Buying the
Right Grass Seed
By: Sandy Feather
©2006
Penn State
Cooperative Extension
Q. I saw an ad
for CanadaGreen grass seed mix in the newspaper. It sounds too good to be true. I would like your opinion
before I waste $80. (The ad's headline states that CanadaGreen grass
seed mix "guarantees you a lush green lawn in all four seasons, in
every climate.")
A.
"If
something sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is one of the
soundest pieces of advice I can offer home gardeners. In this case,
it is highly unlikely that any one type of grass seed is going to
yield fabulous lawns across the varied climates of the United
States. The cool-season lawn grass species that we grow in the North
would not tolerate the hot, humid summers in the South. Many of the
warm-season species grown in the South would not survive winter in
the North.
After a little
research, I found information on CanadaGreen grass seed from the
Illinois Turfgrass Foundation and Grounds Maintenance magazine. It
is a mixture comprised of 41 percent creeping red fescue (unnamed
variety), 30 percent Kentucky bluegrass (unnamed variety), 25
percent annual ryegrass, 2.7 percent insert matter (soil, pieces of
rock, etc.), .5 percent other crop seed and .5 percent weed seed.
While those
varieties will grow in Western Pennsylvania, it is always best to
use a high-quality seed mix that uses named varieties of grass
species. Grass seed hybridizers constantly work to improve species,
looking to increase insect and disease resistance, drought tolerance
and refine aesthetic characteristics such as color and texture.
Named varieties are the result of this work. Unnamed varieties may
be generic varieties of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass or
the fine fescues. They may even be problematic varieties that have
fallen out of favor because of severe disease problems.
Try to buy the best quality
grass seed available
High-quality
turfgrass seed should contain very little, if any, annual ryegrass.
It is an annual that will not grow for more than one season. Because
it comprises 25 percent of this mix, you will lose a quarter of your
lawn when it dies! It does germinate quickly and would give you a
lush lawn for the first growing season.
Unfortunately, an
ad like this does not tell the reader what species of grass
CanadaGreen contains. At first glance, the ad makes it seem as
though it is some new kind of miracle grass. Consumers will only
know what it is when the package arrives and they read the seed
label. Although named varieties of creeping red fescue are an
important component of shade lawn mixtures, they are not good in
full sun. Creeping red fescue dislikes heat, humidity and heavy foot
traffic. What if all the kids in the neighborhood play on your lawn?
Home gardeners
can arm themselves with knowledge about different species of grass
and the cultural conditions each species prefers. Then they can make
an educated decision about the types of grass that will work best
for their site conditions and the way they use their lawns.
Avoid buying grass
seed if you cannot read the seed label before you buy. How else can
you know what you are getting for your money?
Fertilizing
a lawn
Lawnmowing advice
Watering a new
lawn
Sandy's Lawn
Care Tips
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