Drought-Tolerant Lawn Seed for Seattle: Benefits and Solutions

Drought-Tolerant Lawn Seed for Seattle: Benefits and Solutions2024-11-06T11:54:08-08:00

Why Choose Drought-Tolerant Grass Seed in Seattle?

With Seattle’s changing climate and increasingly hot, dry summers, maintaining a healthy lawn can be challenging. This is especially true for lawns affected by poor soil quality due to new home construction. To help you achieve a resilient, low-maintenance lawn, we now offer a premium drought-tolerant grass seed.

Key Benefits of Drought-Tolerant Grass Seed

Using our Seattle-specific drought-tolerant grass seed offers these major advantages:

  • Less Watering Required: Reduces the need for frequent watering, saving time and conserving water.
  • Lower Fertilizer Needs: Requires less fertilizer to thrive, making lawn care easier and more eco-friendly.
  • Minimal Maintenance: Grows well in both sunny and shaded areas with minimal upkeep.

Drought-Tolerant Grass Seed that's A List approved for water conservation, reduced fertility, traffic, heat, and drought stress tolerances, all with no fungicide or insecticide applications

Advanced Seed Development

Our chosen drought-tolerant seed is developed through collaboration between private and government seed breeding programs in Washington State. It is also A-LIST certified, ensuring it meets high standards for:

  • Water Conservation: Designed to perform well with less water.
  • Heat and Drought Stress Tolerance: Stays resilient even during hot, dry summers.
  • Reduced Fertility Needs: Thrives with less frequent fertilization.
  • Shade Tolerance: Performs well in both sunny and shaded areas.

High Traffic Resistance: Ideal for lawns that experience regular use.

Lawn Quality Highlights

Our drought-tolerant grass seed offers:

  • Resistance to summer stress and brown patch disease
  • Dense, dark, and durable growth
  • Natural defense against insects and disease
  • High tolerance to shade and foot traffic

Improve Your Lawn’s Resilience with Lawn Tune-Up

To further enhance your lawn’s drought resistance, consider our Lawn Tune-Up service. This service includes aeration and thatching to promote deep root growth and overall lawn health, ensuring your lawn stays green and vibrant all season long.

For more information on maintaining a drought-resistant lawn in Seattle, reach out to Aerating Thatching Co. and discover the best solutions for a lush, low-maintenance yard.

Drought Tolerant Grass Seed FAQ2024-02-26T18:45:23-08:00

The type of seed that I am using for Western Washington is a lawn type called Tall Fescue

The tall fescue seed I use typically take 4 weeks to germinate.

It’s important to remember that this is just an estimate, and the actual germination time can be affected by several factors, including:

  • Soil temperature: Most grass seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is between 60- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 and 26.6 degrees Celsius).
  • Moisture levels: The soil should be kept consistently moist, but not soggy, during the germination period. 
  • Sunlight: Most grass seeds need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day to germinate properly.
  • Planting depth: Seeds should be planted at the depth recommended for the specific type of grass. Planting too deep can hinder germination.

Tall fescue grass needs to be watered for about 3 weeks to start germination

The seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is between 60- and 80-degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 and 26.6 degrees Celsius).

Drought-tolerant grass seed does not require special care, but there are some specific practices that will help it establish itself and thrive:

  • Watering: While drought-tolerant grass requires less water than traditional grass varieties, it still needs to be watered regularly, especially during the germination and establishment stages (typically the first few weeks after planting). Water thoroughly, but wait until the soil feels slightly dry to the touch before watering again. This encourages the grass roots to reach deeper into the soil for moisture.
  • Mowing: Once the grass is established, you can mow it less frequently than traditional grass. However, it is still important to mow regularly to maintain a healthy height and appearance.

Fertilization: Drought-tolerant grass generally requires less fertilizer than traditional grass. However, it is still beneficial to fertilize occasionally to replenish essential nutrients in the soil. Opt for slow-release organic fertilizers specifically formulated for drought-tolerant grasses.

Drought-tolerant grass seeds have different mowing requirements compared to traditional lawn grasses. Here’s what you need to know:

Mowing frequency: You can generally mow less frequently with drought-tolerant varieties. This is because they typically grow slower than traditional grasses, reducing the need for frequent trimming.

Mowing height: It’s crucial to mow at a higher setting compared to traditional lawns. Aim for a height of 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm). This promotes deeper root growth, shades the soil, and helps retain moisture, all crucial for drought resistance.

Overall approach: Focus on mowing for aesthetics rather than maintaining a strictly manicured lawn. Let the grass grow a bit taller between mowings and avoid scalping or cutting too short.

Drought-tolerant lawns are a great choice for the Seattle area, where hot, dry summers are becoming more common or when water restrictions are in place. Here are some of the best uses for drought-tolerant lawn seed:

  • Conserving water: Drought-tolerant lawns require significantly less water than traditional lawns, making this a great choice for water conservation efforts. 
  • Reducing maintenance: Drought-tolerant lawns typically require less mowing and fertilizing than traditional lawns. This can save you time and money on lawn care.
  • Improving soil health: Drought-tolerant lawns often have deep root systems that help to improve soil health by aerating the soil and preventing erosion.
  • Creating a low-maintenance landscape: Drought-tolerant lawns are a perfect choice for busy homeowners or those who want a low-maintenance lawn. They are also a good option for areas that are difficult to water, such as slopes or hillsides.
Seattle Lawn Seeding FAQ2024-02-22T18:25:28-08:00

Seeding introduces new, healthier, more vibrant grass seedlings to your existing lawn. The healthier your lawn, the more beautiful and more resistant it will be to disease and pests. Best of all, the overall vigor and health of your lawn enhances the value of your property.

When buying seed for your lawn, buy from a reputable and knowledgeable representative. Don’t just buy any brand. Seed distributors have to supply the big box stores where they market their lower quality seed. This is why I purchase my seed by the ton, from a seed broker I have known for over 10 years. My seed cannot be purchased at nurseries or box stores. I use only seed that local golf courses use on their fairways. A fairway grass is a Class C turf which most closely resembles your home lawn. A putting green is an example of a Class A turf. For home lawns I prefer to use a 70/30 seeding mix.

Fescue grass also requires more water longer than perennial rye grass in order to become established. You need to water a little longer than you think so the secondary grasses can become established. Also note that you don’t want to let the perennial rye grass grow above 5 inches tall before first cut or it will shade out your fescues.

A blend is a mixture of several different varieties of the same seed. An example would be a three-way perennial rye grass, similar in concept to like-blended whiskies.

Different types of seed are mixed together, such as perennial rye grass and fescue. This provides the advantage of mixing sun and shade grasses and disease with pest resistance.

Many things are considered when seed is mixed or blended:

  • the color of the grass at maturity
  • the fineness of the blade and uniformity
  • how the grass will be maintained, such as cutting and fertilization
  • disease and susceptibility to pests

Cheap seed is no bargain. It quite often contains other non-desirable grasses by accident or on purpose. At the box stores I now see a change in marketing techniques by reputable seed producers. They market seed with their nationally-known name but it is aimed at the cheapest purchaser. These seeds are marketed using descriptions like “contractors’ mix” or “extremely fast establishing” or “quick green”. The frugal shopper buys this seed, gets it home, applies it, and it looks great. But when the seed finally matures, it’s usually wide-bladed and ugly and “goes to seed” all the time. The frugal shopper then sees the ugly lawn and by then has forgotten what he put on last year, so goes back and buys a cheap, low-quality product again.

Higher quality seed for Western Washington is grown in Oregon in the Willamette Valley. This seed is usually endophyte-enhanced with a fungus that discourages some chewing insect pests and increases your lawn’s stress resistance. Seed is professionally mixed or blended for a reason. If only one super seed was used and it became susceptible to a pest or disease, you would lose your whole lawn. Most seed is purchased at the big box stores and based on one criterion: price. Most homeowners do not take purity and quality into consideration.

Many homeowners decide to cover their seed with peat moss. If you use peat moss, I strongly recommend renting a peat moss roller from a rental yard. Not to be confused with a drum you put water in for site compaction, a peat moss roller is light and easy to transport. Peat moss roller rental is about $15 a day. The roller itself is made of expanded diamond-cut metal which has many openings to equally distribute the peat moss. The quality of this is unattainable by hand spreading. Do not put peat moss on too thick or it will interlock and prevent the seed from growing through it.

Failure can be caused by: poor germinating temperatures, a weed and feed or chemical being applied either before or after seeding, lack of watering, overwatering, birds and other animals feeding on the seeds, contaminated soil, chemicals, diesel fuel and/or paint thinners.

Water your lawn daily, lightly and frequently, depending on the temperature. If possible, mow your lawn first before aeration.

Kentucky Bluegrass does not live longer than one year here in Western Washington. Winters are not cold enough for the grass to go into dormancy; disease will also kill it.

No. Another mistake many people make is to rototill an existing lawn and then try to grade it. Rototilling creates a huge, tangled mess of dirt clods and grass. Then when you rototill your new topsoil into the mess that’s left, it takes hours to get it graded and there’s always a chunk of your old lawn on top. In addition, if you do get it graded, that old sod will be decomposing and your newly established yard will end up with many bumps and dips. Use a sod cutter first, then the rototiller. With rototilling you never know what a previous owner has buried, so make a place to put unwanted dug up items.

Sodding properties over 4,000 square feet gets expensive. Many landscape designers now prefer hydroseeding for larger properties. You have to water more in the beginning, but what you save in labor and cost can be spent on proper site preparation.

When comparing hydroseeding estimates, please consider the following criteria. All bids are not equal. More is to be considered than just cost per square foot. Ask about:

  • the hydro mulch to be used.
  • seed quality and fertilizer.
  • if the soil to be hydroseeded is on a slope, then is a tackifying agent needed to prevent soil from washing away?
  • does the company experience working on residential lawns?
  • what do they recommend for weed control?
  • years in business: opt for companies with established experience and a proven track record.
  • insurance and licensing: ensure they have proper insurance and licensing to protect you and their workers.

Yes because you can control exactly the amount of seed and type of mulch to be applied.

Use quality seed, fertilizer, the right mix in the tank, and irrigation.

In the Spring the birds have so much other food to eat they typically don?t eat many, if any, seeds.

You can but the first rule of successful overseeding is getting the grass seed in contact with your lawns soil. Just because a grass seed germinates on your lawn does not mean the seedling will survive even short term. For long term successful lawn establishment, grass seeds need to be planted in the soil for proper root development. This is why lawn aeration with a starter fertilizer is recommended before overseeding your lawn.

While you can just sprinkle grass seed on your lawn, it’s not generally recommended for several reasons and won’t guarantee successful germination or a healthy lawn:

Low Success Rate: Just throwing seeds on top of the soil often results in poor seed-to-soil contact, which is crucial for germination. Many seeds will be washed away by rain, eaten by birds, or struggle to compete with existing weeds.

Uneven Growth: Without proper preparation, the seed distribution will likely be uneven, leading to patchy growth and a less aesthetically pleasing lawn.

Remember: Proper preparation is key for successful lawn establishment. 

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