The Best Grass Seed For New Hampshire
New Hampshire is the new homeowner’s heaven, with plenty of family-related activities and beautiful nature. Those who own homes also want to have a beautiful lawn to relax and spend their free time. And a perfect lawn isn’t complete without lush green grass.
But growing the best grass on New Hampshire lawns is a challenge. The climate in the Northeast of the US is known to be cool and humid. Plants tend to have many diseases because of the long winters and the dampness.
While growing the best New Hampshire lawns can be difficult, it’s not impossible. There are several steps that homeowners can take to successfully grow new lawns or save an existing lawn, and choosing a superior grass seed is key.
Fine grass seeds make your dream of having a lush green lawn achievable without using chemical pesticides. Read through our article to better understand the best grass seed you can use in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Soil Characteristics and Environmental Conditions
New Hampshire has a harsh and humid climate and rough, granitic soil. Throughout the state’s history, farmers have had a difficult time growing produce and food because of the long winters. That means tending to New Hampshire lawns was not exactly a priority.
These days, an increasing number of residents in New Hampshire want to grow gardens and lawns on their properties. But understanding what type of soil you’re working with makes it possible to adapt your grass seed and grow a lush turf successfully.
Besides the soil conditions, it’s also important to understand the overall climate of your location. The official USDA plant hardiness zones indicate the average temperatures of the ground and determine what type of grasses you can plant.
As we can see on the map, New Hampshire has low soil temperatures and several zones.
- Zone 3b: between -30 to -35°F
- Zone 4a: between -30 to -25°F
- Zone 4b: between -25 to -20°F
- Zone 5a: between -20 to -15°F
- Zone 5b: between -15 to -10°F
- Zone 6a: between -10 to -5°F
These zones indicate that, due to the low temperatures, you should steer away from warm-season grasses. Instead, the best grass seed for New Hampshire is cool-season grass. These grasses are more suitable for New Hampshire because they have better cold and drought tolerance and are more resistant to disease.
When to Plant Grass Seed in New Hampshire?
Cool-season grass seed grows best during the colder months and stays dormant in the full sun of summer. The best time for planting grass seed in New Hampshire is in early fall from September to November. That’s when it’s easier to fertilize the land and prepare it so the seeds can germinate.
If you miss this window of time to plant your lawn during that window of time, don’t worry. You can still plant the best grass seeds in early spring, which is from March through May.
The only time you should steer away from planting grass seed is during the summer. Cool-season grasses are not made to germinate during the scorching heat of summer so that they might become wilted and dry.
Here’s a short timeline for lawn care and everything you should be doing each season for your grass to grow well.
March to May
If you’ve planted your grass seed in the fall, it will be ready for its first mowing between these months. Mow slightly lower to discourage the spread of winter diseases. Prevent weeds and fertilize the land, but skip this step if you just planted the seeds.
Have the right mix in hand to repair any bare spots and water your new grass with around 1 inch of water per week, taking rainfall into account too.
June to August
Try to mow your lawn more frequently to help it withstand the summer months and fertilize it, so it keeps green. Treat it with non-chemical pesticides to treat any pests and water it regularly. During the summer, you can also test your lawn soil for its soil pH and see whether it needs any new nutrients.
September to November
Slowly decrease your mowing height, but continue until the grass stops growing. Before the winter, do one final mow and treat your lawn with fertilizer a few weeks before you expect the weather to be frosty. This is the ideal time for seeding your lawn again and watering it.
December to February
Clean your lawn frequently from winter debris, maintain your tools, and flush the lawn to clean it from ice or pet urine damage.
Best Types of Grass Seed in New Hampshire
Everyone wants to plant the best grass seed and have it flourish into a beautiful lawn. But choosing the right seed is vital.
New Hampshire’s harsh weather is one factor to consider, but it’s not the only one. You should consider moisture levels, soil fertility, acidity, humidity, and any other factors that could cause lawn disease or encourage lawn pests.
Considering all of these factors, here are some of the best grass mixes you can use as cool-season grasses for New Hampshire.
Kentucky Bluegrass
Homeowners love Kentucky Bluegrass seed for their lawns, otherwise known as KGB. This type of grass has a beautiful green color and experiences vigorous growth, but it’s challenging to maintain. It’s classified as moderate to difficult in terms of growing it.
KGB takes quite some time to germinate, but it’s more resistant to cold. Kentucky Blue Grass has a difficult time with heat and drought, so you should pay close attention to its maintenance. The seed is also susceptible to disease, so you should have a plan in mind for pest control.
Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial Rye is a cool-season grass that has moderate to easy maintenance. It has good drought and heat tolerance but tends to be prone to disease. This type of grass is designed to be in full sun but can also withstand some shade. Perennial Ryegrass has a dark green color and makes a great blend with Kentucky Bluegrass and Fine Fescue.
Fine Fescue
Fine fescue has narrow leaf blades, so sometimes, this type of lawn seed mix is also called fine leaf fescue. Fine fescues are great in terms of shade tolerance, and they can withstand very high pH in the soil. But because they have such fine texture, they can be challenging to mow.
Tall Fescue
The tall fescue mix is an excellent variety for home lawns as it requires low to moderate maintenance. The tall fescue has tolerance to drought and extreme heat and recovers relatively quickly from pests or diseases.
The downside is that the tall fescue takes longer to germinate but will eventually look amazing.
Bentgrass
A unique mix of cool-season grasses, bentgrass has a fine texture and can withstand shallow mowing heights. It’s a tough grass to maintain since it is prone to disease and doesn’t resist drought or heat. That’s why this type of grass is best used on a golf course.