Best Grass Seed for Iowa

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Best Lawn Grass Seeds For Iowa

Grasses used in Iowa 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.

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.

Tall fescue - Turf Type - This is more of a utility grass with a little wider leaf blade than other cool season turfs. Many of the new cultivars look finer and more desirable. Many varieties are non-spreading bunch-type grass that may need overseeding to keep a dense appearance. New turf type fescue are rhizomatous like bluegrass and will help maintain a dense turf. The attributes of tall fescue are it's good drought, wear and salt tolerance. It also has pretty good heat and shade tolerance.

Click Name To View Grass Seed Choice   Type Applications
Cool Season Mix - Showtime Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun to Moderate Shade
Rye, Kentucky Bluegrass, Fine Fescue Mix
Cool Season Mix - Garland Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun to Moderate Shade
Rye, Fine Fescue Mix
Fescue/Bluegrass Mix - Combat Extreme North Cool Season Lawns - Wear Tolerant
Fescue Blend - Combat Extreme Transition Cool Season Lawns - Wear Tolerant
Fine Fescue Blend - Legacy Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun To Moderate Shade
Kentucky Bluegrass - Bluegrass Supreme Cool Season Lawns - Golf Gourses - Full Sun
Kentucky Bluegrass - Midnight Cool Season Lawns - Golf Courses - Full Sun
OSP Ryegrass Cool Season Lawns - Golf Courses
Shade Grass - Poa Supina Mix Cool Season Lawns - Full Sun - Deep Shade - Best Shade Grass
Image Title

Kentucky Bluegrass - Midnight

 
Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass is the most Popular Blue Grass In America. The images above of Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass from customers and aroundtheyard.com illustrate how beautiful Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass is. It is a unique compact-type variety grown in the plush Willamette Valley in Oregon to be distributed across the United States. Maintains a dark green color with good drought tolerance and a dwarf growth habit.
  • Dark Green Color
  • Lawns
  • Cost Efficient

Below is the USDA Zone Map for Iowa 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 Iowa
Iowa Grass Seed Iowa Zones

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 - 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
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 - 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
Ryegrass - Perennial Medium High Low to
Medium
Medium Medium Low Medium
to High

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