Seeding a lawn is a fantastic way to reinvigorate your outdoor gardens and lawns, but not all grasses will be suitable for your purposes. In this guide, we’ll take you through several essential questions and buying considerations you need to think about before buying grass seed (in the United Kingdom). Keep reading to learn more from Hughie Willett Machinery…
What is grass seed?
Often, people work with a pre-existing lawn, without really thinking about where the grass comes from.
However, grass doesn’t just magically appear fully grown where it’s needed. Like any other plant, grass begins its life as a seed that germinates into the plants we’re more familiar with.
If you leave grass to grow without mowing, it will continue to grow and develop flowers called florets. These need pollinating like any other flower, and at the end of their growing season will develop seeds. Grass farmers wait for these to develop, then collect and package them to sell as the more recognisable grass seed mixes for gardeners.
Grass seed mixes are then used to either seed a lawn from scratch, or fill in patches depending on your requirements.
With this in mind, the next section will explain several important questions you should ask yourself before buying grass seed…
Before you buy grass seed
When it comes to choosing the right grass seed for your needs, there are several things you should consider before you buy. Not all grasses are suitable for every lawn, so the following questions will help you pick the best type of grass for your needs.
What type of lawn do you want?
The first thing you need to consider is what type of lawn you want, as this will heavily dictate the grasses that will work best for your needs. In this section, we’ll take you through some of the most popular lawns and why the grass seeds you choose need to match their purpose.
Ornamental lawns
From stately homes to domestic gardens, ornamental lawns are designed to look beautiful and add a touch of elegance to a space. You’ll need to choose grasses that can survive being cut short to give the characteristic appeal of an ornamental lawn.
However, the grasses that can support this appearance are not always hard-wearing, and can struggle to survive under pressure and high footfall.
Heavy-use gardens
If you have children, pets, or simply plan on using your garden for more activities, you’ll need a much more heavy-duty grass seed mixture that grows quickly to support the level of activity you’re looking for.
Heavy-use garden grasses need to be durable, with dense growth patterns to provide a thick, lush lawn. You’ll want a grass seed mixture that can germinate quickly and bury its roots deeply for maximum resistance and recovery.
Wildflower lawns
Wildflower lawns are a wonderful way to encourage natural pollinators, and protect the habitats of local wildlife and insects. They’re much easier to maintain as you’re looking to encourage growth rather than mow it regularly.
For this, you’ll need plenty of grasses and wildflower seeds that can thrive together to create an attractive and rustic lawn.
What is your lawn orientation?
You’ll also need to understand your lawn orientation to buy the best grass seeds for your garden.
North facing gardens receive the least light, so you’ll need a grass seed mixture that’s specifically designed to survive shadier conditions. This mix should also be used if you have lots of trees that create shaded areas, to help keep your lawn even.
South facing gardens will get the most sunshine throughout the day, which is ideal for growing plants. However, you may want to consider getting grass seeds that thrive in warmer conditions or under more direct sunlight so they don’t wilt under the heat.
What type of soil do you have?
Lastly, you should always check what type of soil you have before committing to planting grass seeds. In the UK, your soil type will change depending on where you live, and can even vary in similar areas. The five primary types of soil you could find in your garden are as follows.
Clay soil
Clay soils are heavier than the other types of soils, and get their name from being around 25% clay. These are nutrient-rich but water-retentive, which can make them difficult to work with if you’re inexperienced.
This is because clay soils need regular aeration to increase drainage and prevent flooding, and tend to need longer to warm up when spring comes because they compact tightly together. In the summer, clay soils can bake and crack, so you need to be aware of their water levels year round.
Sandy soil
As the name suggests, sandy soils have a high sand content, which means they drain quickly. However, this means they can struggle to retain moisture and they’ll need more watering to support plant growth. The draining capabilities also means sandy soils are low in nutrients because they wash away, so you’ll need more fertiliser to ensure your grass seeds grow well.
Because they’re much lighter than clay soils, sandy soils warm up quicker in the spring so you can potentially plant much earlier. However, sandy soils tend to fall on the acidic side, so you may need to balance this with lawn lime.
Silt soil
Silt soils are lighter than clay, and very fertile which will help to support the growth of your grass seeds. They’re more moisture-retentive than sand but can still drain well to prevent root diseases from thriving.
However, silt soils compact very easily, which can inhibit roots from growing and prevent your grass seeds from establishing themselves properly.
Loam soil
Loam soils take most of the positive characteristics of clay, sand, and silt soils with few downsides, making this the most sought after gardening soil.
Loam drains well, has plenty of nutrients to support soil fertility, and is much easier to work with regardless of your gardening experience.
Chalky soil
Chalky soil is very common across the UK, and is composed primarily of calcium carbonate. These can be light or heavy depending on the particle size within your area, which will affect their moisture retention and ease of use.
The primary feature of chalky soils is that they’re very alkaline, which will need a lot of work to achieve a more balanced pH level. Alternatively, you’ll have to compensate for this with a grass seed mix that can survive in alkaline soils.
Note - fertile peat soils are also seen across the UK, but these are rarely found in gardens.
How to determine your soil type
It’s essential to get your hands dirty to understand your soil type before planting a lawn.
To determine your soil type, grab a handful of soil and clench it in a fist for a few seconds before releasing. If it falls apart, your soil is light and sandy, whereas clay soil will hold in the shape of your hand.
Top tip - using organic materials like leafmould or compost can help loosen clay soil or retain moisture in sandy soils. This will allow you to compensate for certain negative aspects of your soil and encourage a better environment for your grass seeds.
Grass seed buying considerations
Once you’ve established these parameters for your garden or outdoor space, it’s time to actually buy your grass seeds. But what should you be looking for when it comes to this stage? We’ve put together some of the most important buying considerations you should keep in mind when you’re looking for grass seed.
Look for QA markers
You should always look for quality when you’re buying grass seeds in the UK. Quality assurance markers act as a guarantee that you’re getting good value out of your purchase.
Grass seed in the UK is regulated by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. These bodies conduct regular testing to ensure the quality of any grass seed to be sold in the UK or EU market.
Regulatory bodies are primarily looking at the purity of the grass seed, and the chances of germination after sale. This is to ensure that the seeds you buy have a consistent standard, regardless of brand or business.
UK and EU seeds have to comply with the same regulations, but there is also an additional certification for grass seeds in the UK called the Higher Voluntary Standard (HVS). Seeds at this level are held to a higher standard for germination, so this is an extra layer of confidence in your products.
Some grass seeds can also be rated by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) for their suitability in sports and commercial use.
Check the seed mixture
Choosing the right grass seed mixture will have a huge impact on how your lawn performs, so it’s essential that you double check the types of grasses included in the bag.
Top tip - grass seed mixes are incredibly useful because you can get better coverage from different types of grasses all year round.
To help you out, we’ve included a brief description of some of the most common grass seeds used in the UK.
Perennial ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass is commonly found in many UK gardens because it’s hard-wearing, germinates quickly, and grows densely. It can cope with both warm sunshine and minor drought, and does reasonably well in early frosts - all of which often happens in the UK.
However, perennial ryegrass is a fairly slow spreader, and doesn’t recover from damage easily. It’s good in a mixture of grasses as it provides hardiness within your lawn compilation.
Look for - medium to dark colouring with a fine leafed texture.
Red fescue
Red fescue is popular with people looking for a more ornamental lawn because it can be cut very short and still thrive. It also grows quickly and spreads well, which is perfect for patch repairs on golf courses or other fine cut lawns.
This grass can develop a deep root system, which once established is durable and resistant in drought conditions. Unfortunately, red fescue struggles with intense heat - although it will rebound once the conditions recover.
Look for - fine leaf blades in a deep emerald colour.
Kentucky bluegrass
Whilst neither blue, nor from Kentucky, this type of grass is well-established across the UK.
Kentucky bluegrass thrives the best in cooler weather, with most growth occurring in spring and autumn (in the UK). This is a durable grass, but does struggle without water - often going dry and brown during the summer despite its preference for direct sunlight.
It’s worth noting however, that despite its durability, Kentucky bluegrass is quite high maintenance, so you need to be prepared to put the effort in to look after your lawn.
Look for - broad leaves with a blue-green colouring.
Different grasses will prefer more sun, or will be able to thrive in shade, so make sure you know which type of grasses you’re looking for when you’re buying a seed mixture.
Grass seed FAQs
Once you’ve bought your grass seed, it’s time to start sowing to create the lawn you want. But when should you sow for the best results, and how long will you have to wait before you can enjoy your new lawn? In this section, we’ll answer these questions and a few more to help you properly establish your lawn.
When to sow grass seed
Whilst it’s possible to sow grass seed year round, sowing it at the right time is essential to ensuring it becomes well-established and can survive over the years.
Most grass seeds in the UK tend to germinate in warm, damp soil, preferably when the soil temperature is around 10℃. This means the best time to sow grass seed will range from February to October depending on where you are in the UK - for example, the south of England will statistically reach a warmer temperature sooner than the Scottish highlands.
Note - soil temperature is not the same as the overall air temperature. To choose the optimum time, you may wish to invest in a soil thermometer for accurate readings.
Another thing to note is that depending on what you’re planning to use your lawn for will dictate when you should sow your grass seeds. Grass seeds sown in the spring may not root as strongly because their energies are being put towards growing blades and flowers.
Alternatively, sowing grass seed in the autumn can help your grass root before the frost sets in, and continue to build strong root networks over the winter before growing and flowering in the spring. This could be ideal for heavy-use gardens where stronger roots will create a more robust lawn.
How to sow grass seed
Sowing grass seed is very simple. For smaller gardens, you can do this by hand to get a good coverage - and easily overseed patches where you need to.
Alternatively, you may want to invest in a walk-behind seed spreader to help you sow your lawn quickly and evenly. The simple tools will save you a lot of time and energy, especially on larger areas.
Check out our discussion around Do You Need a Grass Seed Spreader? for more information about spreaders and their uses.
How long does grass seed take to grow?
Most grass seeds tend to germinate in around seven to ten days from planting. These sprouts are fragile however, and need time to properly establish themselves, so you should avoid using your new lawn for at least six to eight weeks.
You also need to make sure they get plenty of water in these early stages, so make sure to water your new lawn once a day for the first few weeks (except when it rains, as you don’t want to overwater).
Top tip - once established, cutting your grass every three to five days can help it grow faster. However, you should never cut more than ⅓ of the grass blade length at a time as this can weaken the plant.
How much grass seed do I need?
The last thing you want when sowing your lawn is to run out of grass seeds before the job is done. But how do you know how much grass seed you’ll need for your garden?
Fortunately, there’s a simple equation to help you work out the best amount of grass seed for your needs. First, you need to find out the area of your garden. This is usually calculated in m² - or metres squared.
Then, you need to multiply this by a standard amount of grass seed. For a new lawn, the recommendation is to use between 25-35g per m². If you’re overseeding (filling patches on an established lawn), you’ll need less - around 15-25g per m².
For example, say your garden is 15m in length and 12m in width. You would need to do the following:
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15m x 12m = 180m². This gives you the area of your garden in square metres.
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For a new lawn: 180m² x 30g = 5400g or 5.4kg
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For overseeding: 180m² x 20g = 3600g or 3.6kg
However, you should always try to have at least 10-20% more grass seed than you need. This allows for calculation errors, issues with getting an even coverage, and birds snacking on your seeds before they sprout. Any grass seed left over can be kept for patches and repairs in the future - so it shouldn’t go to waste.
Top tip - store your excess grass seed in a cool, dark, dry area for up to two years. It may still be usable after that, but you should do a patch test to see if it will germinate - and you should discard any leftovers after 5 years.
Where to buy grass seed
Whether you’re seeding a lawn from scratch, or overseeding to fill in a patchy garden, we hope you’ve found our guide to grass seed buying useful - and interesting.
Now, if you’re ready to sow a lawn, choose Hughie Willett for everything you need to get the job done. We have a brilliant team of groundcare experts on hand to help you with your purchases.
So, if you’re looking to buy grass seed, or need more advice on the best tools for the job, get in touch with us today for more personalised advice and guidance.
Browse our range of grass seed at Hughie Willett Machinery
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