5 Best Grass Seeds and Sod for the Bay Area

Achieving a thick, green lawn in the Bay Area starts with selecting the right grass seeds or sod. And, here, the best varieties are Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, or one of the fescues, although a hearty warm-season grass like Bermudagrass does fine as well.

Why? Like the rest of Northern California, the Bay Area gets warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. In fact, this region is cooler and wetter than the rest of the state. So to thrive in Northern California, grass has to tolerate chilly temperatures, and it doesn’t have to be as drought-tolerant as varieties that you would choose for, say, Southern California.

Let’s take a look at the five grasses you should consider. 

1. Kentucky Bluegrass

Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season grass that grows vigorously during spring and fall. Its dark green color looks beautiful and gives your lawn a dense appearance. Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent choice for Bay Area lawns, from San Jose and San Francisco to Fremont and Oakland. 

This grass prefers full sun but can withstand partial shade. It has a medium-fine texture and is soft on bare feet. Kentucky bluegrass is ideal for high-foot-traffic lawns because it’s durable and can self-repair. 

Kentucky bluegrass is a high-maintenance grass. Summers in San Jose, Richmond, and Concord can get very hot, so we recommend watering regularly to maintain its color. 

Here is a detailed guide on growing Kentucky bluegrass. 

• Classification: Cool-season grass
• Spreads by: Rhizomes
• Shade tolerance: Low
• Drought tolerance: Moderate
• Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate
• Maintenance needs: Moderate mowing frequency and high fertilization needs 
• Mowing height: 2 to 3 inches
• Potential for disease: Moderate to high. Prone to several diseases, such as dollar spot, leaf spot, necrotic ring spot, summer patch, and stripe smut. 
• Soil pH: 6 to 7.5
• Soil type: Performs best in well-drained, heavy soils with high fertility. 
• Available as sod: Yes

Pros	Cons
✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Excellent ability to self-repair ✓ Soft underfoot ✓ Spreads quickly	✗ High water requirement ✗ Low shade tolerance ✗ Prone to thatch, disease, and insects ✗ Long germination time

Grass Seed Options:

– Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
– SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)

2. Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass has fine-textured grass blades and dark green leaves. This cool-season grass grows vigorously in spring and fall and thrives in the SF Bay Area. The downside to this grass is that it looks patchy, but overseeding your lawn can fix it. 

While perennial ryegrass can endure kids and pets playing and backyard parties, it doesn’t contain stolons or rhizomes to repair itself. So, if the grass thins or gets damaged, you should overseed. Perennial ryegrass grows best in full sun but can withstand some shade. 

Perennial ryegrass doesn’t require much maintenance, making it an excellent choice for homeowners who don’t want to spend much of their free time maintaining the grass. However, it requires regular watering to keep it from going dormant. This grass is prone to diseases and insects. 

For more, check out our guide on growing perennial ryegrass.  

• Classification: Cool-season grass
• Spreads by: Has a bunch-type growth habit
• Shade tolerance: Low
• Drought tolerance: Low
• Foot traffic tolerance: High
• Maintenance needs: Moderate mowing and fertilization requirements. Thatch is not significant. 
• Mowing height: 1 to 3 inches
• Potential for disease: High. Common lawn diseases include gray leaf spot, red thread, and leaf spot/melting-out. 
• Soil pH: Can grow in soils with a pH between 5 and 8 but prefers between 6 and 7. 
• Soil type: Prefers good drainage and fertility but can tolerate poor drainage to some extent. 
• Available as sod: Yes

Pros	Cons
✓ Germinates quickly  ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Not prone to thatch  ✓ Soft underfoot  ✓ Low mowing requirements	✗ Looks patchy  ✗ Low shade tolerance  ✗ Poor ability to recover from damages ✗ Prone to diseases and insects  ✗ Spreads slowly

Grass Seed Options:

– Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed (choose your size)

3. Tall Fescue

Tall fescue is a cool-season grass with coarse grass blades and medium to dark green leaves. It produces a beautiful lawn but isn’t as dense as Kentucky bluegrass. Like other cool-season grasses, this grass grows best in spring and fall. Tall fescue has low water requirements and can easily handle the hot summers of the Bay Area. 

This grass withstands foot traffic relatively well. However, it doesn’t have stolons or rhizomes to repair itself. Tall fescue has an extensive root system, making it heat- and drought-resistant. This grass just needs four hours of dappled sunlight a day to survive.

Tall fescue doesn’t require much maintenance and resists common lawn diseases and pests. 

Here is a detailed guide on maintaining tall fescue. 

• Classification: Cool-season grass
• Spreads by: Produces short rhizomes but has a bunch-type growth habit
• Shade tolerance: Moderate
• Drought tolerance: Moderate to high
• Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate
• Maintenance needs: Frequent mowing. Thatch is not significant. 
• Mowing height: 2 to 4 inches 
• Potential for disease: Tolerates most diseases when maintained properly 
• Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5
• Soil type: Adapted to a wide range of soil conditions but prefers fertile clay soils with good drainage. 
• Available as sod: Yes

Pros	Cons
✓ Germinates quickly  ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Not prone to thatch  ✓ Resists drought ✓ Resists shade ✓ Resists diseases	✗ Looks patchy  ✗ Poor ability to recover from damages ✗ Spreads slowly ✗ Requires frequent mowing

Grass Seed Options:

– Triple-Play Tall Fescue Grass Seed Blend (5000 sq ft)
– Eretz Kentucky 31 K31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed (choose your size)
– Pennington The Rebels Tall Fescue Grass Seed Mix (7 lb.)

4. Fine Fescue

Fine fescue is a group of five different fine-textured, medium-green grasses: Chewings fescue, hard fescue, sheep fescue, slender creeping red fescue, and strong creeping red fescue. These cool-season grasses look beautiful and grow best during the spring and fall seasons. They have low water requirements and can easily withstand the hot summers of the SF Bay Area. 

Fine fescues don’t withstand high foot traffic, which is a shame because I can say these grasses are the softest to walk on with bare feet. Creeping red fescue repairs itself from damage because it spreads by rhizomes, while others don’t because they are bunch-forming. Fine fescues can survive with just four hours of dappled sunlight.

These grasses don’t require much maintenance but are prone to diseases like red thread, leaf spot, and dollar spot. They are also prone to pests. Fine fescues resist drought, making them an excellent choice for places like San Jose, Richmond, and Concord, where the summers get very hot. 

Interested in more? Check out our detailed guide on growing fine fescue. 

• Classification: Cool-season grass
• Spreads by: Creeping red fescue spreads by rhizomes, while other fine fescues are bunch-type grasses, such as Chewings, hard, and sheep fescues. 
• Shade tolerance: Moderate to high
• Drought tolerance: Moderate to high
• Foot traffic tolerance: Low
• Maintenance needs: Low fertilizer and mowing needs  
• Mowing height: 1 to 3 inches
• Potential for disease: Moderate. Common diseases include red thread, leaf spot, dollar spot, summer patch, and powdery mildew. 
• Soil pH: 6 to 6.5
• Soil type: Prefers drier soils and tolerates various soil types and fertility. 
• Available as sod: Yes 

Pros	Cons
✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Germinates quickly  ✓ Resists drought ✓ Resists shade ✓ Soft underfoot ✓ Low fertilizer and maintenance needs	✗ Low foot traffic tolerance ✗ Poor ability to recover from damages ✗ Spreads slowly ✗ Prone to diseases and insects

Grass Seed Options:

– Outsidepride Legacy Fine Fescue Grass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz Creeping Red Fine Fescue Seed (choose your size)
– Outsidepride Creeping Red Fine Fescue Grass Seed (25 lbs.)
– Outsidepride Hard Fine Fescue Grass Seed (10 lbs.)

5. Bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass that grows vigorously from late spring through hot summer months. It has a coarse leaf texture and is light green but produces a beautiful lawn. Bermudagrass prefers full sun and withstands drought exceptionally well. 

This grass can easily handle the hot summers of the Bay Area and also does fine during mild winters. However, Bermudagrass goes dormant if the weather gets too cold around Belvedere, Antioch, and Brentwood. To overcome this, overseed the grass with annual ryegrass. Also, fertilize the grass during early fall to help it retain its thickness. 

Bermudagrass withstands high-foot traffic and repairs itself so effectively that you can even play soccer or touch football on your lawn, and it’s certainly durable enough for backyard get-togethers. However, Bermudagrass grass requires a good bit of maintenance and is prone to lawn pests. 

If you settle on this grass type, refer to our guide on growing Bermudagrass for more information.

• Classification: Warm-season grass
• Spreads by: Stolons and rhizomes
• Shade tolerance: Low
• Drought tolerance: High 
• Foot traffic tolerance: High 
• Maintenance needs: High mowing and fertilization requirements. Thatch develops easily.
• Mowing height: 1.5 to 2.5 inches 
• Potential for disease: Tolerates most diseases when maintained properly 
• Soil pH: 6 to 6.5
• Soil type: Tolerates most soil types
• Available as sod: Yes

Pros	Cons
✓ Looks beautiful ✓ Germinates quickly  ✓ Spreads quickly  ✓ Withstands foot traffic ✓ Excellent ability to self-repair ✓ Resists drought ✓ Resists diseases	✗ Loses its color during winter ✗ Low shade tolerance  ✗ Prone to insects ✗ Coarse texture ✗ Requires frequent mowing and fertilization

Grass Seed Options:

– Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass (10-lb. bag)
– Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass (50-lb. bag)

How to Choose the Best Grass for Your Bay Area Lawn

The best grass for your Bay Area lawn can vary depending on where you live, your yard’s characteristics, and your lifestyle. Here’s all you need to consider: 

Maintenance Level

Most of us don’t like working on the lawn, but if you do, you can enjoy a lush, green backyard. Here are the grasses to choose depending on how much time you can spend in your yard: 

• High-maintenance grasses: Kentucky bluegrass, Bermudagrass 
• Moderate-maintenance grasses: Tall fescue, perennial ryegrass 
• Low-maintenance grasses: Fine fescue

Foot Traffic

If you host backyard parties regularly or have kids and pets running and playing, choose grasses that handle foot traffic. Here’s how different grasses handle foot traffic: 

• High foot traffic: Perennial ryegrass, Bermudagrass 
• Moderate foot traffic: Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue
• Low foot traffic: Fine fescue

Drought Tolerance

You don’t have to worry about growing thirsty grass if your area has abundant water. However, most of the Bay Area is dry, so choose your grass wisely. 

• High drought tolerance: Bermudagrass
• Moderate drought tolerance: Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue 
• Low drought tolerance: Perennial ryegrass

Shade Tolerance

If you have a shady lawn, choose a grass that requires minimal sunlight to thrive. 

• Moderate shade tolerance: Tall fescue, fine fescue
• Low shade tolerance: Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, Bermudagrass

Grass Seed vs. Sod: Which Is Better?

Seeding refers to sowing seeds in the soil. On the other hand, sowing is installing pre-grown grass for instant coverage. 

If you want a lush, green lawn in just a few hours, sodding is the right choice. However, it’s expensive. 

Seeding Your Lawn

Pros:

• Cost-effective compared to sodding
• More grass types are available
• Healthier root system because grasses grow in the same place where they germinate and root
• Easy DIY project

Cons:

• Establishing takes longer
• Vulnerable to competition from weeds   
• More maintenance is required initially
• Heavy rain can wash away seeds 

Sodding Your Lawn

Pros:

• Instant lawn (but you must wait for the sod to establish before allowing foot traffic)
• Weeds can’t compete with sod
• Controls erosion immediately
• Sod has a flexible planting time

Cons: 

• Expensive
• Limited grass-type options
• Labor intensive
• High initial water requirement

Where to Get Sod and Seed in the Bay Area

Grass seed is available at pretty much every garden center in the Bay Area. Gardens centers generally carry sod as well, especially if you’re looking for just a few pieces to fill in a blank spot in your lawn, but they may not carry enough to do an entire lawn. For that, you’ll need to go to a sod farm.

Sod farms will help you estimate how much turf you need based on the size of your lawn and will generally deliver it to your property stacked on pallets. If you don’t want to install it yourself, you can go through a landscaper.

Here are a few suppliers of grass seed and sod in the Bay Area.

• Lowe’s Garden Center (seed)
• Sloat Garden Center (seed and sod)
• Flowercraft Garden Center (seed and sod)
• Park Avenue Turf (sod)
• Broadmoor Landscape Supply (sod)

FAQs

How early can I plant grass seed in the Bay Area? 

The ideal time to plant cool-season grasses in the Bay Area is during early fall. For warm-season grasses, it’s between late spring and early summer. 

What’s the best time to fertilize my Bay Area lawn?

The best time to fertilize cool-season grasses is from March to May and September to October. For warm-season grass, it’s from May to June and then from September to October. To know more, read our guide on When to Fertilize Your Bay Area Lawn. 

What are the best native plants for the Bay Area? 

Here are the best native plants for the San Francisco Bay Area:

• California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
• Buckwheat (Eriogonum)
• Manzanita (Arctostaphylos)
• Chaparral mallow (Malacothamnus fasciculatus)
• Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
• Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica)

What is California’s Green Lawn Care Law? Will it affect me? 

California’s Green Lawn Care Law, which took effect on January 1, 2024, bans the sale of new gas-powered lawn care equipment. If you already have a gas-powered tool, you can use it. You can purchase second-hand gas tools but not new ones. To know more, read our guide on this lawn care law. 

When to Call a LawnStarter Pro

The San Francisco Bay Area is part of the transition zone, and choosing the right grass for your lawn can be difficult. If you need help, get in touch with a LawnStarter pro. Our pros can also help you mow, fertilize, and maintain your lawn so you can enjoy a lush, green backyard without breaking a sweat. 

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Main Image Credit: Montgomery Street, Main Post, Presidio, San Francisco / Johan Jönsson (Julle) / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0