The Best Grass Seed For Utah
Famously known as one of the Four Corners states, Utah’s climate takes a little bit from each of its neighbors, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. In this single state, you can find mountains for miles, plateaus for miles, arid deserts, and subtropical thunderstorms.
Referred to as Utah’s “Dixie,” the southwestern area is dry, semi-arid, and desert-like. There, the summers are long and hot while the winters are short and cold.
In the southern part of the Colorado Plateau, Utah has cool, wet summers with plenty of thunderstorms.
Up in the northern half of the state, the weather is cooler and rainy from the air masses which come in from the Pacific Ocean’s polar air.
But, with all these varying climates in Utah, it can be hard deciding on the best grass seed when planting your new lawn. So if you’ve found yourself wondering where to start, then you’re not alone.
This page can help you in deciding the best types of grass blends for your area based on your soil’s condition, personal preferences, and more.
Best Grass Seed for Utah State
Whether you’re reseeding your lawn or looking to start fresh, finding the right grass seed for your home in Utah can be a challenge. After all, you might need something that is drought-resistant—but can also handle plenty of rainfall. Maybe you have clay-like soil that hardly anything can grow in. Whatever the reason, starting with high-quality seed designed for your property is the best thing you can do.
When searching for the right type of grass seed, you’ll always want to start with the kind of zone you live in. In this instance, you can refer to the USDA’s Plant Hardiness Zone Map, which offers nationwide general standards so that farmers and growers can determine which plants would do best in that zone.
As you can see, Utah has two main zones: the Southwest Transitional and Intermountain West. There are four kinds of cool-season grasses that will thrive no matter which part of the state you’re in: Fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and white dutch clover.
Type #1: Fine Fescue
Fine fescue is a beautiful blend of hard, sheep, chewings, and creeping red varieties. This combination requires less water and is more shade-tolerant than other common grasses, which is ideal for Utah residents, especially since the weather can sometimes be unpredictable.
Key Features:
- Does well in part-sun and full shade
- Has a slow establishment rate
- Grows into a soft texture
- Can grow in poor soil with little fertilizer
Fine fescue is excellent because it’s versatile with its region, sun exposure, and water requirements. Often used for beautification and water conservation, this fine blend can brighten any yard with its vibrant green coloring.
Type #2: Kentucky Bluegrass
If you’ve ever craved a thick, dark lawn, then Kentucky bluegrass might be the blend for you. This cool-season blend is ideal for high-traffic properties while also adding tons of curb appeal to any front yard.
Key Features:
- Does well in the full-sun to part-sun
- Has an average establishment rate
- A medium, coarse texture
- Perfect for a family with kids, dogs, or sports fields
- Deep, velvety green color
- Requires plenty of water
Designed to grow in just about any soil across the state of Utah, you can’t go wrong with the beauty and ease that Kentucky bluegrass brings.
Type #3: Perennial Ryegrass
When you imagine a picture-perfect front lawn in the middle of suburbia, you probably imagine perennial ryegrass. As one of the most versatile blends in the country, you can seed perennial ryegrass almost anywhere in the continental United States.
Key Features:
- Does well in the full-sun or part-sun
- Has a quick establishment rate
- A thick, coarse texture
- Ideal for high-traffic lawns, like sports fields
- Bright green color
- Requires lots of water
The best part about perennial ryegrass is that it can grow in a fraction of the time traditional lawn grasses do! Plus, this blend is disease-resistant and salt-tolerant, which means that it’s prepared for anything your Utah soil may bring.
Type #4: White Dutch Clover
If you’re looking for an alternative lawn that will survive year-round, then you might want to consider white dutch clover. A clover lawn is quickly becoming more and more popular across households in the U.S., serving to be a low-cost, low-maintenance alternative to traditional lawns.
Key Features:
- It can be planted anywhere in the U.S.
- Does well in full-sun or full-shade
- Grows to be between 2 to 8 inches
- Medium-green color
- Medium water requirements
- Grows in poor soil
- Acts as its own fertilizer
- Has a soft and cool texture on the feet
This environmentally-sustainable option is ideal for any homeowner who’s had bad luck trying other blends on their lawns, making clover lawns a perfect blend to overseed your existing lawn or to start from scratch. And, depending on your area’s temperature, the clover could remain green year-round.
When to Plant: What Month is Best for Grass Seed?
Fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass are all cool-season grasses, which means they have to be seeded in the fall to germinate and begin establishing by springtime. In Utah, you should try to plant these seeds anytime between early September and mid-October.
White dutch clover, on the other hand, should be sowed in the spring. The establishment is quick so that this creeping cover will begin to sprout within a couple of weeks once planted. It blooms for several months between the spring and fall, growing stronger and thicker each year.