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Montana Grass Seed

USDA Zone Map For Montana & Best Grass Seed Choices

Page Index:

Grasses used in Montana generally consist of bluegrass or bluegrass mixtures.

Cool-Season Grasses:
Kentucky bluegrass - This is the most popular turfgrass of all cool-season grasses in the upper Midwest region. Its attributes are a nice medium leaf texture, dark green color, aggressive spreading growth habit, and pretty good tolerance to most environmental conditions except shade. There are hundreds of different cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass to choose from, some being selected for more shade tolerance, ability to take a lower mowing height, more disease or drought tolerance, and preferred texture or color of the leaf. It is best to blend three or four different Kentucky bluegrass cultivars together to maximize the desirable traits of each and to mask any undesirable traits.

Perennial ryegrass - This turf is a bunch-type turf that does not have the ability to spread like Kentucky bluegrass. It is also a shorter lived perennial in our climate thus it should be overseeded every few years if planted in a monostand. Its attributes are a very rapid establishment rate, nice medium leaf texture, good color, and high wear resistance. Perennial ryegrass is useful in mixtures with Kentucky bluegrass to control erosion until the Kentucky bluegrass can get established. It should not be used alone in Montana and should not exceed about 20% of a grass seed mixture.

Fine fescues - This is the most shade tolerant of the cool-season turfgrasses. Consequently fine fescues are popular in shade seed mixtures with other turfgrass, especially Kentucky bluegrass. Fine fescues also require less fertilizer and irrigation than most other cool-season turfs. However, it is less wear tolerant than most other cool-season turfs. Red fescue is the most widely used of the fine fescues since it is the only one that spreads by rhizomes although not very aggressively. The other fine fescues; sheeps, hard, and chewings are strictly bunch grasses. A blend of several of the fine fescues is sometimes marketed under such names as "No-Mow" or "Carefree." Contrary to the name this turf should be mowed every several weeks to maintain a dense stand of grass. Unmowed it will attain a height of 12 - 14 inches and thin out or die after a few years.

Warm-Season Grasses:
Two warm-season grasses: Buffalo and Blue Grama, do well in many areas of Wyoming featuring lower altitudes and hot, dry summers. These fine-bladed grasses are very drought tolerant, but they green up several weeks later than the cool-season varieties listed above, and they go dormant after the first hard frost. Buffalograss and blue grama should only be used in area of low rainfall in Montana or they will get out competed by cool season grasses.

Below is the USDA Zone Map for Montana so you can determine which zone you reside in. Below that are our picks for your state which will do best in your area. Next on this page are tables which list various grasses and their characteristics so you can compare before you decide on your purchase. Click on the product name (ie. Midnight) for more information about that grass and to make your purchase.

USDA Zone Map For Montana
Montana Grass Seed Montana Zones

Best Grasses For Montana
Product Name Species Category Applications
Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun
World Cup Kentucky Bluegrass Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun
Legacy Fine Fescue Cool Season Lawns - Partial Sun
Showtime Fine Fescue, Rye, Bluegrass Mix Cool Season Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun
Poa Supina Supina Bluegrass Mix Cool Season Lawns - Very Shady in Cool Zones
Maximum Rough Bluegrass Blend Cool Season Lawns - Shady in Wet Areas
Supreme Buffalo Grass Warm Season Lawns - Full Sun
/seed/native-grass-seed/blue-grama-native-grass-seed.html Blue Grama Grass Warm Season Lawns - Full Sun

Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics
Cool Season
Grasses		 Leaf
Texture		 Establish
Rate		 Nitrogen
Use		 Water
Use 		Drought
Tolerance		 Salinity
Tolerance		 Shade
Tolerance
Bentgrass - Creeping Fine Moderate
to Fast		 Low to
Moderate		 High Poor to
Moderate		 High Poor to
Moderate
Bentgrass - Colonial Fine Moderate
to Fast		 Low Moderate Poor to
Moderate		 Moderate Moderate
Bluegrass - Kentucky Moderate
to Fine		 Slow Moderate
to High		 Moderate
to High		 Good Moderate Poor
Bluegrass - Rough Moderate
to Fine		 Slow Moderate
to High		 Moderate
to High		 Poor Moderate Excellent
Fescue - Chewings Fine Moderate Moderate
to Low		 Moderate Good
to Excellent		 Low Excellent
Fescue - Hard Fine Slow to
Moderate		 Low to
Very Low		 Moderate Excellent Low to
Moderate		 Excellent
Fescue - Creeping Fine Moderate Low to
Moderate		 Moderate Good Low Excellent
Fescue - Turf Type Moderate
to Coarse		 Moderate Moderate
to High		 Low to
Moderate		 Excellent Low Good to
Excellent
Ryegrass - Perennial Fine to
Moderate		 Very Fast Moderate
to High		 Moderate
to High		 Good Poor to
Moderate		 Poor to
Moderate
Warm Season
Grasses		 Leaf
Texture		 Establish
Rate		 Nitrogen
Use		 Water
Use 		Drought
Tolerance		 Salinity
Tolerance		 Shade
Tolerance
Bahiagrass Coarse
toVery Coarse		 Slow to
Moderate		 Low Low Excellent Excellent Moderate
to Good
Bermudagrass Fine
to Moderate		 Moderate
to Fast		 Moderate Moderate
to High		 Excellent Very Good Poor
Blue Grama Fine
to Moderate		 Slow to
Moderate		 Low Low Excellent Moderate Very Poor
Buffalograss Moderate
to Coarse		 Slow to
Moderate		 Low Low Excellent Moderate Very Poor
Carpetgrass Coarse Moderate
to Fast		 Low High Low Low Excellent
Centipedegrass Moderate
to Coarse		 Slow Low Low Good Moderate Moderate
to Good
Seashore Paspalum Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Excellent Excellent Good
Zoysiagrass Fine
to Medium		 Slow to
Moderate		 Moderate Moderate Excellent Good Moderate
to Good
Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics - Continued
Cool Season
Grasses		 Fertility
Needs		 Wear
Resistance		 Mowing
Height		 Cold
Tolerance		 Acid Soil
Tolerance 		Thatching
Tendency		 Heat
Tolerance
Bentgrass - Creeping High Low Low Low Medium
to High		 High High
Bentgrass - Colonial High Low Low Low Medium
to High		 High High
Bluegrass - Kentucky Medium Medium
to High		 Medium High Medium Medium Medium
Bluegrass - Rough Medium Medium Medium High Medium Medium Medium
Fescue - Chewings Low Low Medium Medium
to High		 Medium
to High		 Low to
Medium		 Low to
Medium
Fescue - Hard Low Low Medium Medium
to High		 Medium
to High		 Low to
Medium		 Low to
Medium
Fescue - Creeping Low Low Medium High Medium
to High		 Low to
Medium		 Low to
Medium
Fescue - Turf Type Low to
Medium		 Medium
to High		 Medium
to High		 Medium High Low High
Ryegrass - Perennial Medium High Low to
Medium		 Medium Medium Low Medium
to High
Warm Season
Grasses		 Fertility
Needs		 Wear
Resistance		 Mowing
Height		 Cold
Tolerance		 Acid Soil
Tolerance 		Thatching
Tendency		 Heat
Tolerance
Bahiagrass Low Medium
to High		 High Low Low Medium
to High		 High
Bermudagrass Medium High Low to
Medium		 Low to
Medium		 Medium Medium High
Blue Grama Low Low High High Low Low High
Buffalograss Low Low High High Low Low High
Carpetgrass Low Medium
to High		 Low Medium
to High		 Medium
to High		 High Low
Centipedegrass Low Low Medium
to High		 Medium
to High		 High Medium High
Seashore Paspalum Medium
to High		 Medium
to High		 Low Medium Low Medium
to High		 High
Zoysiagrass Low to
Medium		 Medium
to High		 Low to
Medium		 High Low to
Medium		 Medium
to High		 High

Grass Seed Calculator

To calculate the amount of seed you will need for your project, click one of the links below for the type of grass seed you are interested in. A dialog window will appear listing your selected coverage and providing options for calculating your seed.

If you already know the square feet, length/width or acreage of your yard or lot, you can use the 'Quick Calculator'. If you need to add multiple lots and/or subtract areas that will not require seed, you may use the 'Advanced Calculator.'

The dialog window can be moved by clicking and dragging the top 'title bar'. You may click different types of seed to recalculate without re-entering your data.

Cool Season Grasses:
Type of Grass:Name of Grass:Square Feet Covered
Bentgrass, Colonial Highland 500 to 1000
Bentgrass, Creeping Nu Penn or Penncross 500 to 1000
Bluegrass, Creeping True Putt 350 to 500
Bluegrass, Kentucky Midnight or World Cup 350 to 500
Bluegrass, Rough Maximum 350 to 500
EnvirolawnEnvirolawn 750
Fescue, Fine Hard, Creeping, Sheeps or Legacy 150 to 200
Fescue, Turf Type Tall Combat Extreme 100 to 125
Mixtures, Turf Type Fescue & Kentucky Bluegrass Combat Blue 175 to 200
Mixtures, Ryegrass & Fine Fescue Garland 125 to 175
Mixtures, Ryegrass, Bluegrass, & Fine Fescue Showtime 175 to 250
Mixtures, Rough Bluegrass & Supina Bluegrass Poa Supina 350 to 500
Ryegrass, Perennial Outsidepride Blend 100 to 140
Warm Season Grasses:
Type of Grass:Name of Grass:Square Feet Covered
Bahia Pensacola 175 to 200
Bermuda Laprima, Princess, or Riviera 350 to 500
Blue Grama Bad River 350 to 500
Buffalo Cody or Supreme 350 to 500
CarpetCarpet 200 to 250
Centipede Coated 1000 to 2000
Seashore PaspalumSeashore Paspalum 1000
Zoysia Companion or Zenith 500 to 1000

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