The Best Grass Seed For Idaho
Idaho’s cooler climate means that your go-to variety of choices will be cool-season grasses. When planted, this type of seed is winter-hardy and demonstrates excellent revival once the heat peaks in the summer waves.
Let’s take a look at the more popular varieties of Idaho cool-season grass:
Fescue Seed
Fescue is quick growing, tolerates heat well, and requires less inputs than other types of cool-season grasses.
There are two types of fescue seeds you can plant in Idaho: fine and tall.
Fine fescues excel in shady yards and adapt to well-drained, sandy soils. They also have low to moderate fertilization requirements.
Under the fine variety of fescues is the creeping red fescue. When planted, this type of fescue seed features spreading root systems that fill in bare areas and help prevent erosion. You can also choose hard fescue, which has extensive root systems and makes for excellent low-maintenance turf.
And, finally, there’s tall fescue which is used on playing fields and parks due to its toughness. This variety of fescue has a deep root system that allows it to be more heat tolerant and drought-resistant than most. It can also adapt to a variety of soil conditions and has low to moderate fertility requirements.
Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass is one of the more widely used grasses in the United States. It’s known for its quick germination, easy establishment, and lush, long-lasting color. Many homeowners use it as both permanent or temporary options when trying to build their idyllic lawn.
This species is often included in lawn mixes with other species because it germinates so quickly. In these mixes, perennial ryegrass will “nurse” the slower establishing species, compete with common weeds, and slow topsoil erosion caused by wind and sprinkler irrigation. Perennial ryegrass can also be used to overseed existing lawns in need of a beautifying “touch-up.”
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass is a type of turf grass commonly used on golf courses, parks, and home lawns in cooler climates. It forms a durable sod with a dark green color and good drought tolerance. It is slow to germinate and requires higher inputs than other grasses. Once established, this grass type can easily repair itself from damage. Kentucky bluegrass can produce some of the highest quality lawns in Idaho when maintained properly.
Warm-Season Grass Options for Idaho
Warm-season grasses are adapted to warmer or tropical climates, but some can tolerate cooler temperatures. Their seeds germinate quickly in the spring and grow rapidly during the summer. However, the leaves turn brown early in the fall and are slow to green up in the spring.
For Idaho, only buffalograss is recommend as a warm-season option:
Buffalo Grass Seed
As a warm-season grass, buffalograss performs best when air temperatures are in the 80+ degree range. It’s extremely drought tolerant and very slow growing, meaning less irrigation and maintenance. Buffalograss can take up to two years to fully establish a dense sod.
Buffalograss is a great alternative lawn for use around homes, parks and campuses and exhibits a medium green, medium texture. Native to the Great Plains region, buffalograss is also the most cold hardy warm-season grass.