Looking for a great grass seed that grows quickly in UK climates? Here, we’ve reviewed the most popular grass seed products in the UK as of 2024.
- Brand: Pronto Seed
Price: £
Size: 1.4 kilograms
Treatment Area: 84 m²
Grass Type(s): Annual & perennial ryegrass
Results in: 7-14 days
Brand: GBW
Price: £
Size: 1 kilogram
Treatment Area: 55 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf amenity ryegrass, red fescue, chewings fescue
Results in: 7-14 days
Brand: Lawn UK
Price: ££
Size: 1 kilogram
Treatment Area: 20 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf ryegrass, bentgrass, strong creeping red fescue
Results in: 5-7 days
Brand: Grow Pure
Price: £
Size: 1 kilogram
Treatment Area: 60 m²
Grass Type(s): Turf perennial ryegrass & strong creeping red fescue
Results in: 7 days
Brand: A1 Lawn
Price: £££
Size: 5 kilograms
Treatment Area: 140 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf perennial ryegrass, chewings fescue, strong creeping red fescue
Results in: 7-21 days
Brand: Green Glen
Price: £
Size: 750 grams
Treatment Area: 20-40 m²
Grass Type(s): Perennial ryegrass and red fescue
Results in: 7-10 days
Brand: Westland
Price: £
Size: 1.6 kilograms
Treatment Area: 40 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf perennial rye grass & red fescue
Results in: 7-10 days
Table of Contents
Best Grass Seed For Home Lawns UK: June 2024
Best Overall: Pronto Seed Grass Seed
Best Fast-Growing: GBW Grass Seed
Best Hardwearing: Sprogs & Dogs Ultra Hardwearing Grass Seed
Best For Shaded Gardens: Grow Pure Grass Seed
Best Multi-Purpose: A1 Lawn AM Pro 26 Multi Purpose Grass Seed
Best For Ornamental Lawns: Green Glen Hard Wearing Grass Seed
Best Design: Gro-Sure Aqua Gel Coated Smart Grass Lawn Seed
📊 Comparison Chart of Grass Seed For UK Gardens
Scroll right on mobile to see the whole table chart
| Brand | Star Rating | Price | Size | Treatment Area | Grass Type(s) | Results in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronto Grass Seed | 5/5 | £ | 1.4 kilograms | 84 m² | Annual & perennial ryegrass | 7-14 days |
| GBW Grass Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 1 kilogram | 55 m² | Dwarf amenity ryegrass, red fescue, chewings fescue | 7-14 days |
| Sprogs & Dogs Ultra Hardwearing Seed | 4.5/5 | ££ | 1 kilogram | 20 m² | Dwarf ryegrass, bentgrass, strong creeping red fescue | 5-7 days |
| Grow Pure Grass Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 1 kilogram | 60 m² | Turf perennial ryegrass & strong creeping red fescue | 7 days |
| A1 Lawn AM Pro 26 Multi Purpose Seed | 4.5/5 | £££ | 5 kilograms | 140 m² | Dwarf perennial ryegrass, chewings fescue, strong creeping red fescue | 7-21 days |
| Green Glen Hard Wearing Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 750 grams | 20-40 m² | Perennial ryegrass and red fescue | 7-10 days |
| Gro-Sure Aqua Gel Coated Smart Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 1.6 kilograms | 40 m² | Dwarf perennial rye grass & red fescue | 7-10 days |
| Brand | Star Rating | Price | Size | Treatment Area | Grass Type(s) | Results in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronto Grass Seed | 5/5 | £ | 1.4 kilograms | 84 m² | Annual & perennial ryegrass | 7-14 days |
| GBW Grass Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 1 kilogram | 55 m² | Dwarf amenity ryegrass, red fescue, chewings fescue | 7-14 days |
| Sprogs & Dogs Ultra Hardwearing Seed | 4.5/5 | ££ | 1 kilogram | 20 m² | Dwarf ryegrass, bentgrass, strong creeping red fescue | 5-7 days |
| Grow Pure Grass Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 1 kilogram | 60 m² | Turf perennial ryegrass & strong creeping red fescue | 7 days |
| A1 Lawn AM Pro 26 Multi Purpose Seed | 4.5/5 | £££ | 5 kilograms | 140 m² | Dwarf perennial ryegrass, chewings fescue, strong creeping red fescue | 7-21 days |
| Green Glen Hard Wearing Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 750 grams | 20-40 m² | Perennial ryegrass and red fescue | 7-10 days |
| Gro-Sure Aqua Gel Coated Smart Seed | 4.5/5 | £ | 1.6 kilograms | 40 m² | Dwarf perennial rye grass & red fescue | 7-10 days |
⭐ Reviews – Best Grass Seed For Home Lawns of 2024
In our opinion, the Pronto Seed Grass Seed is the best overall grass seed for home lawns in the UK. This high quality grass seed mix is the most popular with customers, with 4.3 stars out of 5 and more than 15,000 reviews (at the time of writing).
You get 1.4 kilograms of seed for under £15, making this a better-value product than similar seed mixes. Plus, it ticks all the boxes for what you’re looking for in the best grass seeds for your UK lawn, with its DEFRA approval, fast growth in a UK climate, and resistant, hard wearing design.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Pronto Seed
Price: £
Size: 1.4 kilograms
Treatment Area: 84 m²
Grass Type(s): Annual & perennial ryegrass
Results in: 7-14 days
Best For:
Anyone looking for the best-value fast-growing UK grass seed product that produces thick, green grass with little maintenance or effort.
What Customers Say:
We found reviews from customers who had used the Pronto Seed Grass Seed to repair bare patches or improve an existing lawn, as well as customers who started their lawn from scratch. Reviewers agreed that the seed is easy to spread and starts showing results within as little as 3-4 days.
Pros:
We think the biggest benefit of this grass seed product is its value for money. You can achieve a lush green lawn without having to pay a fortune for the privilege. The Pronto Seed Grass Seed is similarly priced to 1-kilogram seed mixes, so, with its 1.4-kilogram size, it gives you more for your money.
This seed mix combines annual & perennial ryegrass, two durable, study grass types that grow well and suppress weeds in multiple seasons in the UK.
It’s quick and simple to use this seed product – just spread it on the area you want to treat, water, and wait. The grass is weed-resistant, so you shouldn’t have to worry about weeding while it grows.
Cons:
Nothing to report so far!
If your top priority is grass seed that grows quickly, we think you can’t go wrong with the GBW Grass Seed.
This premium quality grass seed mixture is designed to rapidly germinate, providing quick, consistent results (expect to see new growth within as little as 7 days). In fact, GBW is so confident in their product that they’ll offer you a full refund if you’re unhappy with the results – so you really have nothing to lose.
Quick Specs:
Brand: GBW
Price: £
Size: 1 kilogram
Treatment Area: 55 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf amenity ryegrass, red fescue, chewings fescue
Results in: 7-14 days
Best For:
Anyone with a smaller area to treat who’s looking for a reliable, UK-made grass seed mix that provides fast growth and delivers high-quality results.
What Customers Say:
The GBW Grass Seed is another popular product with customers on Amazon, with a 4.3-star rating from more than 11,000 reviews. Customers agreed that the seed grows quickly, evenly, and thickly. It’s worth checking out the Amazon reviews – lots of customers have shared images of their lawns to document the transformation over the weeks.
Pros:
We think the GBW Grass Seed is the best speedy grass lawn seed for anyone looking for fast results. Most customers saw substantial growth within at least 9-10 days.
It’s reassuring to see that this grass seed is trademark registered and has a DEFRA label, and is made in the UK, so you know you’re getting a high-quality, reliable product.
There’s a good mix of grass to increase the likelihood of healthy growth, including dwarf amenity ryegrass (which provides a tough base and can handle bad weather and shade, and prevent weed growth), as well as red fescue and chewings fescue (which are tolerant to periods of drought and help spread to bare patches).
Cons:
The GBW Grass Seed isn’t quite as good value as our top pick Pronto Seed product. While it does cost slightly less, it only contains 1 kilogram of seed.
Don’t expect to see seeds germinate in double time. It’ll still take at least a week for most people to start seeing the beginnings of new grass growth.
We’ve found that the Sprogs & Dogs Ultra Hardwearing Grass Seed is the best hardwearing grass seed you can buy in the UK today.
It’s literally in the name – this seed is designed and marketed to be hardwearing and super durable, making it suitable for lawns that see a lot of footfall, especially in homes with children and pets.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Lawn UK
Price: ££
Size: 1 kilogram
Treatment Area: 20 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf ryegrass, bentgrass, strong creeping red fescue
Results in: 5-7 days
Best For:
Families with pets or kids, or people who just want a hardy grass seed that will survive the UK seasons and maintain a thick, healthy lawn without needing any special attention or care.
What Customers Say:
More than 5,500 customers have awarded the Sprogs & Dogs Ultra Hardwearing Grass Seed an average 4.1-star rating out of 5, commenting that the seed produces “lush thick grass” and has a “very quick start”. One customer advised covering the grass with a plastic sheet for a week or two to keep the birds away.
Pros:
We think this Sprogs & Dogs seed truly lives up to its name and is the best hardwearing grass seed we’ve reviewed. It’s made from a blend of grass seeds that are known for their toughness and durability, including dwarf ryegrass, bentgrass, and strong creeping red fescue.
Plus, it’s drought-tolerant, suitable for most soil types, and well suited to growing in the UK – so it’ll survive the colder winter months and our June-July heatwaves.
If you’ve never sown grass seed before, this Sprogs & Dogs product makes it easy. You get an instructions card provided in your bag, with separate instructions for seeding a new lawn and patching up existing lawns. If you follow the instructions, you can’t go wrong!
Cons:
A 1-kilogram bag is on the pricier side at just over £15 (at the time of writing). That’s poorer value than our top two recommended products since the treatment area is apparently only 20 m².
If you have a garden that’s in partial or complete shade, we think the Grow Pure Grass Seed can’t be beaten for this purpose.
This premium shade grass seed mixes several types of shade-tolerant grass and thrives even without lots of sunlight, making it the ideal solution for shaded gardens.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Grow Pure
Price: £
Size: 1 kilogram
Treatment Area: 60 m²
Grass Type(s): Turf perennial ryegrass & strong creeping red fescue
Results in: 7 days
Best For:
Anyone with a garden or grassy space that’s in partial or full shade and doesn’t get much (or any) access to sunlight, who needs the best grass seed mix that’s specifically designed for shaded areas.
What Customers Say:
More than 5,500 customers have rated the Grow Pure Grass Seed 4.2 stars out of 5. Customers called it “grass seed on steroids” and “fantastic grass”, and we read reviews from customers who said their grass grew in a shaded area in around 4-6 days.
Pros:
The Grow Pure Grass Seed is the obvious solution for you if you have a shaded garden. The two grass types used in this mix – perennial ryegrass & strong creeping red fescue – offer excellent shade tolerance and have good wear and recovery characteristics.
These grass types are also durable, pet- and children-friendly, and developed for the UK climate, so they should germinate whatever the weather (although they’ll stay dormant in periods of frost, like all grass seed).
You have the reassurance of third-party approval with this DEFRA-approved grass seed. Grow Pure also offers to “make it right” if you’re not 100% satisfied with the product.
Cons:
Some customers said they had to wait longer than expected for the grass to start growing, so you may need to have patience depending on your situation.
Based on our research, we think the A1 Lawn AM Pro 26 Multi Purpose Grass Seed is the best multi-purpose grass seed available for UK gardens.
This versatile seed is the best grass seed mix for a variety of uses, including patch repair, thickening up fine grass, crowding out undesirable weeds with overseeding, and seeding new lawns.
Quick Specs:
Brand: A1 Lawn
Price: £££
Size: 5 kilograms
Treatment Area: 140 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf perennial ryegrass, chewings fescue, strong creeping red fescue
Results in: 7-21 days
Best For:
Folks who want a quality, third-party-approved UK grass seed that can be reliably used for a variety of purposes, including thickening existing lawns and seeding new lawns.
What Customers Say:
Customers have rated the A1 Lawn AM Pro 26 Multi Purpose Grass Seed an impressive 4.4 stars out of 5, agreeing that the seed is easy to use for a variety of purposes and produces reliable results (even if some customers found it slow to germinate).
Pros:
The A1 Lawn AM Pro 26 Multi Purpose Grass Seed is the best-value multi-purpose grass seed we’ve reviewed. The 5 kilogram bag has a coverage of up to 140 m² – that’s the size of a small-to-medium lawn in the UK – and costs around £30. You can upgrade to a bigger bag for even better value if you’re seeding a large lawn.
You get three different grass species included in this seed mix – dwarf perennial ryegrass (a better alternative to annual ryegrass, which doesn’t come back every year), chewings fescue, and strong creeping red fescue – which makes the overall mix more adaptable to the UK seasons and helps you to better achieve a thick lawn compared to one- or two-seed products.
The grass seed is also hard-wearing and fast-growing, taking 7-21 days to start sprouting, and is certified by DEFRA, FERA & SASA for quality.
Cons:
The smallest bag on Amazon is 5 kilograms, so you might end up buying much more than you need to simply seed a few bald spots.
The upfront cost is also higher because you’re paying for a larger product.
Got a pretty lawn that you want to walk on without the fear of damaging the grass? In our opinion, the Green Glen Hard Wearing Grass Seed is the best choice for you.
This Irish lawn seed mix is ideal for ornamental lawns and sports turf, and produces a beautiful, thick layer of carpet-like green grass within a matter of weeks.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Green Glen
Price: £
Size: 750 grams
Treatment Area: 20-40 m²
Grass Type(s): Perennial ryegrass and red fescue
Results in: 7-10 days
Best For:
Anyone who wants to create or improve the appearance of a carpet-like ornamental lawn with hard-wearing grass seed that’s equally attractive and durable.
What Customers Say:
Just under 1,000 customers have rated the Green Glen Hard Wearing Grass Seed 4.3 stars out of 5, and several customers shared images that show the improvement to their grass greenness, thickness, and quality within 2-3 weeks of using the product. Customers agreed that the grass is both tough and beautiful when given enough time to grow in the right conditions.
Pros:
This seed is another good multi-purpose option. It’s not only intended for overseeding existing lawns – you can also re-establish a non-existent lawn or start from scratch.
People who care about lawn aesthetics should appreciate the Green Glen Hard Wearing Grass Seed. It produces lush, thick, green grass that makes for the perfect ornamental lawn, blending perennial ryegrass and red fescue – two grass types that are tolerant to closer mowing and dryer conditions.
We also think you’ll love the high shade tolerance of this hard-wearing lawn seed – it’s suitable for shady gardens, light shade, and areas of full sunlight – as well as its high 95% germination rate and its fast 7-10-day growth speed.
Cons:
Some customers complained about patchiness on their seeded lawn.
The manufacturer describes the product as “reasonably fast growing”, so you might have moderate-to-slow-growing grass depending on your situation.
The Gro-Sure Aqua Gel Coated Smart Grass Lawn Seed is our top pick for the best grass seed design.
This UK grass seed has been coated with a special aqua gel – a blue coating that helps you identify the loction of the seeds and seems to deter birds, perhaps due to the fact that birds can’t easily detect it as seed by sight or smell.
Quick Specs:
Brand: Westland
Price: £
Size: 1.6 kilograms
Treatment Area: 40 m²
Grass Type(s): Dwarf perennial rye grass & red fescue
Results in: 7-10 days
Best For:
Anyone who appreciates a specially-designed grass seed product that’s better formulated for success than other grass seeds.
What Customers Say:
The average star rating for the Gro-Sure Aqua Gel Coated Smart Grass Lawn Seed is 4.3 stars, and customers agreed that this seed product grows well, is easy to use, and produces grass in a nice shade of green. While many reviewers praised the seed’s aqua gel coating, a few did say that the blue colouration didn’t deter birds from eating the seeds in their situation.
Pros:
If you want a grass seed product that’s carefully designed for improved success, the Gro-Sure grass seed is just the ticket. Its aqua gel coating has several benefits, including protecting the seed from under- and over-watering, improving seed-soil contact, and helping you to better see the seeds as you sow them.
We think this is the best grass seed for anyone who wants to see good results from a reliable, thoughtfully designed product. In fact, Westland says the lawn seed is guaranteed to grow (as long as you follow the pack instructions).
The grass seeds in the mix may vary throughout the year, but they’re typically dwarf perennial rye grass & red fescue, which are tolerant to hot, dry conditions and grow healthily in shaded areas.
Cons:
Some customers said that they didn’t get complete, thick growth the first time around. It’s worth keeping hold of the leftover seed in case you need to make a second pass once the grass has started to grow.
Our Lawn
Before we share our tips for buying grass seed, we think you’ll find it helpful to see what our lawn looks like. As shown in the pictures, we don’t have a problem with sparseness or bald patches. This is due to the fact that we’ve tested a variety of grass seeds in the past few years. But we do have more weeds than we’d like, and our lawn is far from perfect.
Methodology: How We Selected The Grass Seed In This Guide
If you want to know how we picked and reviewed the grass seed in this guide, we’ve shared the methodology behind our choices below.
Step 1: Researching All The Products Available
First, we looked online for all the grass seed we could find that was currently being sold in the UK. This included looking on seller websites and big name stores and marketplaces like Amazon, ensuring that we had access to all the available options. We made a list of these products and noted their defining features (grass type, typical growth rate, etc.).
Step 2: Reading Customer Reviews
Next, we read customer reviews to learn about the general customer experience with the grass seeds we’d found. We wanted to see how these products compared to the manufacturer’s claims and promises. Sites like Amazon were particularly helpful for this purpose because many customers had shared before and after photos of their lawn along with a description of how long the grass had taken to grow.
Step 3: Conversations With Manufacturers
Our next step was to contact manufacturers to obtain specific information that we needed to compare products. Some of this information was already available online, but speaking to various customer service teams helped us to fill in the gaps. We also took this opportunity to review the quality of customer care.
Step 4: Testing A Selection Of Lawn Mowers
Finally, we tested and reviewed the grass seed we’d shortlisted in the above steps, using the following factors to rank them:
- Dependency of results: 25%
- Ease of application: 20%
- Growth rate: 15%
- Price: 15%
- Hardiness: 15%
- Maintenance requirements: 10%
👀 6 Things To Look For In The Best Grass Seed For Home Lawns
When you’re looking for the best grass seed products in the UK, we recommend prioritising the following features:
💪 Hardwearing
Hardwearing grass seed is essential on most UK lawns. There are a few reasons why a hardy grass seed product is important for gardens in the UK:
We experience a variety of weather conditions throughout the UK seasons, so our lawns need to be tolerant to a variety of climates.
You probably want to be able to walk on your lawn throughout the year, especially in the summer. A hardwearing grass type won’t be damaged by foot traffic and should continue to grow healthily even during periods of high food traffic.
Heardwearing grass recovers quickly, bounces back from damage, and helps your lawn to retain visual appeal even under heavy use. Regardless of how you plan to use your lawn, buying hardy grass seed will sustain your lawn year-round.
Some of the most heardwearing grass seed types in the UK are perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, smooth-stalk meadowgrass, and creeping red fescue.
Many of the best grass seed products in this guide combine several of these grass seed species that are tolerant and durable, and should help you achieve a lush green lawn in the UK.
🏁 Fast-Growing
Whether you’re establishing a new lawn or you’re seeding a patchy or sparse lawn, you want to see results quickly.
Look for a fast-growing grass seed product if you want to see results within around 7-14 days of sowing your seeds.
The manufacturer should offer an estimated speed of growth for their grass seed in the product description. You can also check customer reviews and look at before-and-after images to see how quickly and effectively the seed grows in a typical UK garden.
🗺 Good Coverage
Good coverage is another feature to look for in the best grass seed products in the UK.
You want a grass seed that grows and spreads easily, providing uniform coverage for a thick, full finish, and minimizing the available lawn space for weed growth.
Poor-quality grass seed may offer poor coverage, meaning that the grass doesn’t grow evenly and has bald patches.
Look for high-quality grass seed products that include grass seed species that are known for providing good coverage when sown correctly. These include perennial ryegrass, creeping red fescue, dwarf ryegrass, and chewings fescue.
🌱 Combination Of Grass Species
We recommend buying a grass seed product that combines different types of grass, rather than a single-type grass seed.
The reason for this is that grass seed mixes often include a combination of seed types that are able to thrive in different conditions. This makes the mix more adaptable to the various weather conditions experienced throughout the year, and the different soil types in the UK.
Using a grass seed mix offers you a better likelihood of establishing a healthy lawn, with a more uniform surface, colour, and grass coverage, even if one grass seed type is resistant or intolerant to your specific conditions.
Sellers of grass seed mixes should list which grass seed types are used, and the ratio of these different seed types.
Look at seed mixes containing ryegrass and fescue grasses if you have a shady garden, and choose a mix containing tall fescue grass if you want a lawn that’s particularly tolerant to wet weather. If your lawn has sandy or dry soil, go for a grass mix that contains meadowgrass or fescue grasses.
🍀 Weed Resistant
Certain types of grasses help to prevent weed growth because they grow quickly and spread aggressively, so they choke out weeds.
The thicker and better quality your lawn, the less room there is for weed growth. So, look for quality grass seed, and focus on seed mixes that combine fast-growing grass types, like rye and fescue grasses.
✅ DEFRA Approved
If manufacturers of grass seed want to market their product in the UK, they need to apply to get their product tested and certified by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Check the product information or contact the manufacturer directly to ask for proof of a DEFRA certification or approval. This tells you that the product has been professionally tested and analyzed by a third party and deemed suitable for use in the UK.
You can learn more about DEFRA certifications and the licensing needed for selling seeds in the UK on the GOV website.
🧾 10 Considerations When Buying Grass Seed For Your Lawn
As well as looking at the best grass seed features, also consider the following factors when shopping for grass seed in the UK.
💰 Your Budget
Your budget is where you should begin.
The average price for a 1-kilogram bag of grass seed in the UK is £8-£15.
The price per kilogram depends on the grass quality, the manufacturer’s reputation, and the types of grass seed that are included.
The bigger the bag, the more money you’ll pay upfront, but (generally) the lower the cost per gram.
So, if you plan to seed your lawn every year, or you have a big project on your hands, you might want to buy a big bag to spend less money in the long run.
🟩🟢 Lawn Size
Your lawn size, or the area of turf that you want to seed, is also something to consider before you spend money on grass seed.
The best grass seed manufacturers should share an estimate of the surface area that the bag size is intended for.
They’ll also share instructions on how much sees to use (usually in grams) per square metre of your lawn.
Measure the space that you plan to sow grass seed, then use this information to determine the size/weight of the seed product that you need for the job.
🆕 New Lawn Vs Upkeep
Are you looking to seed a new lawn from scratch, or do you just want to achieve a thicker lawn or fill in some sparse areas?
This will affect the type of grass you choose and the amount you’ll need.
It’s best to choose a mixture of grass seed for a new lawn rather than a single type of seed. As we mentioned earlier, using brass seed mixes makes it easier to achieve a thick, green lawn because different grass types have different tolerances to the various soil types and weather conditions that they might be exposed to in the UK.
🏜 Soil Type
Your soil type will also determine the type of grass seed that’s best for your lawn.
Most soils in the UK are sandy soil, clay soil, or organic soil. The majority of grass seeds can grow healthily in any of these soil types, but certain types of grass may be more suitable for your lawn than others.
For instance, various fescue species (including tall fescue, chewings fescue, and strong creeping red fescue) can tolerate heavy clay soils. Meanwhile, grass species that can tolerate well-drained sandy soils include fine fescue and perennial ryegrass.
☀️ Shade Vs Sun
Certain types of grass are better suited to shaded areas, while others are intended for use in areas that get full sun for part of, or most of, the day.
Make sure to choose the right grass seed for your garden’s sunlight access (or lack of) so your lawn can thrive.
Certain grass types are better suited to shade because they have characteristics that enable them to thrive in low-light conditions.
Fine fescue, browntop bentgrass, rough stalk meadowgrass, and hard fescue can photosynthesize more efficiently without needing lots of sunlight, and can capture and utilize light more effectively. Choose these grass types if your garden is in partial or full shade.
If your lawn gets lots of sunlight, you have the choice between pretty much every single grass type that’s suitable for the UK climate, since all grass types appreciate the sun, and there’s no such thing as too much sun (as long as there is also rain).
🚦 Lawn Foot Traffic
How much foot traffic does your lawn get in the spring-autumn season? Most grass species are designed to withstand some stress from footfall, but remember that grass is a plant, and excess impact from walking could cause noticeable damage.
If you have children or pets, or you spend a lot of time walking on your lawn in the warmer months, look specifically for grass seeds that are hardwearing and resistant to damage from foot traffic.
We recommend strong creeping red fescue, perennial ryegrass, and smooth stalk meadowgrass if your lawn gets a lot of foot traffic. Some of the features of these grass types are:
High wear tolerance, allowing them to bounce back quickly after being subjected to physical stress.
Dense growth habit, forming thick, lush turf that is denser, cushioning the impact of foot traffic and distributing the stress across a larger area, which reduces damage to individual plants.
Deep roots, anchoring the grass in place and preventing it from being pulled out of the soil due to footfall.
🐶 Pets
Certain types of grass seed aren’t pet-friendly, so check that your chosen grass seed is safe for animals if you have pets.
Look for grass seed mixes that only contain grass types that are non-toxic to pets. Pet-friendly grass seed should also produce soft, fine-textured grass with a low irritation potential, which won’t cause discomfort or injury to your pets’ delicate paw pads.
Don’t only think about how your grass might affect your pet – also think about how your pet might affect your grass.
Dogs are especially likely to do their business on your lawn, so if you have a canine member of your family, choose a grass type that’s more resistant to damage and discoloration caused by dog urine, like tall fescue and perennial ryegrass.
👷 Prep Work
Planting grass seed isn’t as simple as scattering the seeds and letting them get on with growing. Ground preparation is often essential in ensuring effective grass growth, and can help you to get the most out of the best grass seed product.
Regardless of the season, you’ll need to prepare your soil properly before planting grass seed. This involves removing any existing vegetation, loosening the soil, and adding amendments (such as sand if your lawn has poor drainage, and fertilizers to put nutrients into the soil), if necessary to create a favorable seedbed.
Proper soil preparation provides an optimal environment for seed germination and root development. Make sure to check the manufacturer’s recommendations on prep work before you start seeding your lawn.
🌨 Planting Season
The time of the year that you plant grass seed will play a part in its growth.
Most grass seeds in the UK should either be planted in early spring (mid-March to April) or autumn (September to mid-October). These seasons are the best times to sow grass seed because temperatures are high enough that there’s no risk of frost, and conditions are favourable for grass seed germination and establishment.
Check the instructions on your grass seed package to see what the manufacturer recommends for planting times. If possible, plan ahead and sow your seed when advised to, so you can get the best results from the product.
🛠 Maintenance & Upkeep
Maintenance is another important part of seeding your lawn. Without proper maintenance, your grass may fail to establish, resulting in poor or patchy growth.
Basic maintenance tasks include:
Water the seeded area once a day, using enough water to make the ground moist but not puddle (which could rot the seeds).
Monitor the area for weed growth, and hand-pull out the weeds that you notice. Weeds compete with grass seedlings for resources, hindering their growth.
There’s usually no need to fertilize the seed because grass seed already contains everything it needs for healthy growth in optimal conditions.
Just make sure to avoid walking on the area for at least 3-4 weeks to prevent soil compaction, which could make it more difficult for the grass to grow.
Important note: this review was last updated in June 2024. We apologise if pricing or availability has since changed for any of the products mentioned above.