Achieving and maintaining a healthy lawn can be challenging, especially when faced with a variety of weather conditions like shade, heat, drought, and cold.
If you have found that, despite all of your best efforts, your lawn is continuing to struggle, this may be because you are using the wrong grass seed.
Choosing the right grass type can make all the difference in helping you achieve a lawn that looks beautiful all year round.
Our useful guide explores the best grass seed options for shaded areas, dry conditions, and hot and cold temperatures to help you achieve your dream results.
Understanding your lawn
The first step to achieving an enviable green landscape is understanding your lawns’ unique conditions.
By doing this, you can choose the best grass seed for your lawn, with the reassurance it will flourish and not struggle over time.
Our Special Lawn Seed Mix is perfectly blended to support fast germination and withstand the elements.
Factors to consider when determining which grass seeds will thrive in your garden are:
- Sunlight and shade. If your lawn receives sun regularly, you will need grass that can withstand exposure to direct sunlight. Similarly, if your garden is more shaded, you will need grass that can thrive without as much light.
- Water availability. It is also important to think about where you live. If your area is prone to consistent rainfall, you will want to opt for water-loving grass like Kentucky Bluegrass. However, if you live in a region with consistent droughts, you will need to choose grass that can survive with minimal water.
- Temperature extremes. If your climate is hot and dry, warm-season grasses like Bermuda Grass will thrive, while cold temperatures will require cool-season grasses like Perennial Ryegrass.
- Soil conditions. The quality and type of soil in your garden can also impact the performance of your grass seeds. For example, some grass types will grow successfully in clay and loamy soil types, while others require well-drained, sandy soils.
What is the best grass seed for shade?
It will come as no surprise that grass seed struggles to grow in areas with limited or no sunlight.
This is because grass needs sunlight to carry out photosynthesis, which is the process of converting light to energy to promote growth.
Without sufficient sunlight, the process slows down, resulting in weaker and slower-growing grass.
If your garden is prone to a lot of shade, you should choose one of the following grass seed types:
Fine Fescue
This cool-season grass is considered to be the most shade-tolerant of them all.
Fine Fescue is the ideal grass seed for those with shaded and low-light gardens, as its deep root system allows it to access water and nutrients in the shadiest of conditions.
Further benefits of fine fescue include that it is slow-growing, conserves energy and resources, and requires less mowing and watering.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Partial to full shade Soil preference: Well-drained sandy or loamy soils – pH range between 5.0 and 6.5 Best places to grow: Under trees, along fences and walls, beneath bushes and shrubs |
Kentucky Bluegrass
Another popular option for those with shaded gardens is Kentucky Bluegrass.
This grass type can withstand and adapt to moderate shade conditions.
However, despite being a cool-season grass, Kentucky Bluegrass does enjoy the sun.
Ideally, this grass seed requires between four and five hours of sunlight to ensure it flourishes successfully.
If you want to improve the shade tolerance of your Kentucky Bluegrass, you can mix it with Fine Fescue or Perennial Ryegrass.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Partial Soil preference: Well-drained clay or loamy soils – pH range between 6.0 and 7.0 Best places to grow: Under trees, along fences and walls, beneath bushes and shrubs |
What is the best grass seed for hot weather and shade?
Another common challenge for gardeners is finding the best grass seed for lawns, which are exposed to both heat and shade.
For these conditions, you will want to find a seed blend that has a high heat tolerance but can also grow in low light conditions.
We recommend the following grass seeds for these environments:
St Augustine Grass
This grass type is particularly well-known for having the highest shade tolerance of all the warm-season grasses.
St Augustine Grass has the ability to adapt to a range of light conditions, making it ideal for those who have lawns with varying sunlight exposure.
Despite its ability to withstand partial shade, this grass seed does require approximately four to six hours of sun a day to thrive.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Partial Soil preference: Well-drained sandy or loamy soils – pH range between 6.0 and 7.5 Best places to grow: Under trees or tall shrubs, around outdoor structures that provide shade |
Zoysia Grass
Zoysia Grass is also an excellent option for those who have warm gardens with shaded areas.
This particular warm grass type thrives in hot weather, making it an ideal choice for warmer regions and sunnier climates.
Although Zoysia relishes the sunlight, it does have a moderate shade tolerance and can grow successfully in areas with 3-4 hours of direct sun.
Much like Fine Fescue, Zoysia develops a deep root system, which means it can use sunlight more efficiently in shaded areas.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Partial Soil preference: Well-drained sandy or loamy soils – pH range between 6.0 and 7.0 Best places to grow: Under trees, along fences and walls that provide partial shade, beneath bushes and shrubs |
What is the best drought-tolerant grass?
Shade and heat are not the only challenges gardeners face when trying to cultivate their dream lawn.
Limited rainfall or water restrictions, like the hosepipe ban, can also cause significant issues when trying to grow grass seeds.
However, by choosing a quality drought-tolerant grass seed, you can still achieve a lush and enviable garden.
Here are the best drought-tolerant grass seeds:
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda Grass is highly resilient in warm and dry conditions and thrives in temperatures ranging from 24°C to 35°C.
This warm-season grass also benefits from a deep root system, meaning it can gain access to moisture and nutrients stored far below the soil surface throughout dry periods.
For optimal growth, this seed requires at least six to eight hours of full sunlight a day.
If this grass type receives too much shade, it will begin to lose its vibrant green colour and turn brown.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Low Soil preference: Well-drained sandy or loamy soils – pH range between 5.8 and 7.0 Best places to grow: Open lawns, golf courses, fields |
Buffalo Grass
Buffalo Grass is another great choice for those living in areas prone to high temperatures and lack of rainfall.
In addition, it requires little maintenance, so it is ideal for anyone seeking a low-maintenance lawn.
This grass seed performs best in temperatures that exceed 29 °C and requires at least six to eight hours of sunlight daily.
If there is a period of extreme drought, Buffalo Grass will survive by going dormant and turning brown.
Although this may seem alarming, this grass type will recover and gain its green colour back when moisture becomes available.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Low Soil preference: Well-drained sandy or clay soils – pH range between 6.0 and 8.5 Best places to grow: Open lawns, fields, hills |
What is the best winter grass seed for cold weather?
For those living in cooler climates, selecting the best grass seed is essential for maintaining healthy grass throughout the winter.
It is important to be aware that not all grasses can withstand harsh winter conditions, so you should opt for cool-season grasses to ensure optimal growth.
Cool-season grasses are renowned for their resilience and ability to remain lush and green in lower temperatures.
Here are our recommendations for the best winter grass seed:
Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial Ryegrass is an increasingly popular choice thanks to its quick germination compared to other cool-season grasses.
Under the right conditions, Perennial Ryegrass can germinate in just five to seven days.
This makes it an ideal choice for filling patchy lawn areas or establishing a new lawn quickly.
It is also a great option for gardeners looking to overseed their warm-season grasses, e.g. Bermuda or Zoysia, and maintain a vibrant look throughout the winter.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Low to moderate Soil preference: Well-drained loamy soils – pH range between 5.5 and 7.5 Best places to grow: Open lawns, parks, sports fields, golf course fairways |
Tall Fescues
Tall Fescue is a fantastic choice for gardeners looking to get the most out of their lawns in the cooler months.
This cool-season grass remains green throughout winter, unlike warm-season grass, which turns brown, giving your lawn a healthy and lush appearance even when the temperature has dropped!
Tall Fescues are able to maintain their vibrant appearance as they benefit from a deep root system, which allows them to access water and nutrients that lie deeper in the soil.
The process is further helped by the waxy outer layer of the Tall Fescue, which helps it to resist frost damage.
| Fast Facts Shade tolerance: Partial Soil preference: Well-drained loamy soils – pH range between 5.5 and 7.5 Best places to grow: Parks, sports fields, under trees |
Ready to take your lawn to the next level?
Whether you are creating your dream lawn in spring, summer, autumn, or winter, it all starts with choosing the best grass seed.
By understanding your lawn’s unique elements and matching them with the ideal blend, you can reduce the need for constant maintenance and provide the perfect level of care.
Why not take our quiz to find out which of our products is best suited to your needs?
