The best grass seeds for South Dakota are the cool-season varieties Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and fine fescue. Buffalograss, a warm-season grass, also thrives in the Mount Rushmore State in the warmer months.
South Dakotoans love chislic and kuchen and reveling in rodeos, but what they might not love is trying to figure out the best grass seed for their lawn. So, without further ado, Iet’s get into the nitty gritty of these grasses and find the best choice for your lawn.
Cool-season grass seed for South Dakota lawns
South Dakota experiences large swings in temperature, which is important to remember when selecting cool-season grass seed for your lawn. These cool-season grasses can survive the -30 winter temperatures in Aberdeen and also tolerate the warm summer days of July and August.
Kentucky bluegrass: Best for full sun
The best cool-season grass seed for South Dakota is Kentucky bluegrass (KBG). This grass is well-adapted to the cold winters of South Dakota and grows best in full sun. However, it may require extra watering during prolonged dry spells and doesn’t thrive in shade.
To achieve a top-quality KBG lawn, expect to put in time and resources, as this grass needs regular watering and fertilizer applications to look its best.
Check out our guide to learn more: “Kentucky Bluegrass: How to Grow and Care for It.”
Grass Seed Options:
– Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
– SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
Tall fescue: Best for varying soil conditions
Tall fescue is a medium to dark green, coarse-textured bunch-type grass with deep roots. Out of all the cool-season grasses, tall fescue is the toughest regarding its ability to handle heat, drought, and traffic. Additionally, it is known for its ability to tolerate unfavorable soil conditions. It thrives best in cool, humid climates and soils with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0.
Learn more about tall fescue in our article: “Tall Fescue: How to Grow and Care for It.”
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.)
Perennial ryegrass: Best for rapid growth
Frequently used in grass seed mixes and favored for its rapid germination, perennial ryegrass is often used to repair bare spots and thin areas in your lawn. This grass loves full sun and appreciates good surface drainage.
Perennial ryegrass is often included in seed mixes with Kentucky bluegrass because Kentucky bluegrass, when grown from seed, is slower to establish. In this kind of seed mix, the percentage of perennial ryegrass is typically 20 percent or less.
Our perennial ryegrass guide will give you all the details you need to have success using perennial ryegrass in your lawn.
Grass Seed Options:
– Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed (choose your size)
Fine fescue: Best for tough conditions
Fine fescues are well-suited to handle tough environmental conditions, such as shade, moderate drought, and poor soils. They are commonly used in cool-season grass seed mixes as a companion grass.
Fine fescues (and in South Dakota, red fescue in particular) are often included in seed mixes with Kentucky bluegrass. Kentucky bluegrass thrives in areas of your lawn with full sun, while red fescue is for the heavily shaded areas in your yard.
Check out our fine fescue guide to learn how to work with fine fescues in your South Dakota lawn.
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.)
Warm-season grass seed for South Dakota lawns
Buffalograss: Best for dry areas
Buffalograss, a warm-season grass native to South Dakota, is gaining attention for its ability to thrive in extremely dry areas and help prevent soil erosion. It is increasingly used in low-traffic areas and is sometimes used as an alternative to nonnative warm-season grasses like St. Augustine, Bermudagrass, and Zoysia in home lawns.
Grass Seed Options:
– Everwilde Farms Buffalograss Seeds (1 lb. of seeds)
Best seed mixes for your South Dakota lawn
According to the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension, these grass seed mixes will give you the best results for these varying conditions for your lawn:
- Full sun/moist areas: Opt for a mix of 60% Kentucky bluegrass, 30% creeping red fescue, and I0% redtop, a type of bentgrass, also known as black bent.
- Heavy shade: For heavy shade, these seeds work well together in a mix: 60% creeping red fescue, 30% Kentucky bluegrass, and 10% redtop.
More lawn care and landscaping resources for South Dakota
Check out our other article about lawn care and landscaping for South Dakota, which go into more detail. They will help you to navigate the ins-and-outs of everything lawn care, from how to water and fertilize to landscaping with native plants, finding your planting zone, and everything in between. They are as follows:
- Planting Zones of South Dakota
- When to Plant Grass Seed in South Dakota
- South Dakota Native Grasses for Lawns and Landscapes
- Beautiful South Dakota Flowers for Landscaping
- South Dakota Native Plants for Landscaping
- Sioux Falls Lawn Watering Schedule
- How to Follow the Sioux Falls Lawn Ordinance
- The Best Lawn Fertilization Schedule for Sioux Falls
Call in the Pros
Does planting grass seed fall to the bottom of your honey-do list? If it does, you’re not alone. Our local lawn care experts will put your lawn care at the top of their list.
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Main Image Credit: Armour, South Dakota | Ammodramus | Wikimedia Commons | CC0 1.0
