Choosing the Proper Grass Seed Mix

If there is any real secret to having a successful yard or lawn, then that secret lies in picking the best possible grass seeds. Luckily, choosing the proper grass seed mix only requires that you know a few simple guidelines. As you look at your options, keep in mind these guidelines, and you will be well on your way to getting the proper grass seed mix for your particular yard.

• Know your region. In order to pick the best possible grass seeds for your yard you will need to first know the area that you live in. This means that you need to know what the average weather, rainfall, heat, soil conditions, and types of grass work best in the area around your home. Do your research properly, and you will have narrowed down your possibilities by quite a bit.
• Know your yard. Closely related to knowing your region is knowing your particular yard. Just as every region is different, so is every yard within that region. Often yards that are right next to each other can have a different type of soil, different drainage rates, nutrients counts, and so on. At the very least you should have your soil tested at your county extension office, and you will learn a lot of the basic information that you need. Watching, and timing, how quickly your lawn drains water after a severe rain storm can also tell you how the drainage works.
• Traffic conditions. How much traffic are you planning on having your grass experience? Knowing the different traffic lanes, and the overall traffic rates, you plan on having your grass experience can tell you specifically what grasses you will want to use. Different types of grasses will perform differently under the same conditions, so make sure that you know what the different types of grasses can experience before you make your final decision.
• Take a look at several nurseries. For some great locally specific information, you should take a look at the different nurseries in your area. Not only will the nurseries carry the types of grass seeds that work best in your particular area, but also have some great information about which one works best given your particular soil conditions. Before you make your final decision, make sure that you visit a couple of different nurseries to verify the information, and also ensure that the grass seed options are consistent.

Once you have finished working your way through the guidelines, you can then make your final decision. Keep in mind that you will want to choose the seed type that will match your observations and notes from above. Furthermore you need to remember that once you have chosen the particular type of seed it still needs to be planted and maintained.