The best grass seeds for Maryland lawns largely depend on where you live: Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass do well in warmer parts of the state, while cool-season grasses like tall fescue, fine fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass thrive in cooler areas.
Picking a grass type for your lawn can make it or break it. We’ll show you what distinguishes common Maryland grasses from one another so that you can decide on the best one.
Northern Maryland
Tall fescue: The easy-care green dream
Tall fescue is a cool-season grass that’s a great choice for full sun to moderate shade areas. It’s low-maintenance, its seed is affordable, and it’s adaptable to various soil types. The grass is also quick to grow. Nevertheless, it does take a whole growing season for it to fully establish. Tall fescue stays green for much of the year, though not the whole year.
Tall fescue mixed with Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent choice, especially for high-traffic lawns. Certified Professional Horticulturist Debra Ricigliano at the University of Maryland said, “A mixture of turf-type tall fescue (90%- 95%) and Kentucky bluegrass (5%-10%) is an excellent lawn turf. The spreading root system of the Kentucky bluegrass will help the turf recover if injured from excessive traffic, drought, or pest damage.”
The grass is great for Southern and Central Maryland, including the Eastern Shore. However, it may suffer in western Maryland’s colder temperatures. Furthermore, tall fescue can become weedy and also needs frequent mowing.
For more, see our comprehensive article on how to grow and care for tall fescue.
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: Great for shady lawns
Fine fescue is a cool-season grass and a great option for sunny and shady lawns alike.
“Fine fescues are the most shade tolerant of all the cool-season grasses, with hard fescue being the best choice for Maryland,” Ricigliano said. Furthermore, the grass doesn’t need as much mowing as tall fescue. Its seeds take seven to 14 days to germinate.
On the downside, this grass is not recommended for areas that get a lot of use. It’s too fine for busy lawns. Avoid mowing the grass in high heat or drought. The grass also needs regular dethatching.
If you’re considering this grass, see our guide on how to grow and care for fine fescue.
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.)
Kentucky bluegrass: Dense and attractive
Kentucky bluegrass is a showy, cool-season, blue-hued grass that creates a dense, beautiful carpet. It’s also cold-hardy. The grass grows best on open, sunny sites.
Kentucky bluegrass is slow to establish; it takes 14 to 21 days to germinate. It also needs regular maintenance to flourish and is not the most resilient grass, although it recovers well from damage.
As mentioned above, KB is often mixed with fescues. A ratio of 90 to 95% tall fescue with 5 to 10% Kentucky bluegrass is ideal for busy lawns.
Check out our article, Kentucky Bluegrass: How to Grow and Care for It, for more.
Grass Seed Options:
– Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
– SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
Southern Maryland
While cool-season grasses do fine anywhere in Maryland, it’s best to use heat-loving grasses like Bermudagrass or Zoysiagrass only in southern Maryland – Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. Those areas are about 5 degrees warmer in the winter and summer and experience fewer frosts than northern Maryland.
Bermudagrass: Loves heat
Bermudagrass is a warm-season, low-maintenance heat lover, so it’s one of the grasses that thrives in southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. It’s not recommended for western or central Maryland.
In Maryland, you’re only permitted to establish Bermudagrass by sodding, which increases the price. Additionally, Bermudagrass can be invasive because it grows so rapidly. Finally, take note that this grass doesn’t tolerate low-fertility soils well.
Here’s more about growing Bermudagrass in Maryland.
Grass Seed Options:
– Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass (10-lb. bag)
– Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass (50-lb. bag)
Zoysiagrass: Versatile and resilient
Zoysiagrass typically tolerates shade better than other warm-season grasses. However, if you have significant shade on your lawn, the University of Maryland recommends you opt for a different grass type: Warm-season grasses, like Zoysia, need full sun and are not suitable for shady areas.
Nevertheless, Zoysia needs little water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Because it grows slowly, you won’t need to mow it that often, either. Choose a cultivar and plant your Zoysia either by seed or sod. Note that seed is usually expensive and may have low germination rates.
Meyer is a good Zoysia cultivar for Maryland because of its cold-hardiness. Other good options are Cavalier, Marquis, and Sunburst. They establish well by sod, plugs, or sprigs.
Grass Plug and Seed Options:
– Zoysia Plugs (50 Large Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (50 Full & Lush Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (100 Plugs)
– Zenith Zenith Grass Seeds (1/8 lb. of seeds)
FAQ
When is the best time to plant grass in Maryland?
Mid-August to mid-October is the best time to seed cool-season grasses, like tall fescue. Alternatively, you can also seed in early March to April. Late spring is ideal for seeding warm-season grasses. Here’s more about when to plant grass seed in Maryland.
What is Maryland’s fertilizer law?
Maryland’s law restricts nutrients that you can apply. It also restricts phosphorus content in fertilizer. The purpose of the lawn is so that homeowners don’t apply unnecessary chemicals. More about the law in our article What Maryland’s Fertilizer Law Means for Your Lawn.
Let Lawn Love’s pros handle your lawn care
Perhaps you’re tired of researching your grass type, or you worry that DIY lawn care will fall short and result in costly mistakes. Either way, you’re being reasonable. Get in touch with one of Lawn Love’s pros who will handle the hard work for you. Get an instant quote.
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Main Image Credit: Doug Kerr | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
