Best Grass Seed for New Mexico

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Best Lawn Grass Seeds For New Mexico

Grasses used in New Mexico consist of cool-season and warm-season grasses. Bermuda grass is probably the most common choice at low elevations in the southern parts of the state where temperatures are hotter. With a deep root system this grass is considered very good when it comes to drought tolerance. In the cooler climates of New Mexico Kentucky bluegrass does quite well as well as fescues and ryegrass. Native grasses such as Buffalo grass may also be used in areas where water is scarce.

Cool-Season Grasses:
Kentucky bluegrass - The use of Kentucky bluegrass should be limited to the cooler parts of New Mexico. Unlike perennial ryegrass, which is a bunch type turfgrass, Kentucky bluegrass spreads by rhizomes and withstands moderate traffic. Because of the rhizomes, Kentucky bluegrass recuperates well from wear injury. On athletic fields, it can be used in mixtures with perennial ryegrass and/or tall fescue.

Perennial ryegrass - Improved and newly released varieties of perennial ryegrass are well adapted to most of New Mexico and thus their use has increased greatly. These varieties establish quickly and provide, good cold tolerance and winter color, but only adequate heat tolerance. Even when irrigated heavily, summers in southern New Mexico can be too hot for perennial ryegrass to survive.

Fine fescues - Fine Fescue is a shade tolerant turf grass with a medium to dark green color. Adapted to the Pacific Northwest, Fine Fescue grows best in cool humid regions, coastal regions and in high elevations. All varieties require little maintenance and like to be mowed at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches. They have the finest leaves, the most shade tolerance and the lowest fertilizer, mowing and moisture requirements of all the cool season turf grasses. Chewings Fescue, Red Fescue, Creeping Red Fescue, Sheep Fescue and Hard Fescue are popular varieties of Fine Fescue. These varieties can be found on lawns, in parks, along road sides and other turf grass areas and extensively used in grass seed blends and mixes for both sunny and shady areas. Fine Fescues are not recommended for sports fields and golf tees because they have a low wear tolerance. Most of these varieties have all the same characteristics. Chewings Fescue has a noncreeping, bunch-type growth habit unlike Red Fescue. All varieties germinate rapidly and are well adapted to poor, dry, sandy soils.

Tall fescue - Turf Type - Due to its heat and drought tolerance, it is a good general purpose turfgrass for New Mexico. Tall fescue is a tall-growing, coarse- to medium-textured, bunch-type turfgrass that can be established by seed or sod. Tall fescue resists heavy wear and high temperatures. When adequately irrigated, it can be grown successfully in all parts of New Mexico. In warmer areas in the south, a tall fescue stand can be weakened and can deteriorate through the invasion of bermudagrass.

Warm-Season Grasses:
Buffalograss - This species is more drought tolerant and can be sustained on moderately less water compared with bermudagrass. Improved seeded buffalograsses are now available. They are denser and of higher quality (more attractive) than the older, dual-purpose forage varieties yet not as dense as traditional lawn grasses. Special care must be taken during establishment, especially in weed control.

Bermuda Grass - Bermudagrass is the species most adapted to and most frequently used New Mexico. Many new and improved seeded varieties have been developed and released during the last 10 years. Users now have a choice of varieties that are denser and finer textured than the almost extinct seed of common bermudagrass. Bermudagrass spreads aggressively by stolons (aboveground runners) and rhizomes (belowground runners) and can become a nuisance when it invades flower beds and gardens. Also, cold-tolerant seeded and vegetative varieties are available that withstand lower winter temperatures.

Click Name To View Grass Seed Choice   Type Applications
Bermuda Grass - Oasis Warm Season Lawns - Full Sun - Fast Growing
Bermuda Grass - Blackjack Warm Season Lawns - Full Sun - Fast Growing
Bermuda Grass - Yukon Warm Season Lawns - Golf Course - Fast Growing
Full Sun - High End - Best Cold Tolerance
Bermuda Grass - Arden 15 Warm Season Lawns - Golf Course - Fast Growing
Full Sun - High End
Buffalo Grass - Buffalo Supreme Warm Season Lawns - High Drought Tolerance - Full Sun
Fescue/Bluegrass Mix - Combat Extreme South Cool Season Lawns - Wear Tolerant - Extra Heat Tolerance
Fescue Blend - Combat Extreme Transition Cool Season Lawns - Wear Tolerant
Fine Fescue Blend - Legacy Cool Season Lawns - Moderate To Heavy Shade
Kentucky Bluegrass - Bluegrass Supreme Cool Season Lawns - Golf Gourses - Full Sun
Used In Cool Zones in New Mexico
Kentucky Bluegrass - Midnight Cool Season Lawns - Golf Courses - Full Sun
Used In Cool Zones in New Mexico
OSP Ryegrass Cool Season Lawns - Golf Courses - Southern Winter Overseed
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Combat Extreme Southern

 
Combat Southern is a 3-way mixture of turf type fescue and Hybrid Bluegrass which is heat and drought tolerant enough to be used in USDA Zones 8 - 10 (partial shade recommend for USDA Zone 9 and 10). This mixture is approximately 90% turf type fescue grass seed and 10% hybrid bluegrass seed by weight. By seed count, this makes almost a 50/50 blend of fescue and hybrid drought tolerant bluegrass.
  • Wear Tolerant
  • Cost Efficient
  • Lawns
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Arden 15 Bermuda Grass

 
Arden 15 bermuda grass seed can be used on golf course fairways and tees - manicured home lawns - well maintained sports turf and parks. It has several advantages over traditional Bermuda grasses: Arden 15, just has a higher overall turf quality than all commercial seeded varieties in U.S. and international tests. This bermuda grass variety has a beautiful dark green color, medium fine leaf texture. Just as its predecessor Princess 77 had, Arden 15 has a high leaf density as well as a moderate spring greenup and fall color retention, and it is easily established from grass seed.
  • Golf Courses
  • Lawns
  • High End

Below is the USDA Zone Map for New Mexico 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 New Mexico
New Mexico Grass Seed New Mexico Zones

Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics
Cool Season
Grasses
Leaf
Texture
Establish
Rate
Nitrogen
Use
Water
Use
Drought
Tolerance
Salinity
Tolerance
Shade
Tolerance
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
Bermudagrass Fine
to Moderate
Moderate
to Fast
Moderate Moderate
to High
Excellent Very Good Poor
Centipedegrass Moderate
to Coarse
Slow Low Low Good Moderate Moderate
to Good
Seashore Paspalum Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Excellent Excellent 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
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
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
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

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