Many homeowners strive for that elusive green lawn but aren’t sure what the best grass seeds you should plant in your region.
If you’re looking for the best grass seed for a new lawn, plan to Reserve your lawn, or Patch some bare spots, you’ve come to the right place.
Today, we share our Reviews of the best grass seeds to buy. These seeds will help you grow grass fast and achieve the perfect emerald-green lawn in your climate.
Before Viewing the Best Grass Seed for New Lawns – Check Out the Grass “Hardiness Zone” Map Below:
First, Find your Zone,
Then refer to the grass seed choices in our review and determine if your zone will accommodate that grass seed choice.
The 8 Best Grass Seeds To Buy In 2025:
Editor’s Choice: Jonathan Green 10322 Black Beauty
Why We Like It
This mix gets our vote for the best overall grass seed. It features a blend of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye, and black beauty tall fescue.
The Jonathan Green Black Beauty is blended explicitly to grow dark, lush green grass, creating perfect depth and color for your lawn.
Specs
- 7-pound bag
- Covers up to 2,800 square feet
- Rated for partial shade to full sun
- Suitable for clay soil
- Drought and disease-resistant
Our Take Away
Overall, Jonathan’s mix is a versatile solution for a wide range of lawns. It can easily improve any property and grow a robust, healthy bed of grass.
Best Application for Growing
- All Growing Zones
- Partial Shade or Sun Exposure
- Germination TIme – 7 – 14 days*
JONATHAN GREEN GRASS SEED
Runner Up – Best Grass Seed: Pennington “Smart Seed”
Why We Like It
Pennington Smart Seed will produce thick, healthy grass while using less water.
According to the manufacturer, this intelligent grass seed blend requires up to 30 percent less water than comparable mixes from other brands, making it a perfect solution in dry climates.
Pennington’s Smart Seed mix is also highly resistant to insects and fungus, which helped make it one of our top choices in our best grass seed reviews.
Specs
- 7-pound bag
- Covers up to 3,330 square feet
- Low water requirements
- Grows in the sun or shade
Our Take Away
Pennington Smart Seed grows new grass in various conditions, from intensive patch repair to complete seeding of a new lawn. Our reviews found this seed germinates quickly and grows well in multiple climates and sun or shade.
Best Application for Growth:
- Any Growing Zone
- Sun or Shade Exposure
- Very drought tolerant
- Germination Time: 7-14 days *
PENNINGTON GRASS SEED
Best Grass Seed for Shade: Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade
Why We Like It
Many homeowners struggle with “how to plant grass in the shade.” One of the biggest challenges of maintaining a healthy lawn is getting grass to grow and thrive in low-light conditions.
However, with Scott’s Turf builder for a dense shade mix, you can get a thick, healthy lawn, even in areas without sunlight. We’re also big fans of the seed coating used in this blend, which helps the seeds retain additional water.
Specs
- Tall fescue blend
- 3-pound bag
- Water absorbent coating
- Grows with as little as 3 hours of direct sunlight per day
Our Take Away
But Scott’s Dense Shade mix is a low-light grass seed blend that works well. This seed blend is a great place to start if you’re trying to get the darker areas of your lawn back into proper shape.
Best Application for Growth
- Transition Regions – Best for Growing Zone 6 & 7
- Requires only 3 hours of sunlight per day
- Germination Time: 6 – 21 days *
SCOTT’S GRASS SEED
VIDEO: How To Plant Grass Seed
Fastest Growing Grass Seed: Jonathan Green 10840
No products found.Why We Like It:
Whether your lawn has suffered from winter draught or you’re patching bare spots, fast germination times are essential to fix a lawn quickly.
This blend from Jonathan Green germinates in just 5 -14 days, ensuring that your yard will recover as quickly as possible. It is suitable for both sun and shade conditions.
Specs:
- Germinates in 14 days or less
- Covers up to 1,500 square feet
- Fast-growing
- Great for rapid patch repair
Our Take Away:
Our review found that this Jonathan Green grass seed mix is excellent for overseeding and starting new lawns in various conditions.
Thanks to its versatility, this seed is a beautiful option for people who usually have difficulty growing grass in their yards.
Best Application for Growth:
- Northern and Transitional Climates
- Sun or Shade Exposure
- Germination Time: 5-14 Days *
JONATHAN GRASS SEED
Best Grass Seed for Lawn Repair: Scotts EZ Seed
Why We Like It
Sometimes, lawns need more than patching; this is when Scotts EZ Seed repair mix comes into play. With mulch, seed, and fertilizer mixed into a single product, this grass seed blend practically ensures grass will grow, even in difficult spots.
Also, if you live in a hotter climate, Scott’s EZ seed is considered a favorite for patching St. Augustine Grass. It works to repair bare patches or boost the growth of St. Augustine grass plugs.
Thanks to the seed blend, this mix will grow in light conditions.
Specs
- 20-pound bag
- It covers up to 445 square feet
- Includes mulch, fertilizer, and grass seed
- Will grow in dense shade
Our Take Away
Although this mix requires a lot to tackle a relatively small area, it’s one of the most powerful tools for repairing your lawn.
If large sections of your lawn need repair, a few bags of Scott’s EZ seed Repair, with a mulch and fertilizer blend, will help you get your yard back on course quickly.
Best Applications for Growth:
- All Zones
- Sun or Shade
- Germination Time – 10-14 days *
SCOTTS EZ GRASS SEED
Best Grass Seed Patch Kit: Scotts Thick’R Lawn
Why We Like It
A great performer in sunny or shaded conditions, Scott’s Thick’R Lawn grass seed is a versatile, all-in-one seeding product.
It includes grass seed, fertilizer, and soil, ensuring the grass seed will germinate quickly and thrive on the added nutrients.
Specs
- Grass seed, soil, and fertilizer combination
- The bag Covers up to 1,200 square feet
- It greatly improves lawn thickness
Our Take Away
In our opinion, Scott’s Thick’R Lawn seed and soil blend is a secret lawncare weapon any novice homeowner should keep handy.
While it’s great for any application, it stands out as the best grass seed for overseeding and keeping weeds at bay.
If your lawn needs some extra thickness to look its best, consider using Scotts Thick’R Lawn for quick, effective results.
Best Application for Growing:
- All Growing Zones
- Great for Patching – Includes soil, fertilizer, and grass seed
- Germination Time: 8 -14 days *
SCOTTS THICK-R-LAWN – GRASS SEED
Best “Bermuda” – Grass Seed Repair: Pennington One-Step Complete
Why We Like It
Bermuda grass isn’t always easy to maintain because it is primarily grown in Southern states and scorching climates. We’re pleased that Pennington developed a Bermuda grass seed product for patching Bermuda lawns.
With fertilizer included, Pennington’s One Step Complete allows new Bermuda grass seed to germinate quicker and blend into any existing lawn.
Specs
- 8.3-pound bag
- Covers up to 125 square feet
- Rated for full sun
Our Take Away
In our view, Pennington One Step Complete Bermudagrass solves the problem of caring for bermudagrass lawns and saves a lot of work in growing a lawn fast.
Pennington One-Step Complete is also among the best grass seeds for full-sun areas.
Best Applications for Growth
- Use for Bermuda Grass Lawns Only
- Growing zones 10 & 11 (only)
- Sun or Shade Exposure
- Germination Time: 12-14 days *
PENNINGTON ONE-STEP GRASS SEED
Best “Heat Tolerant” Grass Seed: “Zenith” Zoysia Grass Seed
Why We Like It
Although grasses are hardy naturally, extreme heat often gets the best of them.
However, Zoysia grass is one of the best-rated grass seeds for hotter climates, and that is why Zenith Zoysia brand grass seed rounds out our review of the best seeding products for Hot climates.
While Bermuda grass is a clear favorite for hot climates, it mostly looks and feels like crabgrass.
If you want a more attractive, thinner blade of grass and a thick, lush, hardy lawn in blazing hot climates, Zoysia grass is one of the best options you can plant.
Specs
Our Take Away
Zenith Zoysia grass seed grows a gorgeous and thick lawn. With that said, zoysia is a more challenging variety of seeds to germinate than others, meaning you’ll have to control conditions carefully to establish your new grass.
Once it’s mature, though, zoysia grass is a tough, hardy grass that will keep your lawn looking great year after year.
Best Application for Growth
- Sun or Partial Shade Exposure
- To Grow in Zones 7 & 8 – plant between June – August
- To Grow in Zone 9 – plant between May – September
- To Grow in Zone 10 and warmer – plant year-round
- Germination Time: 14 – 21 days *
ZENITH ZOYSIA GRASS SEED
*Note: The manufacturer estimates seed germination times. Actual seed germination will occur based on your soil conditions, available sunlight, water, and temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Best Time To Grow Grass from Seed?
As a rule of thumb, the best time and “air temperature” to grow grass seed is between 60 – 70 degrees.
Cool-climate grasses (Rye, Kentucky Blue, Fescue) can be planted at temperatures as low as 55 degrees, and warm-weather grasses (Zoysia & Bermuda) can germinate in air temperatures up to 80 degrees.
Can You Throw Grass Seed on Thin Areas of Existing Lawns?
“Overseeding” describes casting new grass seed over parts of a lawn that are sparse with grass.
Ideally, you should lightly rake the lawn in the area you intend to overseed first and follow the overseed with light watering 4-5 times weekly over the next two weeks or until you see the new grass has germinated (grown).
What Is the Best Grass Seed for Shade?
As noted in our review above, the best grass seed for shade we’ve found is Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade.
This seed mix can grow in as little as 3 hours of sun per day and outperforms even the most dense shade seed products.
What Is the Best Grass Seed for a New Lawn?
In our opinion, Jonathan Green Black Beauty is the best grass seed for establishing a new lawn, overseed or patched. Because Black Beauty grass seed is a mix of Kentucky blue, Rye, and Fescue, it is engineered to grow thick, dark green lawns.
This grass seed blend is also perfect for establishing a new property from scratch.
If you select this seed, you’ll be amazed at how good your new lawn looks once the grass is mature.
How Long Does It Take Grass Seed to Germinate?
With the proper amount of sunshine and watering, most gras seeds germinate between five and seven days, with slow-growing varieties taking up to 21 days.
Check the seed product you plan to use for detailed germination and growing time information.
What is the fastest-growing grass seed?
Based on our reviews, the fastest-growing grass seed is the Jonathan Green 10820 blend. With germination occurring in 5-10 days, this grass seed will quickly lead you to a new lawn.
Conclusion
As you can see, many options exist for finding the right grass seed for your lawn. However, it is essential to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for planting the grass seed type at the recommended temperature range.
Our reviews found that Jonathan Green Black Beauty, Scotts Thick’R Lawn Patch, and Scotts Turf Builder Dense Shade were the best grass seed options, depending on where you live and what you hope to achieve.
Remember that different grass seeds respond better or worse to hot or cold temperatures and sun or shade.
The successful germination and growth of grass seed will depend on the available sunshine, temperatures, and precipitation you provide.
Don’t forget to use proper lawn mowing methods to ensure your grass stays healthy!
Good luck growing your new lawn. Please be sure to leave us a comment below. Thanks again for visiting BesthomeGear.com.
Additional References and Further Reading:
- Need to Replace the Pull Cord on Your Lawnmower? – BestHomeGear.com
- 8 More Ways To Use Your Leaf Blower! – BestHomeGear.com
- How to Grow Grass from Seed – Pennington.com
- What You Can Do In Your Yard – Fertilizer/Nutrient Pollution Tips – EPA.Gov
- How to Grow New Lawn From Grass Seed – MichiganStateUniversity.Edu
- How to Fix A Bumpy Lawn – BesthomeGear.com