How do you buy good quality grass seed?

How do you buy good quality grass seed?

How do you buy good quality grass seed? The basis of a great lawn is to use good quality grass seed such as our Black Beauty Ultra.  Look for seed from reliable sources or ask a neighbor with a great lawn what they used.  Grass seed is a product of nature so look on the analysis label on the bag for low percentages of weed seed, less than 0.10%; other crop seed, less than 0.25% and inert matter under 2.00%.  Introducing more weeds or difficult to control crop seeds makes your lawn care plan tougher to get ahead.  In the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states, it seems that Tall Fescue based mixtures have become the grass seed of choice over the last 30 years.  The greatest improvements have been thinner grass blades than older “meadow-type” fescues and darker green color.   Choose the best time of year to re-seed either early spring or early fall.  I took a call from a homeowner around November 15th and they asked if this is a good time of the year to seed?  They said they heard that “the fall” is a good time to seed?  Yes, it is but why not seed in early fall not late fall so you get the maximum growth potential before cold weather sets in?

Why is soil pH so important?  All plants like to grow within a certain range of soil pH to thrive.  If your lawn soil is too low or too high grass plants will struggle to survive.  Soil pH levels of 6.2 to 7.0 are best.  If you do not know your soil pH, buy a tester from your local lawn & garden center or hardware store.  Use Mag-I-Cal to raise soil pH and sulfur based products to lower soil pH to a desirable growing level.

Lawn grasses like and need to be fed during the growing season from early spring through late fall.  If you start with quality grass seed and your soil is balanced, feeding the grass and watching it grow is the fun part. You may be able to do away with any crabgrass controls if your lawn has been growing thick and green for a few years.  I would suggest 3 to 4 feedings a year, one in early spring and then again in early June, early fall and then late fall.  If you have been only feeding your lawn 1 to 2 times a year you need to increase that to 3 or 4 times a year to develop a good lawn.  You might want to consider introducing some organic lawn fertilizers such as Black Beauty Organic Lawn Fertilizer into your lawn care plan too.  These are wonderful soil builders and offer a slow, gentle feeding that stimulates soil microbes for better lawn growth.

Keep these ideas in mind while you enjoy a winter of football, basketball, or hockey or other hobbies.