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Selecting Grass Seed

We walk on it, play sports on it and expect it to look great all year long – our lawns.  But harsh weather, animals and less than ideal growing conditions take its toll, resulting in dead patches and thin lawns. 

Late August through mid-September is the best time to seed a lawn and repair damaged areas.  The soil is warm and the air is cool – ideal for growing grass.  Start the repair process by selecting the best grass seed for the growing conditions.

Use a sunny mix for those full sun locations.  They have a high percent of sun tolerant Kentucky bluegrass.  While shade mixes have a higher percent of shade tolerant fescue seed.  Sun-shade mixes include both, so the bluegrass takes over in the sun and the fescue fills in the shady spots.  Durable or high traffic mixes have wear-tolerant grass perfect for areas where family, pets, and kids love to play.  Most mixes include turf-type perennial rye for quick fill, wearability and pest resistance.

A bit more information:  You can purchase or make your own lawn repair kit.  Simply take a handful of the grass seed best suited to the growing conditions and mix it into a bucket of topsoil.  Roughen up the bare spot, removing any dead grass, and sprinkle the seed-soil mix over the area.  Water thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil surface moist.  Be sure to mulch large areas with straw, Grass-Fast fabric or other material to conserve moisture.

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