Which Grass Seed Do I Need?

Choosing the best grass seed mix, whether it be for landscape grass, pastures or lawns, all depends on where you’re sowing it and for what purpose. To truly get the most out of your grass seeds, picking the right mix for your lawn and soil (plus your lawn aftercare routine) is crucial. 

As a rule of thumb, your choice of grass seed species should depend on their functionality rather than their looks once grown. While all Smart Seeds grass seed mixtures make for stunning lawns, an ornamental or landscape grass species won’t do the trick if you have pets or an overly shady lawn. 

A healthy lawn or pasture is almost always a good looking one. This will be down to picking the right seed mixtures for your space. But how do you pick the right grass species that will thrive in your soil type and cope well with the way you want to use and care for your lawn? Read on and find out!

Shady grass seed

Like most plants and crops, most grass species prefer soil that is drenched in glorious sunlight. But, not everyone has that luxury. If you are a gardener or land owner that struggles to get the sunlight that your plants need, then a shady grass seed mixture could give you the lawn results you desire. 

Fescue grass species feature fine leaves that recover well from cutting. These shade-lovers also have a high shoot density and give a lawn a lovely velvety texture. 

If you are one of those unlucky gardeners that struggles to grow due to shady conditions, then you are not alone. Especially here in the UK, the lack of sun can result in unhealthy grass growth and fewer flowers blooming. But, thanks to grass seeds such as the PM60 Greenshade and the PM50 Quality Lawn Seeds, you can fix up those shaded spots and grow the lawn of your dreams.

Pasture grass seed

A productive and profitable pasture is reliant upon a good seeding plan, careful management, and clear goals. Cattle, horses and sheep all have different nutritional needs and the grasses that grow in your pastures must both meet these needs and grow in time for seasonal changes. 

Grazing stock, like cattle and sheep, primarily live off of grasses such as tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and clover. The most productive and top-quality UK pastures are those that contain a mixture of grass species with one or more legume species. When searching and selecting pasture grass seed for cattle and other grazing animals, it is important to understand both grass and legume growth habits and match them to the climate of your land and the soil characteristics. Each field, depending on location and treatment, will offer different soil types and will determine the pasture grass seed sown. 

Factors that impact the pasture grass seed species are: 

• The seasonal distribution of pasture growth
• Soil type, drainage, fertility, and pH
• The type and age of livestock to be grazed
• The time of year desired for pasture availability

An ideal agricultural landscape will have a rich mixture of pasture grass seed for cattle, sheep and other grazers. These mixtures would include permanent pasture seeds with clover, versamax permanent pasture seeds, high sugar grass and some additional legumes. Be sure to speak to your vet if you have any questions or concerns about the nutrition your livestock needs.

Amenity grass seed

Amenity grassland is usually intensively managed, closely mown grassland found in parks, sports grounds, village greens or around buildings. It provides a permeable surface and so enables source control and infiltration. Vegetation can filter and trap sediments, which means it can contribute to improving the water quality.

There are big differences between the types of seed mixtures we use for agricultural purposes, such as hay, silage and grazing, and those that we advise for amenity use, such as landscaping or lawn situations. The size of the area and the use or desired finish can have a big impact on the amount and type of seed required, with associated differences in the cost.

We utilise very different species for each purpose, for example agricultural Ryegrasses are very good for providing high yielding, tall, bulky crops of silage. While some other species like the fine leaved Fescues or Dwarf Perennial Ryegrass are suited to providing a dense uniform lawn turf, which would be unsuitable for agricultural production.

Another important difference between an agricultural grass mixture and amenity is the sowing rate that is used. This can have a major impact on the overall cost of a seed mixture, especially if large areas are to be sown.

Generally speaking the grasses used in agricultural situations, such as Perennial Ryegrass, Cocksfoot and Timothy, have a tall, bulky, growth habit, with the ability to tiller out and produce more leaves as they grow.

The grasses used in the amenity sector are usually much smaller and lower growing, with the aim of providing a dense uniform turf, which can be regularly mown or kept short and presentable. This means they are less able to tiller out and fill in the spaces between each plant, if sown at a low sowing rate.

The amenity mixtures for lawns and landscape situations will have much higher sowing rates, typically from 15 – 70 g/ m² (60- 280 kgs per acre), to make up for the fact that they do not fill out as well as the agricultural strains.

Additionally these types of mixtures are often used for areas that will receive pressure from foot traffic, to stop the area turning to mud, a dense sward of turf is needed. Similarly a prestigious lawn area needs a thick, uniform turf, again this can only be achieved with a robust sowing rate.