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Grass Types

Match the grass to your climate and how you use the yard. The wrong species causes most chronic lawn problems.

4 guides

Start with the numbers

Work out quantities and costs before you read further.

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Grass Seed Calculator

Seeding rates differ by species by a factor of twenty, bermudagrass wants 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft, perennial ryegrass wants 8. Pick your grass and whether you're starting fresh or overseeding.

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Sod Calculator

Enter your lawn area to get square feet, individual pieces, and pallets, plus the cut allowance you'll actually need. Sod is perishable, so ordering short means a second delivery fee.

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Lawn Calculator

Rather than running four calculators separately, enter your lawn size and grass type once and get the full picture, seed, nitrogen for the year, water per week, and what the whole thing costs to maintain.

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Compare turfgrass species

Seeding rates, mowing heights, and tolerances side by side. Ratings run 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

Cool-season grasses

GrassSeed rate (new)Mow heightShadeDroughtTraffic
Kentucky bluegrass2–3 lb/1k2.5–3.5 in2/52/54/5
Tall fescue6–8 lb/1k3–4 in3/54/54/5
Perennial ryegrass6–9 lb/1k1.5–2.5 in2/52/55/5
Fine fescue4–5 lb/1k2.5–4 in5/54/52/5

Warm-season grasses

GrassSeed rate (new)Mow heightShadeDroughtTraffic
Bermudagrass1–2 lb/1k1–2 in1/55/55/5
Zoysiagrass1–2 lb/1k1–2.5 in3/54/54/5
Centipedegrass0.25–0.5 lb/1k1–2 in3/53/52/5
St. AugustinegrassNot seeded2.5–4 in4/53/52/5
Bahiagrass6–10 lb/1k2.5–4 in2/55/53/5
Buffalograss2–4 lb/1k2–4 in1/55/53/5

Rates are for new lawns from bare soil. Overseeding uses roughly half. Work out your exact quantity.

Grass Types guides

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