The five best grass seeds for Idaho are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, and buffalograss. Which one of these grasses will thrive in your lawn depends on your location and altitude in the Gem State.
The right grass can be a real gem to your landscape by increasing your curb appeal. Read on to get into the meat and potatoes of what makes these turfgrasses special.
Best grass types for Idaho
With the exception of the warm-season buffalograss, cool-season grass types are the best for Idaho lawns because they grow best in cool weather, with peak growing seasons in the spring and fall.
Here are the five best cool- and warm-season grass types for Idaho:
Kentucky bluegrass
It’s not just a genre of music! Kentucky bluegrass or KBG is also the most commonly used cool-season grass in the United States, and Idaho is no exception. KBG grows best in full sun and fertile soil, forming a dense, high-quality turf.
It is tolerant of cold and recovers from foot traffic, but it has a low shade tolerance, is very high maintenance, and is prone to thatch and disease. Because of this, it is often mixed with other cool-season grass seeds to combat its weakness to shade, heat, and disease.
Like all cool-season grasses, you should overseed during the fall. Summer heat will only stress it, and the seeds take a while to germinate (10-20 days). If seed isn’t available, you can lay down sod in the spring or fall. When considering how to install sod, make sure your soil is prepared by removing any debris and loosening it to a depth of at least 3 to 4 inches.
Kentucky bluegrass at a glance:
- Classification: Cool-season grass
- Spreads by: Rhizomes
- Shade tolerance: Low to moderate — prefers full sun
- Drought resistance: Moderate, but will survive by going dormant
- Foot traffic tolerance: Low to moderate, but recuperates well
- Maintenance needs: Moderate mowing frequency; a high-maintenance grass
- Mowing height: 2-3 inches
- Potential for disease: Moderate to high
- Soil pH: 6-7
- Soil type: Good drainage, fertile
Grass Seed Options:
– Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
– SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
Perennial ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass is a cool-season grass often mixed with other grasses. It can handle being by itself in some climates, though it’s not available in sod unless it’s mixed with Kentucky bluegrass. If you want a lawn with 100% ryegrass, it needs to be planted by seed.
Perennial ryegrass is a high-maintenance grass when it’s by its lonesome, becoming injured if the temperature is too low or high, and is vulnerable to fungal diseases. However, when it’s taken care of properly, it can become a beautiful dark green lawn that makes eye-catching lawn stripes when mowed.
Since it can’t self-repair, overseeding in the spring or fall combats any damage. Perennial ryegrass seeds take four to seven days to germinate, and once they become established, the grass has a high tolerance for foot traffic.
Perennial ryegrass at a glance:
- Classification: Cool-season grass
- Spreads by: Bunch-type grass
- Shade tolerance: Low — prefers full sun
- Drought resistance: Low (summer dormancy in some areas)
- Foot traffic tolerance: High but poor recuperative ability
- Maintenance needs: Moderate mowing requirement, depending on cutting height (lower cutting heights require more frequent mowing)
- Mowing height: 2-3 inches
- Potential for disease: High, especially in areas with hot, humid summers
- Soil pH: 6-7
- Soil type: Good drainage, high fertility
Grass Seed Options:
– Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed (choose your size)
Tall fescue
Its extensive root system gives tall fescue a significant advantage in drought and heat. However, the roots grow properly only in good-quality soil. Tall fescue does poorly in the high elevations of central Idaho and works better as a valley grass type.
Tall fescue is often used for sports fields since it is able to tolerate foot traffic, even though it can’t repair itself and will need overseeding to repair thinning patches.
If properly cared for, tall fescue has few problems with diseases and pests. It’s also cold-tolerant, moderately shade-tolerant, and not prone to thatch.
Tall fescue at a glance:
- Classification: Cool-season grass
- Spreads by: Bunch-type grass
- Shade tolerance: Moderate
- Drought tolerance: Moderate to High
- Foot traffic tolerance: Moderate
- Maintenance needs: Frequent mowing. Does not produce significant thatch.
- Mowing height: 2-3.5 inches
- Potential for disease: Tolerant of most diseases when properly maintained.
- Soil pH: 5.5-6.5
- Soil type: Prefers fertile clay soils with good drainage
Grass Seed Options:
– Triple-Play Tall Fescue Grass Seed Blend (5000 sq ft)
– Eretz Kentucky 31 K31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed (choose your size)
– Pennington The Rebels Tall Fescue Grass Seed Mix (7 lb.)
Fine fescue
Idahoans favor fine fescues for their needle-thin blades, lush texture, and dense growth. They are a low-maintenance lawn grass with good shade and drought tolerance. These fescues are the perfect grass for lawns with plenty of trees, shrubs, or buildings that obscure sunlight.
However, even though they are drought-resistant, fine fescues are sensitive to heat and will go dormant during the summer, so they aren’t a good option for residents of southern Idaho. They are also slow to recover from heavy foot traffic, so they aren’t suitable for homeowners who expect plenty of activity on their lawns.
Fine fescues are most commonly mixed with perennial ryegrass or Kentucky bluegrass to create a shade mixture. Sod isn’t often available, but you can easily find seeds.
Common fine fescues found in Idaho are:
- Creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra subsp. rubra)
- Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra subsp. commutata)
- Sheep fescue (Festuca ovina)
- Hard fescue (Festuca longifolia or duriuscula)
Fine fescue at a glance:
- Classification: Cool-season grass
- Spreads by: Bunch-type grasses with one exception: creeping red fescues possess rhizomes
- Shade tolerance: Moderate to high
- Drought resistance: Moderate to high
- Foot traffic tolerance: Low to moderate
- Maintenance needs: Low mowing frequency
- Mowing height: 1.5-3 inches
- Potential for disease: Moderate
- Soil pH: 5.5-6.5
- Soil type: Good drainage is a must; tolerates infertile soils; sandy soils generally work well
Grass Seed Options:
– Outsidepride Legacy Fine Fescue Grass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz Creeping Red Fine Fescue Seed (choose your size)
– Outsidepride Creeping Red Fine Fescue Grass Seed (25 lbs.)
Buffalograss
Though buffalograss is a warm-season grass, it can tolerate freezing temperatures, making it perfect for Idaho lawns. Homeowners can expect buffalograss to go dormant seven months out of the year, keeping a fine-textured, green-gray lawn the rest of the year.
Buffalograss is tolerant of cold, drought, and heat, thriving throughout the summer even with low water. However, on the downside, it is sensitive to shade and foot traffic. It also tends to be vulnerable to weeds during its dormant season.
Even though it has a very short growing season, so long as you know how to grow and care for buffalograss, it can be a very low-maintenance grass type.
Buffalograss at a glance:
- Classification: Warm-season grass
- Spreads by: Stolons
- Shade tolerance: Very low — best suited for full sun
- Drought resistance: High
- Foot traffic tolerance: Very low
- Maintenance needs: Low mowing frequency — once per week or less
- Mowing height: 2-4 inches or leave unmowed
- Potential for disease: Good tolerance against diseases and insects
- Soil pH: 6.5-7.5
- Soil type: Native soils, not sandy soils
Grass Seed Options:
– Everwilde Farms Buffalograss Seeds (1 lb. of seeds)
– Buffalograss seed (primed) (5-lb. bag)
Best grass types for Northern Idaho
The best grass for northern Idaho is a mix of 80% Kentucky bluegrass and 20% perennial ryegrass.
Known as the Idaho panhandle, thanks to its shape, northern Idaho is made up of 10 counties, with the largest city in the area being Coeur d’Alene.
Best grass types for Southern Idaho
Southern Idaho offers a semi-arid climate with a mix of all four seasons. The best grasses for Boise and the surrounding areas of southern Idaho are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and buffalograss.
Southern Idaho refers to the combined areas of the Boise metropolitan area, the Magic Valley, and eastern Idaho.
Best grass types for Central Idaho
The best grasses for central Idaho are fine fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass.
Borah Peak, Idaho’s highest mountain, is located in central Idaho. This region is in a high-altitude zone, and you will need a lawn that can handle the challenges brought on by the climate.
How to choose the best grass for your Idaho lawn
There are several things to think about when deciding which grass is best for your lawn, including its tolerance for shade, drought, foot traffic, and the level of maintenance it requires:
- Shade tolerance
- High shade tolerance: Fine fescue
- Moderate shade tolerance: Tall fescue
- Low shade tolerance: Buffalograss, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass
- Drought tolerance
- High drought tolerance: Buffalograss, fine fescue
- Moderate drought tolerance: Tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass
- Low drought tolerance: Perennial ryegrass
- Foot traffic
- High foot traffic: Perennial ryegrass
- Moderate foot traffic: Tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass
- Low foot traffic: Buffalograss, fine fescue
- Maintenance level:
- High-maintenance grasses: Kentucky bluegrass
- Moderate-maintenance grasses: Tall fescue, perennial ryegrass
- Low-maintenance grasses: Buffalograss, fine fescue
FAQ About Grass Seed in Idaho
When is the best time to plant grass seed in Idaho?
Most grasses in Idaho are cool-season grasses, meaning the best time to plant grass seed in Idaho is from late summer to early fall.
Does Idaho have a native grass?
Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), also known as blue bunchgrass, is a cool-season grass native to Idaho and found across western North America. However, Idaho fescue is more of a forage grass and works better in a landscaped garden than as a lawn grass.
What other plants grow well in Idaho?
Aside from huckleberries and potatoes, Idaho has plenty of plants to choose from if you’re planning on spicing up your landscape. The top 10 native plants in Idaho are:
- Arrowleaf balsamroot
- Big sagebrush
- Bluebunch wheatgrass
- Blue flax
- Common yarrow
- Lewis’ mock orange
- Redtwig dogwood
- Rocky mountain maple
- Rubber rabbitbrush
- Saskatoon serviceberry
Hire a pro
Need a pro to maintain a lush, healthy lawn no matter your grass type? Let Lawn Love connect you with lawn care professionals in your area for all of your lawn care needs. That way, you can enjoy your rugged mountain views without it being spoiled by overgrown grass and weeds.
Source note:
Lawn Love participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Lawn Love may earn revenue from products promoted in this article.
Main Image Credit: John Johnson House | Tamanoeconomico | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0
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