If you hear people talking of a beautiful, lush, and dark-green lawn, they might just be referring to a Kentucky bluegrass lawn. It is a durable grass variety, suitable to diverse conditions depending on its seed customization. Furthermore, bluegrass lawns are continually being improved through companies that seek to provide you with the best Kentucky bluegrass seed.
In this article, we have evaluated and recommended the best available Kentucky bluegrass seeds, their features, pros, and cons. We have additionally included aspects to check before getting the perfect seed for your lawn.
Which is the Best Kentucky Bluegrass Seed?
1. Scotts Turf Builder Seed Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Mix
The Scotts Turf Builder variety offers the best Kentucky bluegrass seeds for a dense and lush grass carpet. It grows remarkably well in full sunlight but also has light shade tolerance for fine-bladed texture. Additionally, it also has a significant tolerance to drought and is suitable for heavy traffic.
These grass seeds are created with a coating technology that provides disease resistance, WaterSmart seed dampness, and essential nutrients for germination. In addition, the WaterSmart Plus technology ensures that even if you water lightly, the grass absorbs adequate water for sustenance. It also contains nutrients necessary for self-repairing bare spots with proper watering.
Moreover, this mix only comes with coated seeds, meaning no other grass varieties. In terms of coverage, a 3-pound package will be adequate for a 2,000 square feet lawn.
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2. Pennington Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed 20 lb
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3. Outsidepride Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn Seed - 5 LBS
If you are a new lawn owner looking for another best Kentucky bluegrass seed, this would be a great choice. Just as its name suggests, it will definitely offer you a great yard that you will be proud of! This product comes with non-coated seeds for fine texture and compact growing lawns.
Moreover, it is suitable for high-traffic areas such as yards, parks, and golf lawns. Its toughness also ensures it can survive cold and moderate drought conditions. To add to its tolerance, it is disease-resistant, and when healthy, it grows into rich colored lawns.
Asides from its weather adaptability, this bluegrass seed can thrive in sandy soil and clay soils. It comes with purely bluegrass seeds, but users can blend it with ryegrass or tall fescue for an additional grass variety. Landscapers who apply the recommended three to five pounds in 1,000 square feet should expect to have a healthy blue-green lawn.
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4. Pennington 100516048 Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Penkoted Grass Seed 3 lb
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5. GreenView 2829352 Kentucky Bluegrass Blend
- Produces a lawn with a beautiful deep green color
- Superior drought and disease resistance blend, best for full sun...
- Kentucky Bluegrass tolerates foot traffic and bounces back...
- Seed germination in 14-28 days for a well-established lawn
- Uncoated seeds ensure maximum seed coverage; 1,500 sq. ft....
It is also possible to achieve a healthy lawn at an affordable price through the GreenView Kentucky Bluegrass Blend. These seeds are uncoated and are suitable for both overseeding and planting a new lawn. The seeds are also purely bluegrass with a medium shade tolerance.
Similar to all products in the review, it can withstand intense traffic. The manufacturer recommends using GreenView Fairway Grass Seed Seeding Success for seed protection during germination for its optimal growth. Its 3-pound pack can be adequate for 1,500 square feet of fresh lawn and 3,000 feet for reseeding.
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Factors to Consider Before Purchasing the Best Kentucky Bluegrass Seed
1. Coverage
Coverage refers to the select area that you want to plant a new lawn or reseed an existing bluegrass lawn to make it thick. Specifically for a new lawn, you will require approximately 3 pounds of bluegrass seed to cover 1000 square feet. Apart from the lawn size, different brands of Kentucky Bluegrass Seeds also determine its coverage.
The difference in coverage varies across various brands because of divergent combinations with other grass seeds such as perennial ryegrass or tall fescue. For example, the perennial ryegrass is mixed with the bluegrass seeds to provide cover, considering it grows faster than the bluegrass. Additionally, coverage will also be different for uncoated seeds, which weigh less than coated seeds.
On the other hand, when you are reseeding to achieve a thick lawn, you will require less seed at an estimated 1.5 pounds for 1,000 square feet. Subsequently, consider the area to be reseeded to establish how much of the seed you will need. Therefore, depending on how much lawn maintenance is required, you will be able to determine how much seed you will need to reseed.
2. Product Composition
In addition to coverage, it is important to consider buying Kentucky seeds improved with the qualities of other grass seeds. Specifically, the tall fescue and perennial ryegrass are most commonly mixed with Kentucky bluegrass because they germinate quickly. In addition, these complementary grass varieties help protect the Kentucky bluegrass because its seed germinates slowly.
Moreover, the tall fescue and ryegrass help in stabilizing the soil due to their fast growth rate. As a result, ryegrass and fescue prevent soil erosion after heavy downpours and protect the bluegrass seeds from been carried away. In the long run, the shallow roots of the bluegrass benefit from the compacted soil.
Furthermore, when checking the product composition, you may encounter the terms coated and uncoated. Accordingly, coated seeds weigh more than uncoated seeds and have other beneficial features to the bluegrass seeds. For example, the coating keeps the grass seed moist for successful germination and contains fertilizer that helps provide a healthy sprout.
Eventually, lawn owners should buy bluegrass seed products that are weed-free with improved qualities for efficient growth and lawn maintenance. You will be able to identify the product contents by reading its ingredients for a well-informed choice.
3. Lawn Purpose
Many people just want their lawns to be green without considering how much foot traffic they can handle. Subsequently, a well-developed bluegrass lawn is tough to withstand high foot traffic and activities. However, unlike other grass varieties, this grass type can stand and recover after been stepped.
Most appropriately, you can plant bluegrass in yards, parks, and golf courses for a durable lawn. In case your lawn is left with bare spots due to human or animal traffic, the bluegrass can sufficiently cover the bare patches over time. You, therefore, have a starting point for what grass seed to choose for your lawn, considering that most lawns encounter traffic from either humans or animals.
4. Germination Results
As highlighted earlier under the product factor, the bluegrass seeds take longer than other grass seed varieties. However, it is still critical to ensure that your seeds receive the correct germination conditions from optimal sprouting. Therefore, you should plant Kentucky Bluegrass in late fall or early spring at an estimated 1.25 to 1.5 inches depth.
Additionally, the Kentucky bluegrass being a cool-season grass is mostly favored by late fall germination. This germination time ensures that young grass blades are not scorched by the summer heat, while an early fall helps roots establish before winter. After sprouting, the Kentucky grass grows beneath the soil surface to a thick and soft turf upon been developed.
Just like any good farmer, you should optimally prepare your soil to achieve a deep green lawn from the best Kentucky bluegrass seeds. The best approach would be to invite your local extension personnel to inspect your soil and recommend the correct action to take or the appropriate grass seed to plant. Resultantly, you might need to add a starter fertilizer among other recommended products to amend the soil temperatures and pH optimally.
5. Weather Conditions
Generally, the Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season grass but needs full sun for its optimal growth. In most cases, the Kentucky bluegrass can withstand light shade with some unique grass seeds that can even grow under deep shade. If you are worried about temperatures really dipping during winter, the Kentucky bluegrass will save you the stress with its perennial lawn grass seeds.
It would further interest you that bluegrass seed producers are continually developing products that are all season. Such innovations include Kentucky bluegrass varieties that are heat and drought tolerant. Ideally, a dark green lawn is an indication that the weather is suitable for the grass seed you bought.
Nonetheless, you will aim to provide full sun to get a dense and lush carpet. Also, most manufacturers include ideal weather conditions for achieving a beautiful lawn across their different product packs.
6. Grass Seed Certification
Finally, it is advisable to go for products with a mark of trust and certification from reliable quality checkers. One such trusted body is the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program. Correspondingly, you will be able to get reliable information on the adaptation of different bluegrass seeds.
An additional tip is buying grass seeds with specific manufacturer's names like Jacklin Seed Kentucky Bluegrass. Ultimately, both specific names and certifications will help you identify the expected performance and adaptation of the grass seed variety.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) on the Best Kentucky Bluegrass Seed
1. Is Kentucky bluegrass the best grass?
Kentucky bluegrass is the most popular grass type across the United States. Its wide preference is a hint of its reliable quality. Furthermore, it can give you a beautiful lawn even in cold conditions, thus helping you avoid muddy paddies around your house.
It is also most preferred due to its density and durability when grown in the right conditions. Its texture also provides you with comfortable lawns. In some cases, it is preferable to blend this grass type with others like tall fescue and ryegrass for the best outcome.
2. What is the germination period for Kentucky grass seeds?
With the best Kentucky bluegrass seed, it takes 10 to 21 days for the seed to grow. You might be hesitant to buy this grass variety due to the long germination period, but it has remarkable durability after maturity. Therefore, you have to patiently wait for the 21 days maximum and enjoy its dense, lush, and dark green for months.
