Colorado’s climate can be tough on grass. The cold winters and dry, hot summers pose specific challenges that can leave your lawn looking desiccated and brown. By planting resilient grasses, you can promote a hardier, lush-looking landscape. Here is the best grass seed for Colorado, along with some tips for keeping your lawn looking great all year long. 

Buffalo Grass

Resilient and low-maintenance, buffalo grass is native to Colorado and a large portion of the Great Plains. If you add established buffalo grass to your lawn, you will see growth by mid to late spring, shortly after bluegrass and fescues. With good irrigation, a skilled landscaper can refresh a lawn by planting this grass, but it can be difficult to nurture a flourishing lawn by seed alone. 

At maximum, buffalo grass grows to six inches in height and requires no irrigation, although it will become dormant faster amid the dry Colorado summers. That said, when irrigated, the grass will not typically go dormant until after the first frost. In Colorado’s dry climate, buffalo grass will typically contain a blend of green and brown, but it’s still a very popular option for large lawns and acreages throughout Colorado. 

Blue Grama

Celebrated for its good heat tolerance and impressive drought resistance, blue grama is found naturally throughout the southwest and Great Plains. An important foraging grass in native ranges, it’s often included in turf grass mixed with buffalo grass. 

The hearty perennial grows from seed to a height of one to three feet. Because it bunches and spreads relatively slowly, blue grama allows homeowners to beautify landscapes with sandy and rocky soils. Since it requires minimal mowing and irrigation, this grass is an effective option for homes in Colorado. It grows from May to June before flowering at the end of the summer. Ideally, it’s best to plant blue grama about two months before the very first fall frost and use a low-nitrogen grass feed to give it a boost in the early spring. 

Kentucky Bluegrass

This cool-season grass is renowned for its aggressive spreading and lovely deep-green leaves. Kentucky bluegrass holds up in heat and shade, making it a common sight throughout Colorado communities. While some consider the grass to be too thirsty, it actually only requires moderate irrigation once it’s well-established. It also has impressive recuperation potential and good resilience to harsh weather and regular foot traffic. For optimal results, it’s generally best to seed this grass from March to September.

Fine-bladed Fescues

Exceptional landscaping options at higher elevations, fine-bladed fescues have adapted quite well to poor growing conditions and shade. Overall, these grasses don’t need a lot of regular irrigation. But if you’re starting the seed from scratch, you will need to provide consistent moisture until the plants are established. 

It’s generally best to plant fine-bladed fescues in early fall or late summer for optimal results. While they are most commonly used in lawns, fine-bladed fescues don’t handle high-traffic areas all that well. They can also be somewhat tricky to mow and will generally produce more thatch than tall fescues. You can create a lush, robust lawn by using a grass seed mix composed of perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. With proper care, this seed mixture should remain green and beautiful throughout the full growing season. 

For a healthy, lush lawn in Colorado’s trying climate, it’s best to get help from an experienced Denver landscaping company like RMPS Landscaping. For decades, our experts have provided a diverse variety of landscaping services, from stonework and plants sod,  hardscaping, trees and full-scale landscape renovations. Our skilled experts will collaborate with you to learn your preferences and develop a strategy that meets your needs. Contact our knowledgeable experts to find out how we can help bring your boldest vision into the real world.

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