The Best Grass Seed Reviews in 2018 – Plant Only the Finest Seeds

Maintaining a good lawn is a lot of hard work – you need to water it properly, keep the weeds out, make sure it’s regularly cut, that it doesn’t get mangled, use fertilizers or nutrient mixtures on it and so on.

But, all that hard work is worthless if you go wrong at the very start – when planting your lawn. Choosing the wrong grass seeds can be disastrous as all the effort in the world just won’t be able to save your lawn from withering into nothing.  Most people don’t know how to pick the right ones and just buy sods, wasting a lot of money in the process.

So, we’re here to help – this article will show off some of the best grass seeds and provide you with all the info needed to pick the best ones for planting your lawn.

Why Buying a Grass Seed?

The main issue people have with buying seed is the existence of sods. Sods (or turfs, as they’re also known) are lawns that are pre-made and packaged into neat rolls, ready to be placed! This seems like a perfectly simple and easy way to get a great-looking lawn almost instantly and with no hassle. Why buy seeds and go through all the trouble?

Well, buying the seeds and planting your lawn has plenty of benefits over just getting a sod and putting it down. First off, the main benefit of seeding over sodding is simply that it costs far less – sods can cost hundreds of dollars for smaller lawns and up to thousands when it comes to bigger ones. Not everyone has that kind of money just laying around.

This is especially poignant when you consider the second point – and that is that the grass in the sod was not grown in your yard and might just fail to adapt. In which case, you just flung hundreds or thousands of dollars straight into the garbage. If you seed, the grass will develop in your yard from the start and possibly adapt to it, while the sod might just die off in a few months or even weeks.

With seeding, you can also make sure that the grass you’re picking will fit your lawn better – there’s a larger variety of different grass species available with various pest, disease and drought protection already installed into them. There’s simply far more choice if you choose seeds over sods.

Still, seeding does require more effort. Starting from preparing the soil, then picking the right time to plant the seeds, up to literally waiting and watching the grass grow, then weeding and the list goes on – it’s hard work. But in our opinion, it pays off immensely.

Pick the Right Time to Plant the Seeds

One difficult part of the process is also picking the best grass seeds for your yard. It might be difficult to spot a bad seed before you buy it and that’s exactly why we wrote this article. With the information gathered here, you should be able to do that, no problem. We gathered some of the best products on the market, compared the directly and offered some of our opinions on them, as well as the feedback of other people who used them. That should be more than plenty – let’s take a closer look.

Meet the Best Grass Seeds

Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed - Sun and Shade Mix, 3-Pound (Not Sold in Louisiana)

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Pennington Smart Seed Dense Shade Grass Seed Mix - 7 LB

The Good: They can thrive in any climate and grow great in the shade.

The Bad: Susceptible to sunlight damage and can kill other types of grass.

The Bottom Line: The fact that it grows great in the shade is overshadowed by the fact that it doesn’t play well with other grasses.

$29.99

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2018-09-24 at 09:14 PST - Details

Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed, 1-Pound

The Good: Grows quickly and has great resistance to disease and insects.

The Bad: It’s expensive, not organic and can’t grow in some types of soil.

The Bottom Line: It’s expensive, not organic and can’t grow in some types of soil.It’s expensive, not organic and can’t grow in some types of soil.

$11.96

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2018-09-24 at 09:14 PST - Details

This is just the basic info, of course; check the detailed reviews below.

All of the Factors Considered

Some people just think “grass is grass” and don’t pay much attention to the labels when picking grass seeds, thinking just any will do fine. Those people often end up with bad lawns and blame the manufacturers. But I’m sure you’re smarter than that, and you at least know that looking at the things these seeds offer might be a good idea – however, it’s possible you don’t know what separates good grass seeds from bad ones. Fret not – we are here to help! Here’s a list of the most important aspects to consider when purchasing grass seeds.

Coverage Area

This refers to the area you can reasonably cover with one bag of seeds, expressed in square feet. Consider the size of the area you want to cover with grass and buy the correct amount of seeds.

While there may be plenty of seeds in the bag you buy, you should be careful and follow the recommendations, so you don’t spread them too thin. You might think that will save you money, at first, but doing that will just result in a very thin and weak-looking lawn, even if the grass grows properly.

Climate Preference

Not all types of grass are suited for all climates – some are, some can thrive almost anywhere – but some can only grow in specific parts of the world. Buying a grass fit for moderate climates for a lawn in California will not turn out well for you, so always check the label.

Disease and Pest Resistance

Lots of seeds these days have some form of added protection from diseases and pests, whether as a coating on the seeds themselves, selective breeding or genetic manipulation. If you want pure, natural grass, some of these might not be for you. However, some of these protections can be essential to growing a good, healthy lawn, especially in areas where certain diseases or pets are common.

Daily Light Requirement

Not all grasses require the same amount of light per day, and some can grow properly even in the shade. You should think about how much direct sunlight the area you want to seed gets per day, then pick a grass that will thrive in that environment. If you pick a grass that requires tons of sunlight, but you have large shaded patches in your yard, that will almost certainly result in an uneven, half-dead lawn, so take care.

Drought Tolerance

With water supplies being quite limited in the summer in recent years, watering your lawn on the regular might be a luxury that you can’t afford. If a sudden drought hits, months of work on your yard might go down the drain. To ensure this doesn’t happen, picking a batch of seeds with adequate drought tolerance is crucial. It’s just that little bit of extra insurance and safety that might go a long way.

Now that you know what to look for in grass seeds let’s get to grading our top picks in these areas.

In-depth Reviews of 3 Grass Seeds

Key Features

Huge Coverage Area

With a coverage area of 600 square feet for a new lawn or 1200 for reseeding, per one three-pound bag, this product offers a lot of bang for your buck. No need to buy extra seeds or anything, just plant them sparingly and watch them fill out your lawn.

Grows in Dense Shade or Scorching Sun

Best suited for northern climates, this grass can subsist on a small amount of sunlight each day but can also grow in the direct scorching sun without drying out. This allows it to be planted in various areas without any need for worries.

Minimal Sun Requirement

Needing only four hours of direct sunlight or eight hours of indirect sunlight per day ensures that these seeds will grow and turn into good healthy grass at almost any time of the year and in pretty much any yard. Don’t be afraid to put them in some shade; they will still grow.

WaterSmart PLUS Coating

This coating ensures that these seeds absorb twice the water that uncoated seeds do, making them far more resistant to drought. You only need to water them from time to time, and they will be fine. The coating also protects them from disease and keeps them safe from predators, meaning you don’t have to worry about that.

Customer Reviews

Who Should Buy This Product

For people who need reliable seeds that will grow in most areas and don’t need a lot of sunlight, these will do just fine and will grow nice and thick even with little water and in the shade. It’s also good for people on a budget who need to cover a big area while not spending a lot of money.

What to Watch Out For

The problem with these seeds is that they take a while to start growing. At best, they sprout somewhere between a week and two weeks. At worst, it might take them more than a month. Some people might get frustrated and buy other seeds in the meantime instead of waiting, but that can lead to neither seed growing, so be patient, and it will pay off.

The Conclusion

This is a nice blend of grass seeds that will be able to grow almost anywhere, and in almost any conditions, even though northern climates are recommendable  The disease and pest resistance incorporated into them also helps keep them safe and ensures that they will grow healthy. The problem is that it may take them a while to grow properly, meaning you need to wait before you see any results. However, the wait pays off, and this is a great product for this price.

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Key Features

Barely any Sun Required

This grass will grow more than adequately even in the heavy shade as it only requires two to four hours of sunlight per day, and it might be able to subsist on even less than that. There won’t be any issues with shade killing this grass.

Fit for any Climate

Due to its powerful roots, this grass can grow almost anywhere, meaning that it won’t have trouble thriving in harsh climates. You can plant it almost anywhere, and it will do well.

30% Less Water Needed

The roots of this grass dig deep into the ground ensuring that it soaks up as much water as possible. Because of this, it is incredibly resistant to drought and requires 30% less water than comparable grass types.

Disease Resistant

Coated in a special mixture that protects the seeds from disease, these seeds are sure to survive anything that might come their way. There’s no need for you to worry.

Decent Coverage

One eight-pound bag will work for covering around 1000 square feet when it comes to new lawns and 2000 where reseeding is concerned, offering good value for the price.

Customer Reviews

Who Should Buy This Product

This grass is great for people who have a yard with a lot of shade in it, whether due to trees or neighboring buildings or whatever else. This grass will grow well with only a minimal amount of sunlight, and you’ll have no problems with it wilting as it also requires minimal maintenance.

What to Watch Out For

While still great in the shade, too much sunlight will damage this grass and lead to it dying. Another big problem is the fact that it doesn’t work well for reseeding – what allows it to grow well in the shade are its large roots that absorb a lot of nutrients from the ground. Because of this, it will just outright kill grasses with shorter roots if planted on the same lawn as them, so be mindful of that.

The Conclusion

This is a pretty good grass that requires minimal maintenance and grows well in the shade, allowing to be fit for almost any yard and nearly any climate. It’s not a grass you have to worry about too much. However, you should still keep it out of too much direct sunlight and be careful not to mix it with other grass types as it might very well kill them. Still a rather great seed.

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Key Features

Four Hundred Square Feet Per Pound

With a coverage of 400 square feet per one pound of seeds, this grass is great for either growing a new lawn from scratch or reseeding and lawn that you already have and filling out some sparse spots, as it will grow nice and thick.

Waxy Anti-disease Coating

The seeds are coated with a waxy substance that is practically invisible and keeps your seeds safe and free of disease. It also preserves moisture in the leaves allowing for incredible tolerance to drought, superior to other grasses.

Great in Sunny and Shady Areas

This grass doesn’t require a lot of sunlight, so it will grow in the shade just as well as in the open. It’s also resistant to sunlight, so it won’t dry out quickly in sunnier areas, allowing it to grow almost anywhere.

Fit for Moderate Climates

Best grown in moderate climates, this grass is very fit for growing in various It also grows well in clay soils or sandy soils, being able to thrive in almost any terrain.

Customer Reviews

Who Should Buy This Product

These seeds are great for reseeding or just fixing up some bad spots in your lawn as they are sure to grow pretty quickly and grow well and thick in almost any conditions. There’s barely anything that can stop them as they are resistant to diseases and most pests while not requiring a lot of sunlight and being resistant to sun damage.

What to Watch Out For

It’s not an organic seed mix, which might pose a problem to some people, especially those who want an all-organic lawn. Moreover, the seed seems to be fit for more acidic soils, so it doesn’t grow well, or at all, in alkaline soils and you should check the pH values in your soil before planting it.

The Conclusion

Here we have a great grass that is perfect for reseeding and can grow almost anywhere, making it perfect pick for most. The fact that it is highly resistant to pests and diseases as well as drought while not being affected too much by sunlight damage or heavy shade is what makes it great. However, it is not organic and might not grow in some types of soil, so make sure it fits your needs before buying. Overall, it’s a pretty great, if expensive product.

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The Best Pick – Scotts Turf

There are plenty of great grass seeds out there, with lots of variety for many different users. There is no single best grass seed for sure, and you should make sure that the one you’re picking fits what you need before dropping the money on it.

However, as far as we’re concerned, Scotts Turf is the best grass seed out there for multiple reasons. First is the fact that it has some pretty decent coverage, especially when you consider the price and how cheap it is – you could cover a large yard for a lot of cash. It’s quality as well, being able to grow almost anywhere, not requiring a lot of light or water and being eminently pest and disease resistant. Truly, it’s a worthwhile product.

Video Review

The Conclusion

While that is our pick for the best grass seed, you should consider others in this roundup when purchasing, as they might fit your needs more. However, we think that the value that Scotts Turf seeds offer just cannot be argued with, and that’s why it’s our top pick.

We hope you found this article helpful, and that you will choose to seed over sodding in the future. If you think this text would be helpful to anyone else, please don’t hesitate to share it. Have a good day, and we hope your lawn grows well.