Grass Seed Coverage Rates

Bluegrass

• Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) has a seeding rate of 2 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Kentucky bluegrass is one of the finest turf grasses when conditions are favorable: full sun, fertile soil, sufficient rainfall and a cool climate. Bluegrass goes dormant in the summer, but will revive when cooler temperatures return.

  Rough-stalk bluegrass (Poa trivialis) has a seeding rate of 2 to 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Rough-stalk bluegrass is valued for its ability to grow in moist, shady areas. It is added to many shade-grass mixtures.

Fescue

• Red fescue (Festuca rubra) has a seeding rate of 4 to 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Red fescue thrives in areas with cool summer temperatures. It is often used in seed mixtures for its ability to thrive in either sun or shade and poorer soils.

  Tall fescue (Festuca elatior var. arundinacease) has a seeding rate of 6 to 8 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

  Tall fescue grows well in sunny dry areas, but some forms are very shade tolerant. It can also survive harsh winter conditions.

Rye Grass

• Perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne) has a seeding rate of 5 to 8 pounds per 1000 square feet. Perennial rye is a fast-germinating, rapid-growing, non-spreading grass that is usually used in seed mixtures. In the Southwest, perennial rye is often used to overseed dormant Bermuda grass lawns in winter.

Bermuda Grass

• Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) has a seeding rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Bermuda grass is widely used in the southern U.S. It is resistant to diseases, pests, high heat and drought. However, it can be very invasive in the landscape, does not tolerate shade and turns an unattractive brown in the winter.

Buffalo Grass

• Buffalo grass (Bouteloua curtipendula) has a seeding rate of 4 to 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet. It is a native turf grass of the Great Plains that is suitable for dry climates of the West. Buffalo grass is low-maintenance, surviving extremes of heat and cold and periods of drought. It does not stay green during the winter.

Zoysia Grass

• Zoysia grass (Zoysia japonica) has a seeding rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Zoysia can be grown on lower fertility soil, including coastal sandy soils, and can tolerate drought and high heat. Although winter zoysia retains its green color in the South, it turns an unattractive light tan in northern areas.