Best Grass Seed

This lawn seed delivers on its promise of extremely fast results, so long as you use it correctly, that is; only sow when the soil temperature is 10 degrees or more, remove thatch layer or other dead organic material beforehand, and press the seeds into the soil to keep them moist, which all sounds simple enough right? This grass is of a very high quality, even being used in premier league stadiums – the manufacturer attributes this to the high content of Perennial Ryegrass in their mix.

5 reasons to buy

• This lawn seed is very well packaged, and resealable, with many users commenting on how easy it is to handle and store for top-ups later in the year
• Fast-growing, with visible shoots reported from day 4
• Proven to withstand children’s play including football
• Minimal preparation required
• Able to withstand British weather

3 reasons not to buy

• More expensive than other brands
• This is an imported product and the labels, instructions and packaging are not in English
• It comes in small quantities for a fairly high price and many users feel this brand offers poor value for money

Containing 50% Dwarf Perennial Ryegrass and 50% Strong Creeping Red Fescue, this grass seed is able to withstand high traffic areas. This is because strong creeping varieties of red fescue have very vigorous spreading rhizomes, allowing the lawn to recover quickly enough to remain lush despite being in frequent use by children, dogs and even horses (as verified by one user). Results take a little longer than some other seed, with visible shoots reported by about day 8, but when the growth does start to show it’s confirmed to be strong and thick. Timing is key with this seed – users sowing early in spring or summer reported poor or patchy to no growth, whereas users that sowed later in the year were incredibly happy with the results.

4 reasons to buy

• It’s great value, pack sizes are big and you get lots for your money
• Cuts well, recovering quickly from lawn mower use
• Grows in evenly and thickly
• Minimal preparation required

2 reasons not to buy

• This seed doesn’t do well in the colder weather, despite the manufacturer’s claims
• The growth is slower than some other seed

With a specialised seed mix made up of 30% Maxima Festuca Strong Creeping Red Fescue, 20% Troya Lolium Perennial Rye Grass and 50% Double Lolium Perennial Rye Grass, this seed is ideal for repairing existing, well-lived in gardens or growing a lawn from scratch. Strong creeping red fescue is a fine-leaved perennial grass of medium height. You’ll need to be patient with it though as it’s not rated as being very fast-growing, with many users reporting that results took 3 weeks plus to see.

4 reasons to buy

• Very hard-wearing lawn seed, with young grass surviving dogs, children and trampling
• An excellent colour – lots of people were extremely pleased with the lush deep green lawns achieved with this seed
• This seed is available to buy in bulk, offering great value for money
• Once the grass seed does grow through, you do get a very thick lawn

3 reasons not to buy

• Very slow to germinate – up to 8 weeks before any real progress was seen in some cases
• The best results were reported with more thorough prep, and scarifying, levelling, raking etc all seemed to play a bigger part in success here than with other lawn seed
• Patchy coverage was reported in some cases, although this could be down to a lack of prep

This seed is a mix of 4 different types of ryegrass. Its main selling point is that it does grow very fast, with one proven example of a full lawn being grown in 12 days. This lawn seed probably is the best grass seed if your priority is speed. This brand has either very positive or completely negative reviews, with grass either growing fantastically well or in a very few cases, not at all.

3 reasons to buy

• Grows very fast, with most people reporting impressive results in a matter of days
• Best grass seed for shady or cooler gardens
• Great value for money

1 reason not to buy

• Some cases of unexplained non-germination

This is a high-quality lawn seed for hard-wearing lawns and is ideal for creating a new lawn, overseeding existing grass or filling in bare patches. This brand offers a blend of ryegrass and fescues and the seed is treated with the headstart formulation for optimum germination. It also contains Watersmart grass technology which grows strong roots for optimum absorption of nutrients and water.

3 reasons to buy

• The seeds are also coated to deter birds from eating them, this coating does actually work, making this the best grass seed for those of you with this particular issue
• Comes with a built-in sprinkler in the box for easy application
• Grass is described as being thick and fluffy, with most users happy with the results

2 reasons not to buy

• Grown in more slowly than advertised, with most users suggesting you need to allow 10 days plus
• Poor value for money, with some users reporting that while the results were good, they were no better than cheaper ‘own brand’ seeds

Made up of 70% Lolium Perennial Rye Grass & 30% Strong Creeping Red Fescue, this seed promises, and delivers, an extremely thick lawn. It’s apparently very appealing to birds, with several users reporting they had a bigger issue here than with other seed brands. There seems to be mixed results on the speed of growth, with users divided on whether this is ‘fast-growing’, so it does appear to be sensitive to conditions.

3 reasons to buy

• Grass thickens very quickly once it starts to grow
• Great value, with the option to bulk buy and a lot of seed being received for your money
• Family-friendly, with users reporting it can cope with children, paddling pools and dogs

2 reasons not to buy

• Birds love it
• Sensitive to conditions, with some users reporting low germination or weak grass in areas

With a mix tailored to the UK climate, consisting of 43% Dwarf Amenity Ryegrass, 40% Creeping Red Fescue, 12% Chewings Fescue and 5% Brown Top Bent, this seed mix offers a lush, thick green lawn of up to 380 sq ft, making it one of the more cost-effective options available.

4 reasons to buy

• Great value for money
• The overwhelming majority of users reported a lush high-quality fluffy lawn
• Many users described this lawn seed as being resilient, growing in less than ideal conditions
• The manufacturer offers a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied

2 reasons not to buy

• Again, the best results seem to come from lots of preparation and maintenance
• Results are a little slower to appear, so you’ll need to give it a couple of weeks before you see a change to your lawn