The Grass Doctor

Does a mix of grass seed create a lawn that grows at a different rate?

I've overseeded my lawn a few times in the past few years. Some blades look thin and some thick. It also grows tall and lumpy. Is the different types of seed the cause? And if I were to start new, would I be better off choosing a single seed type? Do I need to kill the existing lawn if I want to till? thx

Public Comments

1. Yes, different grass types and even different cultivars within a type have different growing characteristics. This includes growth rate, texture, color, cold hardiness, heat hardiness, disease resistance, propagation, shade tolerance and many other characteristics.
2. Using a different seed mix than what was in the yard could have caused some or all the problems or it could have been a soil problem as well such as an area which when the house was built or when a sidewalk was put in construction materials like sand could have been left in piles and not completely cleaned up causing patches of lawn that don't grow as well as others. If you want to completely redo the lawn I would recomend getting a sod cutter to remove the existing grass or tilling the grass into the soil and covering with black plastic or news paper to kill the roots turn in lotsa of compost into the ground to give new lawn a good chance. as for seed mixes it depends on the actual one you get but with the right mix the grasses should have similar properties and do well. The mix is there to allow the different seeds to thrive in their best environment for example some parts of the lawn in shade the seeds which do well in shade will grow into a nice mat taking over the seeds that don't do as well in shade
3. Some grasses clump, some use rhizomes, and some are stolonous in nature. Each variety is a whole new plant from how it propagates, to how it looks. Go to your local extension office, or garden center. They will tell you what works best in that area for your particular conditions.
4. by accident i too have bermuda and fescue i would definitely choose a single seed type according to your area of the country you're in. i would only kill existing lawn if you wanted to start anew.