If you’ve ever purchased grass seed before, you’ve probably been faced with these kinds of questions: Sun or shade mixture? Dense shade or full sun? Perennial ryegrass or Kentucky bluegrass? And what percentage of each? The short answer is, it depends. As a general rule, light conditions, along with the eventual purpose of the lawn (sports field or simply something green to look at?) will all determine what type of grass seed, and what mixture you will need. Here is a breakdown of some of the common grass types that do well in Philadelphia’s climate, along with other relevant information such as their respective levels of drought resistance and preferred light conditions.
Kentucky Bluegrass
- Drought Resistance: medium
- Water Needs: medium to high
- Texture: fine to medium
- Traffic Tolerance: medium
- Sunlight: full sun to partial shade
- Other Attributes: cold resistant, fairly resistant to insects and disease
- Mowing Height: no less than 2 ½ inches in height (once per week minimum during the growing season)
Grass Seed Options:
– Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
– SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Jacklin Seed – Biltmore Blue Blend – 100% Kentucky Bluegrass (5 lbs.)
Perennial Ryegrass
- Drought Resistance: low
- Water Needs: high
- Texture: medium to course
- TrafficTolerance: medium to high
- Sunlight: full sun to partial shade
- Other Attributes: Does not require as much fertilizer or water as Kentucky bluegrass
- Mowing Height: keep at about 2 ½ inches high (mow once per week)
Grass Seed Options:
– Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed (choose your size)
Tall Fescue
- Drought Resistance: High
- Need For Water: Low
- Texture: Course
- TrafficTolerance: medium
- Sunlight: full sun to partial shade
- Other Attributes: many varieties to choose from, thrives in mild winters and warm summers
- Mowing Height: for an extra textured look, mow at 3 to 3½ inches; an average height of 2 to 3 inches works well.
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.)
Feature image source: Oregon State University, CC by SA 2.0
