Order Online, Pick Up In Store
When to Plant Grass Seed in Pennsylvania
Having a beautiful, lush lawn instantly transforms your property. Your grass is one of the first things you see when you approach your home, and it can directly reflect the care you take in your residence.
Knowing the grass seed types that thrive in Pennsylvania and the best time of year to plant them can help you keep your PA yard in top condition.
Best Grass Seed for Pennsylvania Residents
Cool-season and warm-season grasses can grow in Pennsylvania, but cool-season grasses are more common and favored because of the climate. Many lawns feature a mixture of common grass species.
Explore the best seed types for your PA property below.
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass is a cool-season and perennial lawn grass. This means that it does not typically die in the winter, and you only have to plant it once for it to grow back the following season. Kentucky bluegrass is a hardy species that can tolerate cold, dry conditions and moderate heat.
When cared for properly, this type of grass makes a truly attractive lawn for homes. Its beautiful medium to dark green color, paired with the species' persistence, also makes it an ideal seed for athletic fields and private grounds.
Planting Kentucky bluegrass in late summer or early fall when the temperature cools and it rains more is best. This grass favors sunny areas and well-draining soil. It also requires more nitrogen fertilizer than most other cool-season grasses.
Tall Fescue Turfgrass
Tall fescue is another durable and persistent grass, perfect for various settings, from home lawns to parks and athletic grounds. Because of its hardiness and generally low-maintenance needs, it is also ideal for growing if you are new to planting grass seeds. This turfgrass is characterized by its wide, dark green blades that grow in individual bunches.
Tall fescue does well in sunny, open areas and is one of the most drought and heat-resistant cool-season grasses.
Fine Fescues
These narrow-leaved species of turfgrass come in a few different varieties, including creeping red, hard, sheep and Chewings fescue.
Fine fescues generally have a medium to dark green color and fine-textured blades that grow uniformly. They prefer drier soil that drains well and shaded areas. This species does not typically thrive in poor-draining soil, excessively hot temperatures and humid conditions.
Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass is a fast-growing cool-season turfgrass that is quite versatile as it can grow well in different regions and temperatures. Perennial ryegrass can be quite hardy, persistent and naturally resistant to some pesky insects and diseases. This contributes to its low-maintenance nature, making it ideal if you are just starting your lawn care journey.
Another element that makes perennial ryegrass a popular choice is its beautiful pale green color. It is such an attractive lawn that it is the main species of grass at The Wimbledon Tennis Club and at Augusta National Gold Club — which says a lot about how good perennial ryegrass lawns look and how durable they are!
Bentgrass
The two most common bentgrasses are creeping and colonial bentgrass — both of which you can grow in Pennsylvania. These grasses have a light to medium green color that sets them apart from many other lawn grasses. With their fine to medium texture and appealing color, bentgrasses are often used for bowling greens and other fields.
They are versatile grasses that are both cold- and heat-tolerant. They require proper irrigation and need to be treated regularly with fungicides and herbicides to ensure they thrive.
How to Plant Grass Seed in Pennsylvania
Two primary aspects influence how to plant grass seed so that your lawn grows and thrives — when you plant your grass seeds and how you care for your lawn. With a greater understanding of these two areas, you can grow grass that looks amazing and lasts.
When to Plant Grass Seed in PA
Pennsylvania has a diverse landscape that significantly influences the state's climate. Overall, Pennsylvania has a continental climate that is characterized by warm, humid summers, pleasant springs and wet and snowy falls and winters.
With this climate, some of the best grass seeds are cool-season grasses. This means that for most areas across Pennsylvania, the best time to plant grass seed is in late summer and early fall when the weather becomes milder and it starts to rain more.
5 Tips for Growing and Caring for Pennsylvania Grass
Growing and caring for your lawn can be easier with these core tips:
- Test and adjust your soil: Testing your soil beforehand is vital to knowing the pH level, which should be between 6 to 7. If your soil is outside of this range, you can add calcium carbonate to raise the pH or elemental sulfur, aluminum sulfate or sulfuric acid to lower the pH.
- Prepare the soil: Gather your gardening tools and start preparing your soil by aerating it. This involves making small holes in the ground so that the soil is not too compact and air and water can penetrate it more easily.
- Get a seed that suits your lawn: Take your time exploring a range of grass seeds and opt for the one that best suits your property. You can choose seeds depending on your soil type and how much shade or sun your lawn gets and then match that to seeds with similar growing preferences.
- Follow instructions: Seed packets each contain instructions specific to the species you have — from when you should plant them to how deeply you should plant the seed to the amount of water and sunlight it needs.
- Do not ignore weeds: Weeds can rob your grass of essential nutrients, sunlight and water. Having effective weed control methods is essential for your grass to keep thriving.
Visit Busy Beaver Building Centers for Your Lawn Care Needs Today
Knowing the best seeds in Pennsylvania makes transforming your lawn into a thriving landscape easier. If you need help finding the right grass type for your Pennsylvania home, the team at Busy Beaver Building Centers can help!
We are a home improvement center that stocks everything from lawn and garden products to furniture and decor, building materials, cleaning supplies and appliances. At Busy Beaver Building Centers, we prioritize our communities with excellent customer services that include affordable inventory, in-store and online deals, price matches and a rewards program.
We are proud to be your neighborhood home improvement store with locations across Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. Our big box inventory is all available online, and you can choose in-store or curbside pickup. Shop our grass seeds and other home improvement products today!
