Selecting an appropriate grass seed mixture hinges on the specific needs and characteristics you desire for your lawn. Different grass varieties cater to varying lawn conditions and requirements.
- Hard-wearing Lawn: For a lawn that’s subject to heavy foot traffic, a ryegrass mixture is ideal due to its superior wear tolerance.
- Luxury Ornamental Lawn: For that golf course or bowling green look, choose a blend of bent and fescue grasses that produce a fine-leaved turf.
- Drought-resistant Lawn: If you have sandy, well-draining soil that dries out quickly, adding fescue to the mix can enhance drought tolerance.
- Shaded Lawn: For areas with considerable shade, it’s vital to choose grasses that can thrive in less sunlight.
- Low Maintenance Lawn: Fescues are perfect for those who prefer a low-maintenance yard as they grow slowly and require little water and feed.
Grass seed mixtures
Below is a selection of grass seed mixtures that are suitable for various lawn requirements and conditions. These mixtures are only recommendations, they are not set in stone and other grass seed mixtures not shown here may be just as suitable.
Luxury lawn
80% chewings fescue
20% browntop bent
Seeding rate 20 – 30g/m2
Overseeding rate 10 – 20g/m2
This grass seed mixture would be typically used on bowling and golf greens and would tolerate close mowing down to 5mm. However it should be pointed out luxury lawns require a comprehensive maintenance program. If wear and tear is an issue on a luxury lawn then a dwarf ryegrass could be incorporated into the mixture to improve the sward resilience.
Hard wearing lawn (with ryegrass)
30% Perennial dwarf ryegrass
20% Slender creeping red fescue
20% Strong creeping red fescue
20% Chewings fescue
10% Browntop bent
Seeding rate 25 – 35g/m2
Overseeding rate 15 – 25g/m2
Hard wearing lawn (without ryegrass)
25% Slender creeping red fescue
25% Strong creeping red fescue
25% Chewings fescue
15% Smooth-stalked meadow grass
10% Browntop bent
Seeding rate 20 – 30g/m2
Overseeding rate 10 – 22g/m2
Shaded lawn (with ryegrass)
20% Perennial dwarf ryegrass
30% Chewings fescue
30% Strong creeping red fescue
20% Browntop bent
Seeding rate 25 – 35g/m2
Overseeding rate 15 – 25g/m2
Shaded lawn (without ryegrass)
30% Strong creeping red fescue
30% Chewings fescue
30% Tufted hair grass
10% Brown top bent
Seeding rate 20 – 30g/m2
Oversee ding rate 10 – 20g/m2
Sand based lawn
50% Chewing fescue
35% Slender creeping red fescue
15% Brown top bent
Seeding rate 20 – 30g/m2
Oversee ding rate 10 – 20g/m2
Low maintenance lawn
60% Tall fescue
40% Crested hair grass
Seeding rate 30 – 40g/m2
Oversee ding rate 20 – 30g/m2
Grass seed characteristics | ||||
| Grass species | Wear tolerance | Shade tolerance | Drought resistance | Maintenance level |
| Browntop bent | medium | high | medium | medium/high |
| Chewings fescue | medium | high | high | low |
| Strong creeping red fescue | low | high | high | low |
| Slender creeping red fescue | medium | high | high | low |
| Tall fescue | high | high | high | low |
| Sheeps fescue | medium | high | high | low |
| Perennial ryegrass | high | medium | medium | medium |
| Smooth-stalked meadowgrass | high | medium | medium | medium |
| Annual meadowgrass | low | high | low | high |
| Tufted hairgrass | high | high | low | low |
| Crested hairgrass | high | high | high | low |
