Choosing the right grass seed can make a big difference to how your lawn looks and, more importantly, how well it performs. Not every lawn is the same, so the best grass seed for you will depend on where your lawn is, how you use it and the conditions it has to deal with.
A lawn in a sunny, sheltered garden has very different requirements to one sitting underneath a large tree or exposed to salty coastal winds. That’s why we have developed a range of lawn seed mixtures at South West Seeds, each designed for different types of lawn.
Before reaching for the seed, have a look at your garden. Is it mostly sunny or shaded? Do the kids and dogs spend a lot of time on it? Are you close to the coast? Perhaps you’re after a really fine, smart-looking lawn rather than something designed to withstand plenty of wear.
Once you know what your lawn needs to cope with, choosing the right mixture becomes much easier.
If you live near the coast, your lawn has a lot to put up with. Strong winds, salty air, sandy soils and dry conditions can all make it difficult to establish and maintain a good lawn.
Our CoastalGreen Lawn mixture has been designed with these conditions in mind. It is well suited to exposed coastal gardens and areas where salt, wind and drought can be a problem.
So, if you’re lucky enough to have a sea view but your grass isn’t quite as happy about it, CoastalGreen could be the mixture for you.
Getting grass to grow underneath trees can be tricky. There’s less sunlight, the tree roots are competing for moisture and the ground can often be much drier than you might expect.
ShadeGreen Lawn has been developed specifically for these sorts of conditions. It is suited to shaded areas and can be used beneath trees, alongside buildings, fences and other areas where your lawn doesn't get much sunlight.
If you've got a lawn that looks great everywhere except underneath the trees, this is the mixture we'd recommend looking at first.
A lawn is there to be used. If yours gets plenty of traffic from children, dogs, footballs, garden parties or just everyday life, you need a grass seed that can take it.
ToughGreen Lawn is our hard-wearing lawn mixture, designed for exactly this sort of situation. It produces a strong, durable lawn that can cope with plenty of wear and recover when things get a little rough.
It’s a great choice for busy family gardens where looking good is important, but standing up to everyday use is even more important.
Sometimes you don't need anything too complicated. You just want a good lawn that establishes well and stands up to normal garden use.
That's where EasyGreen Lawn comes in. It's a versatile mixture suitable for a wide range of situations, including domestic gardens and larger areas such as parks and verges.
If you're looking for a straightforward, reliable lawn seed that will get you off to a good start, EasyGreen is worth considering.
If you're more interested in how your lawn looks than how much football it can withstand, a fine-leaved mixture could be the way to go.
FineGreen Lawn is a non-ryegrass mixture designed to produce a fine, dense lawn that can be closely mown. It's particularly suited to people who enjoy keeping their lawn looking its best, as well as areas such as bowling greens and croquet lawns.
It won't necessarily be the best choice for a garden that is constantly being run across by the dog and the kids, but for a smart, well-maintained lawn it can give you a really good finish.
For those looking for something a little more special, there's PrimeGreen Lawn.
This is another fine-leaved, non-ryegrass mixture, designed to produce a dense and attractive lawn with a high-quality finish. With the right mowing and maintenance, it can give you that classic, neat lawn appearance that looks fantastic outside the house.
If you've spent time creating your garden and want the lawn to be part of the overall look, PrimeGreen is a great option.
Most people think about sowing grass seed in spring or early autumn, and these are generally good times to establish a lawn. But sometimes you need to sow when the temperatures have already started to drop.
ColdSow has been developed for exactly this. It is designed to germinate in cooler soil conditions, making it suitable for late autumn, winter and early spring sowing when many standard lawn mixtures won't perform as well.
It's particularly useful if you need to repair a lawn outside the traditional sowing window or want a mixture that can get going earlier in the year.
The best place to start is by thinking about your garden rather than simply choosing the most expensive or popular seed.
Is it coastal and exposed? Take a look at CoastalGreen.
Is it shaded or underneath trees? ShadeGreen could be the answer.
Does it get plenty of wear from children and pets? ToughGreen is designed for the job.
Want a good, reliable all-round lawn? EasyGreen is a great place to start.
Want a fine, closely mown lawn? Look at FineGreen.
Want a premium-looking garden lawn? PrimeGreen could be the right choice.
Need to sow when temperatures are low? ColdSow is designed for cooler conditions.
And if you're still not sure, don't worry. Choosing grass seed isn't always straightforward, and that's where our team can help.
Getting the right seed is important, but when you sow it matters too. Grass seed needs the right combination of soil temperature, moisture and good soil contact to get away well.
For most lawns, late summer and early autumn are excellent times to sow. The soil is still warm from the summer, while cooler weather and rainfall can provide better conditions for new grass to establish.
That doesn't mean you can't sow at other times of year. Some mixtures, such as ColdSow, have been specifically selected to perform in cooler conditions.
If you're planning a new lawn or thinking about repairing your existing one, it's worth getting the timing right before you start.
With so many different grass seed mixtures available, it can be difficult to know which one is going to work best in your garden. That's why we've developed our lawn range around the different situations that gardeners actually face.
Take a look at our full range of lawn grass seed, or get in touch with the South West Seeds team if you're not sure which mixture is right for you.
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