Find the Best Grass Seed for Colorado Gardens

For the best grass seed for Colorado gardens, we recommend Pennington Smart Seed Fescue/Bluegrass Mix, which combines two resilient grass strains to create lush and healthy coverage for your entire garden while using up less water. Colorado’s climate requires homeowners to opt for a hardier grass that can withstand cold temperatures and moderate to low levels of precipitation.  Check out our other grass seed recommendations as well to keep your lawn looking green!

Five Great Grass Seeds for Colorado Lawns

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Growing a New Lawn from Seed in Colorado Climates

Are you thinking about starting a new lawn or improving an existing one? Seeding or reseeding your lawn can improve its color and consistency, helping you to create a yard that’s the envy of your neighbors. With the right choice of seed and some TLC, you can keep your garden looking green and pristine, even during Colorado’s colder seasons.

What to Look for in a Seed for Colorado

The type of grass seed that you choose for your garden will depend on how you plan to use your lawn. While some people are more focused on aesthetics, others might want a grass that can hold up against daily wear-and-tear.

The level of care and attention you want to put into your yard is also an important consideration. While low-maintenance turfs require less water, fertilization, and pest control, they don’t always offer the same lush lawn coverage as higher maintenance species. Several cold-season grass varieties tend to thrive best in Colorado’s climate:

• Kentucky bluegrass is one of the most popular types of grass in the Colorado region due to its soft blades, dark green color, and resilience to both weather and foot traffic. There is a misconception that Kentucky bluegrass is a water guzzler, but when properly maintained, bluegrass turf only requires moderate irrigation.
• Tall fescue has become one of the go-to grass choices for Colorado families in recent years, as it has a nice texture that rarely forms thatch and is resistant to drought. Tall fescue may not be the best choice for heavily trafficked areas, as it doesn’t stand up well to abuse from people or pets.
• Perennial ryegrass is a beautiful grass species that covers lawns in fine, dark blades. It establishes quickly and doesn’t thatch easily, and is resistant to relatively harsh soil conditions. Like tall fescue, ryegrass isn’t able to withstand foot traffic as well as Kentucky bluegrass, and it is not as tolerant to drought or cold.
• Buffalograss is actually a warm-season grass, but it grows well in Colorado climates since it can handle cold and drought. This species is best used at lower elevations due to its short summer growing season, which can leave your lawn looking yellow when it gets cold outside.

Your location, as well as your lifestyle, can help determine which type of grass you choose when seeding or reseeding your yard. Colorado has a complex terrain, and the climate that residents experience depends more heavily on the altitude at which they live. If your home is up in the mountains, you’ll probably have a very different lawn care routine than your neighbors closer to sea level.

The Best Time to Plant

For a beautiful lawn through the spring and summer, it’s a good idea to start thinking about starting your yard work in the fall. This is the best time to sow grass seeds in Colorado, whether you’re trying to establish a new lawn or reseeding your old lawn.

Cool-season grasses grow well in the fall because soil tends to stay warm and moist through mid-November, giving seeds enough time to germinate before Colorado’s chilly winter months arrive. Warm-season grasses such as buffalograss lie dormant when planted during autumn months and don’t germinate until the following spring.

Fall is also the best time to fertilize your lawn, particularly if you’re only able to get around to the task once a year. By applying fertilizer around mid-September, you’ll build a healthier turf and a stronger root system that can produce a lush, green lawn come springtime. If you live at a higher altitude, it’s a good idea to fertilize your lawn earlier rather than later, as mountainous regions tend to cool faster than land closer to sea level.

Seeding Your Lawn

When you’re ready to start growing your lawn, you need to make sure that you properly prepare your garden beforehand to avoid any future issues with grass quality.

• Get a soil test. If you’ve had trouble growing a healthy lawn in the past, the first thing you should do when seeding your lawn is to test the quality of your soil. This can help you to choose the best fertilizer for your yard by pinpointing issues with acidity, nutrient content, or the overall composition of your soil.
• Remove weeds and other pesky plants. The best time to get rid of a weed problem is before you fertilize and reseed your garden. You may want to use herbicides to deal with perennial weeds, but you can pull annual weeds by hand, as winter frosts will destroy them after you plant your lawn.
• Check your irrigation system. Getting repairs and adjustments before seeding your lawn means that you won’t have to rip up the turf later on in the year. A properly maintained irrigation will also keep your lawn green and prevent your water bill from skyrocketing.
• Aerate the soil. This is especially important when over-seeding lawns, as the process provides moist pockets where young seeds can germinate.

Once your soil is good and ready, you can add your fertilizers and reseed your garden. These should both be done on the same day. After adding fertilizer, you can use your fertilizer spreader on a low setting to efficiently spread grass seed over the entirety of your lawn. Gently rake the seed to ensure that it falls into the soil, and irrigate your land afterward to effectively seal seeds into the dirt.

You need to keep watering your lawn at least two to three times a day during germination to make sure that your grass seeds stay moist and healthy. Once your grass matures, you can cut back on your water consumption and start a mowing routine.

Our Recommendation: Pennington Smart Seed Fescue Bluegrass Mix

Growing a beautiful lawn starts with the right grass seed, and cold-season grasses tend to work best for Colorado gardens. Pennington Smart Seed Fescue/Bluegrass Mix includes a blend of two grass species that are ideal for Rocky Mountain climates. Pure-bred Kentucky bluegrass and fescue seeds create a thick, green and resilient grass that can withstand cold temperatures and resist annual droughts. This seed mixture can grow at high or low altitudes found throughout Colorado, making it a versatile option that’s suitable for homes across the state.

This robust seed mixture is relatively low maintenance, meaning that you don’t have to spend your valuable free time tending to a finicky garden. Your lawn may consume up to 30% less water than other grass seeds, which can help you to save on your monthly water bill. The mixture is also tough, so traffic from kids and pets won’t cause damage your lawn.

Photo by Scott Robinson licensed under CC BY 2.0