20 Best Grass Seeds For Shade (2023 Updated)

I ordered this simply to help fix /cover an area of invasive autumnolive that we deforested. It went way beyond my expectations! I planted in the fall, zone 6a. Sprouted quickly and looked nice. The radishes definitely helped break up the soil.

I was surprised when some of the plants overwintered. Now it late spring and my bees are all over the beautiful field of flowers, mostly the yellow mustard seed and some hairy vetch. I plan on letting them go to seed and hopefully make mustard.

I can see the clover, winter wheat and field peas in the mix so I would definitely say this mix has a very high germination rate. Very low maintenance, does well without need to water, and my two crazy dogs frolic within the taller plants, so they are somewhat resistant to traffic.

I’m very, very pleased with this ground cover mix. I live in an arid climate with heavy clay soil. I’m trying to repair the soil on my property in order to improve water retention and nutrient density so that I can eventually grow fruits and vegetables in the ground instead of raised beds.

I’ve tried a handful of ground covers this summer, and none of them have been successful except for this one. I tilled the soil down about 8 inches first and amended it with a clay buster mix. The cover crop is flourishing! I will definitely be purchasing more of it in the future.

This product suited our needs greatly. We are not using this cover crop seeds for agricultural/farming purposes, but for aesthetic reasons only. The seeds were sown into our forest (pine, fir and oak trees) in early April.

They germinated within 4-5 days already and even survived a couple of snow/frosty days. Currently they are about 3-4 inches which is perfect for us so far. We are at zone 9 and this cover crop seems to be a good alternative for ground cover in the forest floor.

Greenview Fairway Formula’s, Kentucky Bluegrass blend is their most popular blend of grass seed. It’s 99. 9% weed free. No coating or fillers like many other brands so you get more seed per pound. More pure seed equals more lawn coverage.

I tried other lawn patch varieties that just didn’t work as well because the filler blows away or disintegrates and the grass grows sparsely. This pure grass seed gives you even, equal coverage. It covers more area of lawn because you have more seed per pound.

I grew this in a pot because of the wintery weather conditions we had. It grew in less than 2 weeks time, once planted indoors. I plan to transfer the patch after it reaches a few inches. This grew quickly once it had above freezing temperatures.

It has a nice bright green color to brighten and enhance the look of your lawn. It’s great for filling in sparce looking lawns or filling in bare patches. This would be ideal for new lawns because it covers well and is weed free.

It’s also drought and disease resistant. I would recommend this grass seed if you value a nice looking lawn.

This Fairway Formula Perennial Rye-grass Blend by Greenview is an excellent choice. This Rye grass blend is perfect for the patchy areas in my back yard. I also used it to over seed a few areas near my walkway and driveway that tend to get damaged due to being high traffic areas.

This is the most beautiful package of clean seeds I have ever seen. There is absolutely no fillers, no clumping, no dirt or dust, or any debris in this bag. It is the cleanest, most uniform package of grass seeds I’ve come across.

It’s been about 2 weeks and I definitely see improvement in my lawns fullness. Since these are pure, uncoated seeds, I seeded the lawn right before it rained for two days. I am happy with my results and think this is an excellent choice for over seeding lawns.

I highly recommended this Fairway Formula Perennial Rye-grass Blend by Greenview.

I recently got a bag of Scotts Turf Builder Rapid Grass-Bermudagrass for an area between my carport and my screen porch. I have had trouble growing grass in this area since we have lived here for over 25 years.

The reason we have had so much trouble is because we live in a low area below another home which has a lake. When we get a lot of rain, there overflow comes down toward our home and some of the rain water runs in between this area.

It is only affected with heavy rains but after my husband applied our Scotts Turf Builder Rapid Grass wouldn’t you know it we got a heavy rain days after and I believe this, along with a late frost, is what caused our experience with this product to fail.

We never get frost this late into the year and even this coming week we are supposed to get a couple more nights with frost. As soon as I know the threat of frost is COMPLETELY over, I will definitely be giving it another go around.

Scotts is an exceptional brand and we have used this in the past so I know how well it works. The thing I love about this product is that it contains both seed and fertilizer all in one and it is so easy to apply.

All you have to do is prep the area you are applying it to, in our case my husband had to first kill all of our weeds, then he tilled up the area and leveled it. After he applied Scotts Turf Builder Rapid Grass-Bermuda, with our Scotts Mini Spreader, he then watered it.

After a few days, we already began to see grass seedlings sprouting up but the heavy rain and frost ruined our success, but it won’t the next time we apply it in the coming weeks. I am so ready for some green Bermuda (and summer).

Last Spring, I cleared an area in my front yard and put down Scotts Tall Fescue seed. I put down some cheap fertilizer and watered twice a day for two weeks but the results were less than spectacular.

I think that was my fault because I didn’t rake the seed in and the birds in the neighborhood were feasting on the seed. The other reason is that Scotts recommends planting in the Fall – not the Spring.

I live in an area where we can get snow in mid to late May. I jumped the gun on planting, so the fact that I had any seed germinate is a testament to the quality of Scotts seed. This year, I’m planting in the Spring again but things are going to be different.

I’ll rake a small area to loosen the soil before planting and once I spread the seed/fertilizer mixture, I’ll lightly rake again. However, I won’t put all the seed down until the air has reached the recommended temperature and the chance of frost has passed.

I will try putting a small amount of the mixture in a small test area that I can water by hand and waiting 2 weeks to see if anything comes up. If not, I’ll try that again until I see good results and then I’ll take care of the remainder of the area and set up the sprinkler and timer.

My expectations are that I will be very pleased with what I see 2 weeks after the final spreading of the seed/fertilizer. I’ve been a Scotts customer for many years and haven’t been disappointed yet! Yes – I’ll be overseeding in the Fall….

Early spring we noticed our front yard had more weeds coming up than previous years. We spent several days pulling weeds from our lawn and we were left with large bare spots of just dirt. Yikes! We decided to plant grass seed and see what happened! We tilled the areas and added additional topsoil to the bare areas.

We spread the Rapid Grass seed very heavily, in hopes that at least some of it would grow. I love that this package not only included grass seed but a fertilizer as well. This combo seemed like the best way to get our grass started.

We have been watering the seeded areas twice a day. Keeping the soil moist is definitely key to the grass growing success! And keeping the birds and squirrels away from the grass seed! I was impressed that after 5 days, we were able to see tiny little sprouts coming up! That seemed too quick as most people say it takes 2-3 weeks before seeing any signs of new grass.

After 2 weeks of watering, we have most of our bare spots filled in with grass blades about 2 inches! I am super impressed with Scotts Rapid Grass Tall Fescue Mix! We will be using this on our backyard project this week as well! Looking forward to having a summer with a beautiful grass for our family to enjoy!.

Grass seed is hard to review because a lot of the success of the seed depends on how well it was applied by the homeowner and it what conditions. I made two mistakes that by sharing, hopefully others might avoid.

First mistake was not checking the upcoming weather. Using a handheld spreader, I applied seeds to all four of my existing lawns. Two of them are large, the other two are smaller. They are very patchy so I decided to seed the entire lawn and focus a little more on the patchy areas.

I used the entire contents of the 7lb bag. Problem was, that night and for the next 3 days, it rained like crazy and I had streams of new seed draining from my lawns. I had no way of knowing how much or little still remained.

A couple of weeks later, I tried again. I applied another 7lb bag to all four of my existing lawns. Followed the directions on the bag to a T. And two weeks later, I have sprouts in the bare areas that I went heavier on.

I can’t really tell if it’s coming through the existing lawn yet but I have no doubt it will too. The only suggestion I have (and mistake number two) is to not spread the seeds when it’s breezy. The seeds are so fine and light, that many blew away in the wind when spreading them.

I waited several weeks to review this product as I really wanted to see how it’d work and if the results were worth the effort. So far I can definitely say that grass is growing and it looks great! I was pretty shocked at how well this actually worked! I also want to comment on the packaging — super high quality, easy to understand, and unlike other brands this feels very safe for my family and pets.

This is modern product design done super well for a chore that not all of us enjoy! The mix was easy to spread and by following some very easy instructions I quickly saw results. The grass seems hardy and like it will hold up well.

Very high quality! I’d recommend this product to anyone who wants a modern approach to lawn care and those who need peace of mind that their family is protected. Highly recommend!.

We needed some to add some grass need our pond and love the look of tall fescue! This product arrived so nicely packaged in a secure box. The seeds bags provide instructions for planting which is easy and pretty self explanatory.

We made sure our soil was prepared and distributed the seed as suggested. It’s only been 2 weeks since our planting so we are waiting for results! Unfortunately we have been in a bit of a drought so we are hand watering when we are able but this grass is suppose to handle the heat and drought that we often have in Texas.

We were able to cover a huge area of ground with a 7lb bag-we used 2 bags for all our ground where it is needed. We look forward to seeing the results in the weeks to come!.

I love EZ straw brand. It’s cut the right length to achieve a happy medium between staying put and being easily worked. I’ve never had problems with washout or blowing away. It’s kept my seeds safe and sound through germination, seedlings, & adult stages.

I also use it liberally as a mulch in new beds. I’ve found it breaks down well, adding valuable organic material to the soil, while holding moisture and keeping roots cool. I also like the initial color, though that fades into a natural soil tone after a couple of months.

Compare the few pictures to see the difference. The “established” beds are this-season new also. The ground cover will intentionally spread over the next few seasons, so the remaining straw won’t be visible.

I’m very pleased with this brand and will most definitely be using it again next season. I have no complaints at all.

This is my first time using EZ Straw. I bought it for covering my newly planted asparagus to help retain moisture. I had quite a bit left over, so I used it to mulch other areas of my large garden. We had a light rain the next that probably helped activate the tack.

Two days later we had terrible storms move thru, with high winds and torrential rains (even a tornado 2. 5 miles away). As you can see, my EZ Straw is still in place! I’m really surprised at previous negative reviews related to the EZ Straw staying put in wind!.

i ordered 4 bags all 2. 5cf. 1 1st came in smaller size bundle. that was great! i could handle it and store it very well. But the other 3 that were shipped a few days later were a big disappointment! They are packaged in very large bundles also 2.

5cf. so i didn’t like that. on top of that, I should have known that the straw would come with thousands of seeds, but i didn’t think about that until i saw it all sprouting in my seed beds and containers and planting areas.

The seed part was my own naivete. I had seen many you tube videos where the gardener used straw or woodchips everywhere. one guy mentioned ez straw. no mention of the sprouting straw seeds. so my bad for not anticipating that.

the biggest issue for me is the very large packaging compared to the 1st very compact package all with the same 2. 5 cubic feet volume. i do want to say that tractor supply had a much better price than every other retailer i checked online.

Our 61 year old front yard has some bare patches here and there in our lawn. I have repaired bare patches with other brands in the past and it’s such a pain to turn the soil with a trowel, add seed, then cover the seed.

This Sunday Lawn Patch repair that I received from Influenster free in exchange for an honest review is super easy, just sprinkle onto the bare patches and water every day. I am a terrible gardner, so I didn’t water as fastidiously as all new seedlings require so some of the new growth isn’t coming in as it would if I watered daily, as required.

Nevertheless, these cute little green shoots are coming in perfectly in the areas where the sprinklers cover every other day. It’s been 22 days of bad watering and yet I still have some growth already.

The growth is bright green and looks so happy a couple of inches tall already. The product lost 1 star because the seeds come with a filler that allows you to not have to turn the soil. Unfortunately, that filler looks like dryer lint and is really light, so they float around a little in the wind.

If you are planting in spring or fall when things are a little bit naturally wet and don’t have big wind storms, this is a great product!.

I live in Wisconsin and we are currently stepping into the fall months, and after having extreme heat and little rain, my lawn went from almost dead and hay like to patchy bare spots and in dire need for some serious TLC.

I was really excited when I received Sunday Bare Repair Sun & Shade for free in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions. This product couldn’t have come at a better time because this particular grass seed is designed for cooler seasons and works in the sun and shade.

Made with premium seed, essential nutrients, and moisture-holding multch, this product comes complete with everything you need to bring your lawn back to life! The steps are so simple, just prepare your lawn by removing debris and if you have any bare spots, break up exposed soil.

Daytime temperatures should be between 60°F-85°F for best results. After your lawn prep, spread Bare Repair evenly on bare areas using roughly 1cup per 1sq ft. For areas that have thin growth in your lawn apply roughly 1lb per 15sq ft.

Then water seeded areas gently 1-2 times daily until new grass reaches a growth of about 2″ tall ( about 14 days ) soil should be kept moist. I have 2 dogs that do a number on my lawn, outside of what the elements do to it so I will admit I was skeptical at what would come from using Bare Repair, but I was pleasantly surprised! After about 2 weeks, I saw new grass growing in even with the numerous trampling from my dogs.

At 3 weeks my lawn looked more fuller, by 4-5 weeks the bare spots were completely filled in and my lawn looked plush. What made this process so great was that everything I needed to achieve a beautiful lawn came together in this 1 product! I got optimal results with little maintenance, and that definitely set this product above the rest!.

I had to go out of state when I first received my Bare Repair to try from Influenster. It says to water it twice a day and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do I had to wait until I came back. I got home about two weeks ago to unseasonably cool weather.

I was a little worried that it might be too cold for the grass to grow. Thankfully, that’s not the case. As you can see, there are a ton of new blades coming in to fill the dead spots. It seems to be coming in nice and dense, one reason we love Bermuda grass.

It also doesn’t grow tall and is tolerant of our southern heat. Our beautiful puppy had decided this area of the lawn would be his restroom. The seeds came wrapped in a cotton-type batting. I’m addition to this holding the seeds in place and holding the water in, it was also a visual deterrent for Cash.

He sniffed it once and walked away. He has since found a more appropriate place to relieve himself. There is a decent amount of product in the container. The easy pour lid made it easy to apply only the amount I needed to specific spots.

No wasted weeds from spilling or scattering. I still have about 1/4 of the bottle left that I plan to use as filler for a sparse area in the lawn. Overall, it is easy to use, convenient, cost effective, and best of all…it actually works! I look forward to seeing a beautiful lawn in just a few weeks.

I used this amazing sun and shade mix to start plugs for my yard in preparation for spring lawn care. After a long winter of shoveling, snow blowing and sledding across the yard i inevitably end up with edges and spots that need repair.

I like to create plugs of different sizes and shapes to fit into whatever spots need filling. This seed mix took just 5 days to produce a full plug of baby grass. I believe in another week (weather permitting) they will be ready to transfer to my lawn.

This has been the easiest and fastest seed to germinate that I’ve used since I began starting plugs indoors. I highly recommend this seed. It grows fast enough that I believe a good portion would germinate before the spring birds had a chance to steal it all.

So it took awhile for me to be able to review this grass seed. It wasn’t the fastest sprouting so I began to think it wasn’t going to happen until one morning I look and BAM! I have a lawn! So I did first till and take the entire backyard.

Then I laid this grass seed down and watered it everyday. As you can see from the pictures I need to go back and reseed some places where I think the sprinklers didn’t do as well but overall I am very happy with the grass.

My kids can run around barefoot because the grass is soft. It’s a nice green that will photograph well after I get it filled in. So be patient a beautiful lawn will emerge!.

I did a study on these seeds. I used 3 one gallon buckets, put in couple inches of miracle grow indoor potting soil, sprinkled a layer of seeds, put another couple inches of soil then watered so the entire top was wet, on all 3 buckets.

One went outside on porch, one in very warm hallway and the third in the conditioned living room. Within 2 days hallway started to grow, next day living room. They were both at least 3-4 inches within 5 days so I watered again.

They are both 6 inches tall 2 weeks later. The one on the porch did nothing until I put it in hallway 5 days later and then it grew just like the others. Moral of the story. Must be grown indoors (preferably with good soil).

It’s worth it!! My cats are very happy.

These seeds grow so fast! This is my second time planting from the bag I bought. First time was scarce because I didn’t put that many seeds in (I have no green thumb). This time I covered the soil with lots of seeds and then put another layer of dirt.

Planted on a Saturday, and it’s now Tuesday (see photo). These are so easy to grow and so lush if you put the right amount of seeds in the pot. My cats love it! You can see how the grass has been mowed down.

I have greens available for the 3 felines and have tried several brands of seed combo. This one is all oat and sprouts very quickly. It makes very green sturdy grass and looks tasty, but the cats don’t select it over weeds in the garden.

I have it growing in several areas of the garden where they hang out. I’m thinking that oat greens might not be their choice and they prefer wheat greens instead.

I bought this clover to overseed into some tall fescue grass. I was dreaming of a beautiful lawn alternative. By lawn I mean it’s more like a small patch. After overseeding it into my sad-looking fescue I watered it every evening and sometimes in the early morning when it started to get really hot.

Think like the mid-to-upper 90’s. Much to my delight, it came up rather quickly and formed a beautiful, soft, bright green carpet. I waited until it was about 4-5inches tall to mow it. The patch I mowed under my grape vine died within a few days.

That was really disappointing. But things went really downhill when it started to get pretty hot. I live in the desert southwest so during the summer (even in mid-spring) temperatures really start heating up here.

Once that heat came, my soft, beautiful carpet of lovely clover died within a week. Even the ones that were in mostly shade under an ash tree. Just gone. I died inside. All those gallons of water for nothing.

It was gorgeous while it lasted. So I’m thinking that perhaps this beautiful clover is best for fall/winter planting here in the desert. Or perhaps even just in a climate that isn’t quite so blazingly hot.

A very generous amount of seed and packaged extremely well in a resealable bag. I threw out the whole bag (scattered by hand) in a hard clay area of my back yard and am hoping this clover will sprout and take over.

We are expecting a good rain all day tomorrow and if half of it comes up I’ll be happy. There is really a good amount of seed and the packaging was fantastic. I received the order within 1 week of ordering and the seed looked good and fresh.

I’ve planted white clover in areas of my yard for the last 3 years and this bag was one of the best I’ve ever bought just looking at the seed. Clover does not take long to come up here in southeast Alabama and I’m expecting great results from this bag.

I’ll update if I do not get a lot of clover. 🙂 My yard was scraped of the topsoil when the subdivision was built about 10 years ago and clover is such easy maintenance and a really good and natural alternative to grass that whenever I can find a place to put it, I do.

Great for the bees and so pretty to look at! PLANT CLOVER ! :-).

My test patch is growing beautifully. Our home is a new construction so the soil is just clay. I also have dogs who keep the grass unhealthy. There is some pre-existing clover around that their urine has not killed so that is why I am trying the clover to begin with.

I put the seed out, spread a thin (very thin) layer of some cheap shredded tree bark on top, kept it moist and within 2 days the sprouts where popping up. Very pleased and will be buying more to continue sowing the rest of the yard.

I like the black beauty original grass seeds because it came highly recommended by the manufacturer. But, I don’t plan to use it until early fall this year. Walmart was GREAT, delivered the seeds to me in no time at all.

My shopping experience has always been wonderful with Walmart.

I bought this seed to do my fall overseeding for the first time. This did not disappoint! I did my standard dethatching and aeration before putting the seed down. I then topdressed my lawn with peat moss to retain moisture.

After about 6-7 days, I had germination. At 2. 5 weeks I had to cut the grass since my existing grass was getting to long. My lawn has never looked any better. This seed will grow anywhere as well as it grew in my walkway full of rocks.

The pictures speak for itself. Left side is the Before and right side is the After only at 2 weeks.

So far it has produced a very fine leaf lawn with good sprouting density on both slopes and flats. Head and shoulders above your typical regional grass seed mixture or contractors mix. I would definitely buy this product again.

On the edge of my backyard right side fence line, I have a shed. On the other side of the fence line in my neighbor’s yard there is a tall tree. Suffice it to say that area has zero grass. I wanted a low maintenance, low effort, worry free lawn in that area so I turned to PRO-MIX Low Maintenance Grass Seed.

The PRO-MIX Low Maintenance Grass Seed is a specially formulated 5 in 1 grass seed blend that is suitable for both Sun and Shade areas. This product contains a special blend of Premium Grass seed varieties that provides visible results in just 7 days.

I can attest to seeing grass in that shaded area on day 8. This product also contains Surestart Nutrient coating with Organic ingredients that help jumpstart the growth of seedlings. Moisture Boost Plus provides improved water absorption and retention to help with plant growth and root development.

I like this added feature because I don’t need to constantly be watering the grass. To ensure the long-term health of the lawn this grass seed blend contains an active nutrient blend that aids in establishing deep, water absorbing, and strong roots.

Soil Boosters enriches the soil to help create thick, deep fluffy roots that are important for the long-term health of the lawn. I added top soil to the area behind the shed close to the fence line to a depth of 4 inches.

I spread the PRO-MIX Low Maintenance Grass Seed to the soil. I watered 2 to 3 times a day for 7 days. I will allow the grass to grow a little taller before I mow and fertilize. I like the result so much that I continue to add the PRO-MIX Low Maintenance Grass Seed down along that same fence line.

Low Maintenance Grass Seed 5 in 1 from Pro Mix has really impressed me. I few years back I planted a Giant Empress tree in my front yard and while the tree itself is very beautiful, it killed all the grass underneath it, due to a lack of light.

No grass would grow in this this spot, I tried many different brands of grass seed and none of it would grow, highly frustrated i had given up ever having luscious grass in this spot again. Pro Mix was my last resort, I figured I would try it although I was not expecting any real results.

I was wrong. Within one week of planting the grass seed (ensuring that I watered the area every day), I was surprised to see ting grass shoots erupting in the muddy area under my tree. Now after two weeks, I am starting to see real grass, everyday I come back and it seems like there is more and more grass.

to the point where I actually have hope that this grass will continue to grow and I will finally have the look that I desire in my front yard. This product is extremely simple to use, just prepare your soil before hand, sprinkle the seed and ensure that you water everyday as directed.

I LOVE how easy it is to grow grass with this seed and I thoroughly recommend you purchase it, even if you have given up all hope in those shaded areas. This is a great product and I will be purchasing more in the future as I have other areas in my yard that could also benefit.

I’ll be honest, I messed this up a bit. Lesson learned here so maybe the person who buys this product can learn from me too. I watched the weather forecast and waited for a few consecutive days of rain to pop up before laying this seed down.

Figured I’d cash in on Mother Nature as I know grass seed takes some regular watering to get going. An ideal forecast with 3 days of rain (I live in Texas so that’s rare) finally came and I went outside and laid this seed in my side yard to help fill in and thicken the grass there as it’s a relatively shady area.

Unfortunately, day 1 of the rain ended up being a pretty violent thunderstorm with buckets of water and flash flooding. And sadly it looked like a lot of the seed I laid was washed away. HOWEVER, I did noticed about a week after the storms some of the seed survived and new grass sprouts are popping up in the yard.

Pretty incredible. I’ve literally put the minimum effort into this and gotten results. So, if you’re serious about growing grass in your yard I really believe this product will work great if you do it right.

Lay the seed, maybe till your soil, water with a sprinkler fairly regularly, and you’ll have grass in no time. Despite my disaster, this seed grows fast and the product really seems to work. I’ll likely go pick up another bag and try again and take more care purely based on the “success” from my failed attempt.

We are near Kansas City and are starting to migrate to a lower maintenance lawn. This year we dethatched to get rid of some old grass, and aerated. We put the seed down pretty thin (25lbs for about 8000 sq ft).

Overall the the grass has come in nice and blends with the old grass well. I did notice it took a little longer to germinate / see growth relative to other grasses I have planted. More like 15-20 days ILO what I would say the normal 7-10 days.

We will continue this process every few years to transition over to lower maintenance lawn. Overall the grass has been great and we will see how it handles the MW winter.

Sowed the seed on 8-20 and it sprouted on 8-28. Temperatures ranged from 70 to 85 with no rain so kept it constantly damp. Can`t really tell the germination rate yet as the birds were a problem and I did cover some of the area with shade cloth for protection.

Have about a pound of seed left so may reseed if there are patchy areas. I`ll hold off on rating for the time being but looks good so far. I see these fescues were developed in Washington and Oregon so they should do well.

I live in Bellingham Wa. in the northwest corner of the state. Stuart Thompson Can`t do photos, land line only and no camera. i.

I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to grow any grass, but I was shocked at how quickly this seed sprouted. It has grown in a bit patchy, but I didn’t prepare the ground as well as I should have. I didn’t even use any compost and just tilled before spreading seed.

The grass seemed to grow better in the areas with sun, but still grew in my completely shaded areas, which I worried about. And it grew quckly and is lush and soft beautiful! Can’t wait to fil lin the patchy spots in the spring.

Can’t reccommend this grass seed enough! I’ll never buy anything else!.