this excellent advice from the Royal Horticultural Society and do it properly, it’s neither hard nor time-consuming – but that there are in fact a number of different types of grass seed, n deash one has its own merits. Below we will tell you about the five main grass seed types, with information on the results you will see when you grow each one.

Fescues

We will do our best to try and keep away from technical jargon! Fescues are a group of grasses that are often used to establish a lawn, so are perfect when you have a bare patch that needs its first sowing of grass seeds. Fescues come in a range of varieties, as follows: 

• Chewing’s Fescue is named after its originator and is a fine grass that is perfect for an ornamental lawn. It’s also resistant to drought, so you won’t have to water it too often.

• Creeping Red Fescue is a variety that comes in Strong and Slender varieties, and each has the unique attribute of ‘creeping’ – that is weaving as well as growing upwards – hence their popularity for new lawns.

• Sheep’s Fescue is a type of grass that will grow nicely in the shade.

You’ll find fescues as a part of many grass seed mixes, and they provide very lushly, green grass that is easy to tend.

Meadow Grass

Among the most popular types of grass seed is Meadow Grass, and you’ll find it mentioned in reviews of the best grass seed brands as being hard-wearing, easy to grow in shade and drought-tolerant, and perfect for any lawn. It will recover well after being trodden, so it is excellent for if you use your lawn often.

Perennial Rye Grass

A great all-rounder that results in a superbly beautiful green lawn, perennial ryegrass germinates at low temperatures, so it is easy to grow. It is another type of grass that is extremely hard wearing – and is recommended by horticulturalists for gardens that will be used often by children and pets – and grows very quickly. This type is perfect for lawns that need to self-repair and is found in many grass seed mixes.

Poa Supina

A relatively recent addition to popular domestic grass seed ranges, poa supina, is considered by many as a ‘luxurious’ type of grass. Once grown, you will have a lawn that simply looks stunning, and that really will be the envy of your neighbors. 

This grass is also able to be grown in low light, so it will be perfect for those shaded parts of your garden where you can never get grass seeds to take. Be prepared to wait, however, as it takes longer to germinate and is slow-growing compared to those above, but when it does, you have an incredibly attractive and hard-wearing lawn ready for regular use.

Other Grass Seeds

While the above are the main grass seed types that you can buy easily and sow yourself, there are others. As with many other products, there is a demand for organic grass seed, and there are several brands available, all of which provide great results. 

It’s worth bearing in mind that the chances are all the above are organically produced, so you might want to check with your supplier if this is a condition of purchase for you. Meanwhile, have a closer look at what’s available, and you’ll soon have a lawn to be proud of.