4 Best Grass Seed To Restore A Patchy Lawn Review Guide For 2022-2023

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They say that the grass is always greener on the other side, and while this is a common metaphor for life, it can also be true in the literal sense.

Maybe your neighbor’s lawn is far better, or you just haven’t tended to yours at all. Regardless, getting some grass to grow on your own lawn isn’t as difficult as it seems, and you don’t need to spend lots of money for your lawn to look nice and green.

Grass seed can grow a lawn from scratch, make existing turf thicker, or target unsightly bald patches and brown spots.

We researched and tested grass seed from the top brands, evaluating ease of use, effectiveness, and formulation.

Our top pick, the Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix, is a versatile blend that stands up well to drought and disease and can seed up to 8,000 square feet of lawn—an eighth of a football field.

With just a few seeds, you can get started with a lawn that’ll look lush and lovely in no time. Here is the best grass seed for sprucing up your yard found inside our 4 Best Grass Seed To Restore A Patchy Lawn Review Guide For 2022-2023.

Best Overall: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix

Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix thrives in scorching sunlight or densely shaded conditions, making it our top choice.

This fine-bladed grass mix can even hold up in droughts and cold winters. It begins to grow in five to ten days; you can mow it after blades reach three inches in height. For optimum growth, water your lawn twice daily for three weeks.

Each individual seed, wrapped in a special WaterSmart Plus coating, absorbs twice the amount of water as its uncoated counterparts.

The coating also protects your seedlings from various lawn diseases, and feeds them essential nutrients to jump-start growth.

Although this mix tolerates extreme weather changes, Scott’s does not recommend using it in Southern states.

Sun Tolerance: Dense Shade to Full Sun | Climate: Drought, Cold Winters | Size: Up to 8,000 square feet | Grass Texture: Fine

Specs:

• Brand Scotts
• Color Blue
• Item Weight 20 Pounds
• Sunlight Exposure Full Sun
• Unit Count 320.0 Ounce
• Product Care Instructions Water

About this item:

• Designed for full sun and dense shade, fine bladed texture and medium to high drought resistance
• Scotts most versatile mix; stays green even in extreme conditions of dense shade or scorching sun
• Aggressively spreads to repair bare and thin spots
• Contains our exclusive 4 in 1 WaterSmart PLUS coating that keeps seed moist 2x longer than uncoated seed, feeds to jumpstart growth, and helps protect seedlings against disease
• Seeds up to 8,000 square feet

Pros:

• Thrives in sun and shade
• Holds up in droughts and cold winters
• Resists disease

Cons:

• Not suited for Southern lawns

Best for Shade: Pennington One Step Complete for Dense Shade Areas

Pennington One Step Complete blends the brand’s Smart Seed with mulch and professional-grade fertilizer, allowing the lawn to thrive in densely shaded areas.

This all-in-one grass seed sprouts seedlings in as little as two weeks, even in the tricky corners of your lawn that don’t see more than two to four hours of direct sunlight a day.

Whether you’re growing a lawn from scratch or just looking to patch up sparse areas, this ultra-absorbent mixture is a quick and easy solution for achieving a lush, spot-free yard.

Sun Tolerance: Dense Shade | Climate: Cool-season | Size: 125 square feet | Grass Texture: Medium

Specs:

• Brand Pennington
• Item Weight 8.3 Pounds
• Sunlight Exposure Shade
• Unit Count 132.8 Ounce
• Expected Planting Period Spring
• Product Care Instructions Water

About this item:

• Repairs bare spots in two weeks or less
• Everything you need to grow lush, thick grass is pre-mixed and ready to use
• Combination Premium Smart Seed grass seed, professional-grade fertilizer, and mulch
• Formulated with grasses that thrive in shady areas
• Contains Pennington’s exclusive Penkoted technology to ensure better plant growth

Pros:

• Formulated with mulch and fertilizer
• Grows fast
• Great for spot treatments or larger areas
• Suited for Midwestern lawns

Cons:

• Not for warm-season lawns

Best for Warm Season: Water Saver Lawn Seed Mixture with Turf-Type Tall Fescue and RFT Lawn Seed Mixture

Water Saver contains a mixture of turf-quality tall fescue and RFT (rhizomatous tall fescue) seeds. The blend has a gorgeous color, a nice texture, and stands up to various diseases.

This lawn seed establishes quickly, roots deeply, and retains water, allowing it to tolerate high temps and drought conditions.

It thrives in the sun or shade, and thanks to its deep roots, you can mow it shorter than other varieties.

Sun Tolerance: Full Sun and Partial Shade | Climate: Hot and Dry | Size: 1,000 square feet | Grass Texture: Coarse

Specs:

• Plant or Animal Product Type Fescue
• Brand WaterSaver
• Item Weight 5 Pounds
• Sunlight Exposure Full Sun, Shade
• Unit Count 1.0 Count
• Product Care Instructions Water

About this item:

• THE ONLY SEED YOU WILL EVER NEED: Water Saver is low maintenance and is self repairing turf. It knits lawn together by quickly filling damaged or open spots. As a result, less watering and mowing is required.
• GROWS GREAT IN SUN OR SHADE: Excellent in the transition climate zone as well as the northern climate zone.
• PATENT RTF FESCUE: Creates strong root system for your lawn with less overseeding and fewer weed problems. This fescue grass seed produces a thick, even lawn in the sun or shade.
• EXCELLENT COLOR AND DISEASE RESISTANT: Withstands stressful weather conditions and keeps a rich green color. Provides excellent protection against insects, diseases and enhances drought tolerance.
• DECREASE LAWN MAINTENANCE: Water Saver allows you to mow close to the turf and use substantially less water to maintain the richness of your lawn.
• LAWN SEEDING RATE: 5 lb to 10 lb/1,000 sq. ft

Pros:

• Resists disease
• Grows fast
• Thrives in sun and shade
• Tolerates drought conditions

Cons:

• Not suited for Southern lawns

Best for Heavy Traffic: Jonathan Green Black Beauty Heavy Traffic Premium Grass Seed Mixture Heavy Traffic Grass Seed

If you have kids, pets, or an otherwise busy household, we recommend Jonathan Green Black Beauty. The brand’s Heavy Traffic Premium Mixture contains a healthy blend of fescue and perennial ryegrass seeds.

Fescue emits an amino acid3 that naturally acts as a herbicide, so it curbs emerging crabgrass and broadleaf weed seedlings. Not only that, but this reliable formula stands up to abrasion and naturally resists insects.

Sun Tolerance: Partial Sun | Climate: Hard Wear | Size: 1,200 square feet | Grass Texture: Coarse

Specs:

• Plant or Animal Product Type Herbs
• Brand Jonathan Green
• Item Weight 3.12 Pounds
• Sunlight Exposure Partial Sun
• Unit Count 48.0 Ounce

About this item:

• HIGH TRAFFIC GRASS SEED – It’s great for backyards, sports fields, curb strips, or anywhere aggressive foot traffic from athletes, children, and pets occurs. Our cool-season grass seed mix contains tall fescues and perennial rye turfgrass varieties.
• UNIFORM LAWN TEXTURE – This grass seed mix excels on sports fields where uniform lawn texture is important, so soccer, football, and baseballs bounce true. It provides the wear tolerance and uniform good looks that athletic playing fields require.
• FULL SUN & PARTIAL SHADE – Black Beauty Heavy Traffic is designed for use in full sun to partial-shaded areas where children and pets play. This tough and durable grass seed has roots that can grow up to 4-feet deep.
• PROVIDES A DARK GREEN LAWN – This grass seed mix produces healthy, dense, and attractive turf with a dark-green color. The best time to apply is mid-August to mid-October, or mid-March through mid-May.
• COMPLETE COVERAGE – This 3 lb bag will seed up to 600 sq. ft. for new lawns. For overseeding, this bag will seed up to 1,200 sq. ft. The germination time for Black Beauty Heavy Traffic Grass Seed Mix is 10 – 14 days.
• Heavy traffic fescue grass seed mix
• Heavy traffic mixture is a hardy mixture of grasses for tough areas with hard wear

Pros:

• Stands up to heavy traffic
• Resists weeds and insects
• Comes in various sizes

Cons:

• Not suited for densely shaded areas

4 Best Grass Seed To Restore A Patchy Lawn Buying Guide For 2022-2023

What to Look For When Buying Grass Seed

Climate:

One of the most important things to keep in mind when buying grass seed is the climate, as some blends do better in certain regions.

For instance, Bermuda grass is native to the southern hemisphere, so it thrives in the South and the Southwestern United States.

That being said, some grass species (such as fescue and ryegrass) can grow in a variety of climates. Be sure to check the product description before purchasing grass seed to confirm it can grow where you live.

Sun Exposure:

Another thing to consider is the level of sun exposure your seedlings get. Species such as Bermuda grass and some types of ryegrass need at least a few hours of sunlight a day to thrive, whereas fescue can grow in densely shaded areas.

Some mixes are formulated to grow in sun or shade, any time of year. Check the product information before buying grass seed to make sure it’s suitable for the amount of sunlight your yard gets.

Maintenance:

If you’re in the market for low-maintenance grass seed, look for an option that contains fertilizer.

That way, your seedlings have the nourishment they need to grow quickly and flourish. Some blends also contain mulch, which helps keep the soil healthy, retains water, and prevents weed growth.

Speaking of weed growth, you may consider grass seed that specifically indicates it’s a weed-free (or 99 percent weed-free) formula.

Additionally, some seeds are individually coated with a special substance that makes them more absorbent, meaning you don’t need to water as often, and disease resistant.

FAQ:

Q: When is the best time to plant grass seed?
A: The best time to plant grass seed depends on the type of seed and the climate. However, since most mixtures germinate when temperatures aren’t too hot or cold, planting in the fall for a cool-season grass and spring for a warm-season grass is typically ideal.

Seedlings thrive in semi-warm soil, with moderate daytime temperatures and slightly cooler evenings.

Q: How do you prepare the soil for grass seed?
A: To prepare the soil for grass seed, start by removing any sticks, large rocks, and weeds from the surface.

Then, break up the soil with a spade, hoe, garden fork, or core aerator, continuing to remove rocks and debris as you go. If your grass seed lacks fertilizer, add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil before planting.

Q: How often do you need to water grass seed?
A: The goal is to keep the top layer of soil moist at all times, so water grass seed once or twice a day until it germinates.

How much and how often depends on where you live and what the weather is like. When your seedlings reach about an inch tall, you can switch to watering every other day. After a few weeks, when the grass has established, weekly or bi-weekly watering should suffice.

Q: Can I plant grass seeds by throwing them?
A: Although efficient, throwing seeds can cause them to dry out fast, which prevents germination.

You want to either have existing grass protect the seed or cover it in a thin layer of topsoil for ideal growth conditions.

Conclusion:

Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix is the best grass seed overall. The seeds’ special coating makes them more absorbent, allowing your turf to thrive year-round in sun or shade.

However, if you have pets or kids and want something that can grow with heavy foot traffic, Jonathan Green Black Beauty Heavy Traffic Premium Grass Seed Mixture might be a better choice.

With that said thanks for taking the time to read our 4 Best Grass Seed To Restore A Patchy Lawn Review Guide For 2022-2023.