Which is the best grass seed?

Which is the best grass seed?
When choosing the 'best' grass seed there are two things you should consider first before making a purchasing decision.

Ultimately the best grass seed will be the one that works for your soil type, wants and needs and is of course, within your budget.

There is plenty of grass seed out there with many 'miracle' promises, and friends and family may also make their own recommendations on what worked for them - but it helps to look at the finer facts of what you're buying in order to get the very best grass seed for your lawn.

1. Quality

There are, of course, varying degrees of grass seed that is good quality, but here at The Grass People, all our seed is tested and is above the EU minimum standard for purity/germination. EU standards dictate that, depending on the species in question, the seed must be at least 85-96% pure.

Our seed meets the UK Governments HVS (Higher Voluntary Standard)

A bag of top-quality seed that meets HVS (Higher Voluntary Standard) purity will have a purity of approximately 96.5%, and our grass seed exceeds that - if you need proof, please ask us! You may be wondering why having pure grass seed is so important, and the simple answer is that if it isn't, it will contain unwanted weed seeds and may be filled with product that isn't grass seed at all.

Similarly, you want to ensure that the grass seed you purchase will germinate and grow as expected, and so do we - that's why we introduced our Grass Seed Growth Guarantee to reassure you that if you follow our instructions for sowing, your grass seed will grow - and if it doesn't for some strange reason, we'll work with you to put it right.

2. Fit for purpose

Whilst many people fall at the first hurdle of a lawn transformation by purchasing a low-quality seed (and often through no fault of their own), the second error that D.I.Y'ers will fall foul to is a seed that isn't fit for purpose.

We've covered this a few times in our guides: Types of grass seed: Getting the most out of your mixture,  Grass seed for different soil types and Choosing the best seed for a shaded lawn, but the best grass seed for you depends on the actual varieties that are in the mix you've chosen. Some grass seed species are better at growing in certain conditions than others, e.g. in partial shade, full shade, clay soils and sandy soils, and some are better for what you need them for, e.g. a hardwearing, fastgrowing family lawn or a fine ornamental lawn.

We like to think we've got every lawn covered with the grass seed that you need for every possible scenario:

SUPERSTAR: Back Lawn / FAMILY: Kids and Pets

    • This 80% perennial ryegrass (hardwearing, fastgrowing) and 20% fescue (fine-leafed) mix is an all-rounder and is ideal for busy lawns that get a lot of use as it can withstand wear and tear and quickly recover from damage whilst still looking lush.

Do you have a little or a lot of shade on your busy lawn? Just mix it with our STEADFAST range.

STATEMENT: Front Lawn

  • A 100% fescue mix, this product is for those who want an ornamental lawn that is to be admired rather than played on. The fescues are finer leafed, which provides a much more uniform appearance, and they can tolerate close mowing for that sought-after bowling green style lawn.

IMPRESS: Clay Master 

  • You can master your clay soils if you use the right seed! The tall fescue (45%) component in this mix has a strong deep rooting system which not only allows it to penetrate your clay soils effectively but ensures a drought-tolerant lawn, especially in clay soils that are prone to dryness. The perennial ryegrass (50%)  makes way for a fast-growing and hard-wearing lawn to thrive, whilst the meadow grass (5%) stoically battles those stubborn soils!

THRIVE: Sandy Soils

  • Another 100% fescue mix, fescues are renowned for their ability to thrive in sandy soils that often suffer from drought and low nutrients. The trio of fescue species in this mix stabilise quickly in weak and sandy soils to create a long-lasting sward with a strong root structure.

RESTORE: Self-Repair Lawn Seed 

  • Tired of repairing your lawn every season? Perhaps you may work away from home most of the week or rent a property. Well, RESTORE: Self-Repair is a self-sufficient mix that cuts out the need for regular reseeding and regular mowing with its slow-growing fescues (60%). It is an expertly blended mixture that creates a self-repairing lawn, including Zurich (40%) – a revolutionary creeping perennial ryegrass. Once established, RESTORE: Self-Repair will mend wear and tear patches and is a low-maintenance mix for those who don't have time for regular lawn maintenance.

STEADFAST: Shade

  • Have you got a slightly shady area in your lawn caused by trees or fences where grass won’t seem to grow? Our STEADFAST: Shade is a specific mix of shade-tolerant grass species that creates a wear-and-tear tolerant, shade-resistant lawn. When mixed with our SUPERSTAR: Back Lawn / FAMILY: Kids and Pets mix, you can tackle your shade issue head-on and achieve a vibrantly green and long-lasting lawn.

STEADFAST: Ultra Shade

  • This seed mix is the ultimate solution for lawns with permanent shade where the grass is struggling to grow. Our specialised mix contains high-quality grass varieties designed for use in very shaded areas where the sun is blocked by walls, high-rise fences or where light levels are particularly low. This mixture contains the exceptionally shade-tolerant grass superspecies Poa Supina, which is renowned for its ability to grow in relatively no / low light.

We've included some further reading below to help you make a decision if you're still having trouble deciding:

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