FAQs and Answers About Grass Seed

Do you have questions about grass seed?

Here are some of our most frequently asked questions. As seed experts, we see and hear a lot of questions in regards to maintaining lawns. Here are a few of the most common questions that lawn DIYers ask us:

1. What grass seed should I use on my lawn?

The options regarding grass seed can be very confusing because it seems like there are so many different choices but it doesn't have to be so difficult! For cool season grass areas such as the American Northeast, there are 3 commonly used types of grass that homeowners plant.

1. Fescue - A durable grass that has a light green color and an extra wide blade. 
2. Rye - A fast growing grass with super fine blades and a deep green color. Known for both perennial and annual varieties.
3. Kentucky Bluegrass - The top choice for lawn connoisseurs, fine grass blades with a dark green color, this grass is known to be the hardest to maintain but the best looking of the 3 types. 

The most common choice of grass seed for homeowners in cool season grass regions is to use a blend of predominently fescue with rye/bluegrass added to aid the color.

At Rohrer's Seeds we refer to this as the Shade & Sun mix. Our Shade & Sun mix will contain 80% tall fescue, 15% perennial rye and 5% Kentucky bluegrass. Since it is mostly fescue, it is a hardy mix of grass that can tolerate either sunny or shaded areas of the lawn and requires less maintenance overall compared to mixes of just rye or bluegrass.

2. What should I plant in areas that are hard to grow grass in?

Bare spots can be quite frustrating. There are a lot of possible reasons that could be contributing to the fact that grass is not growing in certain spots of your lawn.

For those tough-to-grow spots we recommend our Overtime mix. 

The Overtime mix is a blend of 3 different tall fescues designed for maximum durability. This has been a customer favorite for many years. 

3. What's the difference between dethatching and aerating the lawn?

Dethatching and aerating are two different processes both done before new seed is planted in the lawn. Both are beneficial to the lawn and completed with machinery.

Dethatching

The process of dethatching your lawn is commonly done with machinery but it can be done manually with a rake as well. Dethatching is the process of removing dead grass and other debris from the lawn by raking it out. 

The benefits of dethathcing are that it allows water, oxygen and nutrients to better reach the soil thus allowing the grass to grow better. It also allows seed to reach the soil better.

Some caution needs to be used when dethatching because it is possible to remove too much which would then hurt the lawn. 

Aeration

Unlike dethatching, aertion is only performed with machines typically. Aerators look very similar to lawn mowers but they remove plugs from the ground, some aerators are capable of putting seed down in the hole it creates simultaneously as well.

The main benefit of aeration is to fight soil compaction which makes it very difficult for grass to grow. By relieving soil compaction, better air and water flow is available for the soil. Plus, if seeding is done after or during aeration, the seeds will germinate in the ground rather than on top of it. 

4. When should I plant grass?

For cool season grasses there are two ideal growing seasons through out the year when the weather is cool enough to promote growth. The first is during the Spring particularly March and April. The second time to plant grass is during the Fall in September and October. 

The fall is widely considered the best time of the year to plant grass between these two growing seasons. This is due to the fact that there is more time for the seed to develop into healthy grass before the conditions become too harsh for it to keep growing. 

You should avoid planting grass during the summer months because during high temperatures, cool season grass will go dormant or even die if it is not receiving enough water. Periods of intense heat can also cause seed to not germinate at all. Planting grass in the winter is also not ideal but it does have the chance to go dormant and germinate when the temperature begins to rise. 

5. What height should I mow my lawn to?

It is a misconception that grass needs to be short. In fact, having grass that is too short can damage your lawn and create bare spots. If the grass is too short it will dry out and turn brown easier, once the grass turns brown there is a chance that it will not recover. Once the grass is dead there is nothing you can do but replant it, which can be a massive hassle. 

You should mow your grass at 3 inches high and then mow once it reaches 4 inches. 

This may seem taller than what is typically recommended but keeping the grass taller will help it stay green esepcially during the hot and dry summers that have been occurring the past few years. If your mower isn't able to be set to 3" then set it to the highest setting it has. Ultimately, the height of your grass is your own preference or based on the guidelines that your homeowners' association set.