- Kentucky bluegrass: Best for full sun<\/a><\/li>
- Tall fescue: Best for acidic soil<\/a><\/li>
- Buffalograss: Best drought-tolerant grass<\/a><\/li>
- Other tips for buying the best grass seeds<\/a><\/li>
- FAQ<\/a><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Kentucky bluegrass: Best grass seed for full sun<\/span><\/h2>
![\"closeup](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/kentucky-grass-1.jpg\")
Shutterstock<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Kentucky bluegrass is a popular choice for home lawns in Nebraska and is the best-adapted cool-season grass for most of Nebraska and the Great Plains, with an outstanding winter tolerance. However, Kentucky bluegrass can struggle in eastern Nebraska summers, making it better suited for the western region of the state.<\/p>
With a slow growth rate, Kentucky bluegrass forms a beautifully dark green and medium-textured turf that remains green from April through November. Its aesthetic appeal, however, comes with high-maintenance needs. Visit our guide to learn what goes into the care of this turf: “Kentucky Bluegrass: How to Grow and Care for It<\/a>.”<\/p>
Pro Tip:<\/strong> Kentucky bluegrass is often sold in seed mixes with perennial ryegrass, but these mixes are not suited for Nebraska because perennial ryegrass does not persist in the state.<\/p>
Grass Seed Options:
<\/strong>\u2013 Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed<\/a> (3 lbs.)
\u2013 SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)<\/p>Tall fescue: Best grass seed for acidic soil<\/span><\/h2>
![\"tall](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Tall-fescue-1.jpg\")
Aaron Patton | Purdue’s Turfgrass Science Program<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Tall fescue\u2019s biggest \u201cpro\u201d is its capacity to grow in various conditions, adapting well to poor and acidic soils. With a deep root system, tall fescue is less susceptible to diseases, and during drought, it can remain green longer when compared to Kentucky bluegrass. It is important to note, however, that tall fescue still needs irrigation during drought. <\/p>
Tall fescue is less cold-tolerant but more heat-tolerant than Kentucky bluegrass, making it the best cool-season grass for the eastern Nebraska region (and some parts of central Nebraska). Its green color lasts from April through November. <\/p>
If you\u2019d like to learn more about how to take care of a tall fescue lawn, visit our article: “Tall Fescue: How to Grow and Care for It<\/a>.”<\/p>
Grass Seed Options:
<\/strong>\u2013 Triple-Play Tall Fescue Grass Seed Blend<\/a> (5000 sq ft)
\u2013 Eretz Kentucky 31 K31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed<\/a> (choose your size)
\u2013 Pennington The Rebels Tall Fescue Grass Seed Mix<\/a> (7 lb.)<\/p>Buffalograss: Best drought-tolerant grass<\/span><\/h2>
![\"buffalograss\"](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/3139246071_47110d3ef9_c-1.jpg\")
John Tann<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> A native Nebraska species, buffalograss is a versatile warm-season option for the state. With the best cold tolerance among other warm-season grasses, buffalograss survives winter by becoming dormant. Buffalograss is susceptible to encroachment from other cool-season grasses and weeds during this vulnerable period. It grows well in alkaline and fine-textured soils.<\/p>
Additionally, buffalograss has great drought and heat tolerance, making it an ideal seed for all parts of Nebraska. After being established, buffalograss is a very low-maintenance turf with no thatch production and remains green from June through October.<\/p>
If you\u2019d like to learn how to care for this grass, read our guide: “Buffalograss: How to Grow and Care for It<\/a>.”<\/p>
Grass Seed Options:<\/strong>
\u2013 <\/strong>Everwilde Farms Buffalograss Seeds<\/a> (1 lb. of seeds)
\u2013 Buffalograss seed (primed)<\/a> (5-lb. bag)<\/p>Other tips for buying the best grass seeds<\/span><\/h2>
Avoid seed mixes that don\u2019t specify the variety, and prefer those with a gold or blue tag. These tags generally indicate the cultivar’s authenticity (which usually also implies a better quality). Additionally, avoid seed mixes that contain:<\/p>
- Annual ryegrass<\/li>
- ‘Linn’ perennial ryegrass<\/li>
- \u2018KY31\u2019 (\u2018Kentucky 31\u2019) tall fescue<\/li>
- \u2018Kenblue\u2019 Kentucky bluegrass<\/li> <\/ul>
Pro Tip: <\/strong>If you\u2019d like to learn more about choosing the best seed for your lawn, visit our guide: “How to Choose the Right Grass for Your Lawn<\/a>.”<\/p>
For more on maintaining a beautiful and resilient Nebraska lawn, see these related resources:<\/p>
- Nebraska Native Plants for Your Landscape<\/a><\/li>
- The Best Perennials for Nebraska Landscapes<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
FAQ<\/span><\/h2>
When to plant grass seed in Nebraska?<\/span><\/h3>
The best time to plant grass seed in Nebraska<\/a> depends on your grass type. Plant cool-season lawns from late summer to early fall and warm-season grass in spring.<\/p>
What is the best grass seed for overseeding in Nebraska?<\/span><\/h3>
Kentucky bluegrass is recommended for overseeding in western Nebraska and tall fescue in eastern Nebraska. Tall fescue germinates more quickly, but Kentucky bluegrass has a better recovery from traffic. If your goal is a fast-growing grass, opt for tall fescue; if your lawn needs to endure traffic, opt for Kentucky bluegrass. <\/p>
Can other warm-season grasses be grown in Nebraska?<\/span><\/h3>
Because Nebraska is in the cool-season zone, buffalograss is the only warm-season grass (recommended by the University of Nebraska\u2013Lincoln) for the state. Although Zoysiagrass can also be cultivated in some homes in southern Nebraska, it is rather considered a weed in the region and is hard to eliminate once established<\/p>
Similarly, Bermudagrass does not perform well in Nebraska, except for very specific, exceptionally hot areas, such as above underground steam tunnels and on south-facing slopes.<\/p>
When to call a pro<\/span><\/h2>
Need a hand with your lawn care tasks? Know that you can count on our experts to help you out. Contact a local lawn care pro<\/a> for assistance. We have experienced pros in Omaha<\/a>, Lincoln<\/a>, Bellevue<\/a>, and throughout Nebraska ready to offer you their best.<\/p>
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.<\/em><\/p>
Main Image Credit: Ryan Renner<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Find the best grass seeds for your Nebraska lawn. Read to learn why Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and buffalograss are the best options for the state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":28523,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[198],"tags":[648],"class_list":["post-28509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nebraska","tag-lawn-care-ne"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/house-in-nebraska-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Teresa Joaquim","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/teresa-joaquim\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- The Best Perennials for Nebraska Landscapes<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>
- Nebraska Native Plants for Your Landscape<\/a><\/li>
- Tall fescue: Best for acidic soil<\/a><\/li>