These types of grass seed are recommended for the Eastern NC region.  For a comparison chart, click here.

• Centipede: A warm season lawn grass.  Dense and tightly-woven grass.  Centipede will grow on almost all soil types.  It grows slowly and is a low-profile, shorter grass that requires less time on the lawnmower.  It is a warm-season grass that will die out when the ground cools.  You can expect Centipede to go brown in October or after the first few frosts.  It will green up in the spring in April or May.    
  After planting, centipede seeds will sprout in 10-14 days.  They will grow very slowly.  In Eastern North Carolina, centipede should not be seeded in the late summer, because the cooler fall temperatures will kill young seedlings.  The best time to plant Centipede is March-May.  Germination will not occur until soil temperatures reach 70 Farenheit.  Once the seeds have germinated, consistent watering is key to establishing a lush stand of centipede. 
  Centipede will be fully established in three years. Once established, it will choke out other grasses and weeds creating an attractive uniform lawn.  Centipede also requires less fertilizers than other grasses, thriving in low-nutrient soils. 
  
  

•  Bermuda: A hardy lawn grass that tolerates drought, high traffic, and loves sun.  It is also salt-tolerant.  It has a medium to fine bladed texture that will spread easily and is quick to establish.  If forms a dense full-coverage turf in a single season.  Bermuda is also a low profile grass that will keep you off of your lawnmower.  It is another warm season grass that will go dormant when the fall temperatures dip below 60 Farenheit.  However, Bermuda's quick-growing nature allows it to green up quickly when temperatures rise in the spring.  
  This grass prefers well-draining soils and is tolerant of most soil types.  Its enthusiastic nature can also be a potential downside.  Bermuda can creep into your flowerbeds or mulched areas.  It can be controlled through herbicides, edging, and maintenance.  It has an extensive root system that takes several herbicide applications to eliminate. 

• Zoysia Grass: Zoysia grass is a wam-season grass.  Zoysia is similar to Centipede, but with a greater cold tolerance.  It will green up earlier and stay green longer than Centipede lawns. It has fine-to-medium blade size and grows light-to-medium green.  It is a dense, slow-growing grass and easy to maintain. Zoysia is exceptionally hardy: it tolerates traffic and usage well.  It tolerates drought, remaining green during short dry spells.  Without irrigation during the hot summer, it will enter semi-dormancy.  It will green up once watering is resumed.  Zoysia is also heat-tolerant, tolerating summer temps up to 100 Farenheit.  It will go into dormacy after ground temperatures fall below 55 Farenheit.  Zoysia also grows in shady areas, where other grasses may not survive.  In partial shade, zoysia will continue to grow slowly. Zoysia also performs well in heavy soils as well as those with high pH.  Zoysia should be planted after the soil reaches 70 Farenheit.  In Eastern NC, the ideal planting time is May-June.  The grass needs as much time as possible to grow and establish before the first winter.  Zoysia should be planted by early August at the latest. 

• Fescues: There are several varieties of fescues available.  Fescues are cool-season grasses, growing well in the spring and fall.  The grass will brown during the winter dormancy period after the first hard freeze.  During the summer, fescues are semi-dormant.  They remain a light green color, but do not grow as much as warm-season grasses.  Falcon, our lawn fescue grows well in full sun or dense shade.  It is traffic-tolerant and disease resistant.  For pastures, Cheyenne is a new and improved fescue.  It is highly-recommended for pasture owners.  Kentucky 31, the traditional pasture fescue is still available.  It's clumpy root system makes it excellent for erosion control. Cajun Fescue is our endophyte-free fescue.  If you have pregnant mares or mares that may become pregnant, you'll need to plant endophyte-free fescue.

• Winter Rye: Rye grass is great for greening up your winter lawn.  Most lawn grasses will experience a dormant period in North Carolina's cool winter climate, but rye is a cool-season grass that thrives during this period.  Rye germinates quickly in the spring and fall.  In the winter months, you can expect rye to appear in 2-3 weeks but will develop quickly into a lush, bright green cover.  It will not survive North Carolina's hot summers.  Rye grass is an annual that has to be reseeded each winter. 
  
  Rye is also great to blend with other grasses.  Quick-growing rye will green up your lawn and provide additional soil stabilization.  It is highly utilized in early season (Feb-April) blends.  Your warm-season grasses can be seeded early, held in place by mulch and rye, and will germinate as soon as ground temperatures increase.  As the warm-season grasses grow, they will take over and form your permanent established lawn. 
  
  Blends
  
• Contractor Blend:
  - Shenandoah Tall Fescue
  - Pensacola Bahiagrass
  - Lespendeza
  - Abruzzi Rye
  - Japenese Millet
  
  
• Forrest Spring Hydroseeding Blend:
  - Bermudagrass
  - Tall Fescue
  - Abruzzi Rye
  - Annual Ryegrass
  -Pensacola Bahiagrass

• Forrest Winter Hydroseeding Blend:
  -Tall Fescue
  - Rye Grain
  - Annual Ryegrass
  - Bermudagrass
  

For additional information on the listed seeds, click here for our comparison chart.