Top seller
Hard Wearing Grass Seed
A tough family lawn that takes the kids, the dog and the games. Grows back thick.
£18.99
Tax included. Free next-day UK delivery over £40.
Green in 7–14 daysQuick to establish, even from 5–7°C soil.
Built for family useKids, dogs, games and regular mowing.
80% ryegrass / 20% fescueFast recovery plus a denser knitted finish.
Need the exact amount?Use the calculator before you buy.
Green in 7–14 days. Slow to start in cold soil is normal. Keep it watered, don’t panic.
Covered by our Growth Guarantee. It grows, or we replace it.
Free next-day deliveryOver £40, order by noon
Hassle-free returns30-day, no quibble
In stockDispatched same day
80% perennial ryegrass · 20% strong creeping red fescue · Backed by Barenbrug
What makes this different
The grass the professionals use
Most bagged ‘grass seed’ is surplus field seed. This is amenity grass: the lawn-and-sport varieties Barenbrug develops to be finer, denser and tougher than anything grown for fields.
Backed by Barenbrug
One of the world’s biggest grass-seed companies, developing lawn and sport varieties since 1904. The same grass they supply to golf greens and pitches goes into your bag.
Amenity grass, not field seed
Lawn-and-sport varieties, chosen for a finer blade and a deeper green, and far tougher than the agricultural seed often bagged up cheap for gardens.
A tight-knit, dense lawn
The strong creeping red fescue creeps along the ground and fills the gaps the ryegrass leaves. You get a dense, even surface with no bare patches.
Will it work in my garden?
Will it suit your garden?
Soil type is the question we’re asked most. Here’s the straight answer.
Clay & most soils
Wide range
Family & pets
Built for it
High foot traffic
Recovers fast
Light shade
A degree of
Deep shade
Choose Shaded
Plan the lawn
Get the right amount before you sow
Enter your lawn size or check this is the right mix before you sow.
Product details
How it grows, what it suits and what to expect
The practical detail behind the mix, from germination timing to reviews and specifications.
What’s really in the bag
Two grasses, two jobs
Here’s what each one does for your lawn.
The science80% perennial ryegrass · germinates from 5–7°C
Green in 7–14 days, even when it’s still cold out
Perennial ryegrass is one of the quickest-germinating grasses there is, and it gets going even at low temperatures, when other seed just sits there. So you see green fast, and it bounces back when the kids, the dog and the football have had their turn.
The science20% strong creeping red fescue · rhizomes
It creeps along the ground and fills the gaps
Ryegrass grows in tufts, so on its own it leaves small gaps. The strong creeping red fescue sends out roots that creep along under the surface and fill them in. You’re left with a tight-knit, dense lawn and no bare patches.
The scienceShiny ryegrass leaf blade
Mows into proper, defined stripes
The ryegrass has a shiny leaf blade. Mow in alternating lines and it catches the light, giving you crisp, defined stripes. Not too different from a Premier League pitch, in your own back garden.
When you’ll see green
From bare soil to mowable in about six weeks
Day 0
Sow & water in
Days 3–5
First shoots appear
Days 7–14
Green coverage
Week 6
Established & ready to mow
Real results
A worn, patchy lawn, brought back
Drag the slider to see the difference.
Before
After
Customer reviews
What real gardeners say
Let’s clear this one up
“Isn’t ryegrass just a weed?”
The old advice
“A gardener told me years ago to never use ryegrass. It’s coarse, cheap farm grass.”
That was true… decades ago. The old ryegrass was broad-leaved and rough, the stuff grown for grazing fields. The reputation stuck around long after the grass changed.
What’s true today
Modern ryegrass is fine-leaved, dense and tough. The grass on Premier-League pitches.
Decades of development by specialists like Barenbrug have transformed it: finer leaves, deeper green, far better wear tolerance. It’s now the grass of choice for sports turf precisely because it looks good and takes a beating.
Play football on a fine-fescue lawn and it never really repairs. Ryegrass grows back in a few months.
We blend it with creeping fescue for density. Best of both.
No surprises
What to expect, and who it’s not for
We’d rather you bought the right lawn than the wrong one.
What to expect
- Green shoots in 7–14 days, germinating from soil temps of 5–7°C.
- A thick, hard-wearing lawn that recovers from kids, pets and play.
- Works on most soils, including clay.
Good to know
- It likes a regular cut, about once a week in spring and autumn. Want lower-maintenance? Our Traditional Lawn is slower-growing.
- It’s a hard-wearing family lawn, not an ornamental bowling-green finish.
- A degree of shade and drought tolerance, not a lot. For deep shade, choose Shaded Areas.
The detail
Specifications & characteristics
Specifications
Sowing rate25–35 g/m²
Germination7–14 days (from 5–7°C)
Mowing heightDown to 15 mm
Mixture80% perennial ryegrass · 20% strong creeping red fescue
Bag sizes1.5 / 5 / 10 / 20 kg
Best sownMarch–October
Characteristics
Wear tolerance★★★★★
Speed of establishment★★★★★
Density★★★★★
Drought tolerance★★★★★
Shade tolerance★★★★★
Fineness of leaf★★★★★
Questions, answered
Before you buy
How long does it take to germinate?
Usually 7–14 days. Ryegrass germinates from soil temperatures of around 5–7°C, so it gets going earlier in spring and later in autumn than most seed. Don’t panic if you don’t see anything in the first few days. Keep it watered and it will come.
Will it survive kids and a dog?
Yes. That’s exactly what it’s built for. The ryegrass recovers quickly from wear and the creeping fescue fills in any gaps, so it knits back together after heavy use.
What soil does it need?
It’s happy on most soil types, including clay. For a garden that sits genuinely wet through winter, our Wet Soils & Clay mix is the better match.
How much do I need?
Sow at 25–35 g/m². A 10kg bag covers roughly 285–400 m². Use the calculator below to get an exact figure for your lawn.
When’s the best time to sow?
March to October. Spring and early autumn are ideal. The soil is warming and there’s natural moisture about. It germinates from just 5–7°C, so you can start earlier than you’d think.
Isn’t ryegrass low quality?
Not anymore. Modern ryegrass is fine-leaved, dense and hard-wearing. It’s the same grass used on professional pitches. See “Isn’t ryegrass just a weed?” above.
How much seed do I need?
Pop in your lawn size and we’ll do the maths.
Not sure this is the one?
Answer a few quick questions about your garden and we’ll point you to the perfect mix.
Find your perfect seed