Drought Resistant Dry Soils Grass Seed
For the lawn that goes straw-coloured every July. Roots deep enough to find water the rest of your grass cannot.
Tax included. Delivery options shown at checkout.
What makes this different
The grass they use in southern France
Tall fescue is the species of choice where summers are long and hot, across southern Europe and much of the USA. It is barely used in ordinary UK lawn seed because ordinary UK lawns have not needed it. On light, sandy, south-facing ground, they now do.
Backed by Barenbrug
One of the world’s biggest grass-seed companies, developing lawn and sport varieties since 1904. The varieties in this bag are selected for the use described on this page.
Amenity grass, not field seed
Lawn-and-sport varieties selected for appearance and wear tolerance.
Roots that reach deep
Surface soil dries first. Tall fescue drives roots far further down and keeps drawing water when the surface has turned to dust.
The detail
Specifications & characteristics
Will it work in my garden?
Made for the ground that burns off every summer
If your lawn goes brown in July and green again in September, this is the page you want. Here is the honest answer at a glance.
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, one job each
Half of it survives the drought. The other half gets you green in the meantime.
It drinks from where other grass cannot reach
Surface soil dries first. Tall fescue drives its roots far deeper and keeps drawing water when the surface has turned to dust. That is the whole reason this mix exists.
It loses less of the water it finds
The leaf is built to hold moisture in, so the plant spends less of what it takes up. That can help an established lawn stay green longer in dry conditions, and why it needs less watering once it is properly established.
You see green in the first fortnight
Tall fescue is slow out of the ground. The ryegrass half germinates in 7 to 14 days and holds the surface together while the fescue takes its time underneath. It also gives the lawn real wear tolerance, so this is a lawn you can use, not just look at.
When you’ll see green
It comes up in two waves
The ryegrass shows first and the tall fescue follows, so a patchy first fortnight is exactly what it should look like.
Customer reviews
What real gardeners say
This is really high quality grass seed. Arrived really quickly and packaged really well. Once I put the seed down, it germinated really quick, and has already established itself beautifully. Would definitely recommend.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear your grass seed is thriving and that you had a great experience with our service. We appreciate your recommendation!
Really impressed by this seed, 2nd order of this seed. First order was used to completely re-seed lawn. Was so impressed by the results have ordered 2nd bag for re-seeding
Thanks so much for your repeat order! Great to hear you were so pleased with the results the first time around — hope the second round is just as impressive!
Purchased the drought resistant grass seed from these guys turned up with super efficient delivery. On the grass seed has germinated even in the drought weather okay We had two days of rain after sowing it and okay we have had to water it with watering cans because of the hose pipe ban but now 40 days later, we have a green lawn it really did germinate that quickly
Thank you so much for your positive review! We are thrilled to hear that our drought resistant grass seed worked well for you, even in the challenging weather conditions. Our team takes pride in providing efficient delivery and high-quality products. Happy gardening!
I has been unfortunate that we have had an extended dry spell after I sowed the seed. I have been watering regularly but the grass is very sparse and patchy.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for our Drought Resistant Dry Soils Grass Seed. We're sorry to hear that you have been experiencing an extended dry spell after sowing the seed. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult for the seed to germinate and we understand your frustration with the sparse and patchy growth.
We recommend persevering with watering twice daily, ideally in the mornings before 10am and then again in the evenings. This will give the seed the best chance to thrive in these challenging conditions. We appreciate your patience and hope to see your lawn flourishing soon.
Sown late in the year but fortunately, the temperature remained > 9C for a week and the seed germinated well.
Thank you for your review. Perfect! This mild weather has worked out well for late sowings!
Seeded the lawn in mid-September, grass was showing in less than 1 week. Now a nice thick, lush lawn and only sown 5 weeks ago. By far and away the best lawn seed I've ever used. Grass Seed Online provided lots of good advice.
Hi there! We're so happy to hear that our Drought Resistant Dry Soils Grass Seed worked so well for you. It's great to know that you saw results in less than a week and now have a thick, lush lawn. We appreciate your kind words and are glad that our advice was helpful. Thank you for choosing Grass Seed Online!
Seems to be good germination. Have to wait for next drought to see how it performs.
Good seeds and online instructions
So far germination and growth as expected in September
Judging by previous customer reviews I’m assuming this product must be excellent which is why I made the purchase, however the period of rain predicted when I sowed the grass did not materialise, and together with the unforeseen extreme hot weather has meant that unfortunately, absolutely none of the grass seed has germinated despite our best efforts.
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. Unfortunately, the recent lack of rainfall can have a significant impact on seed germination. The good news is that once we receive some rainfall, the seed should begin to germinate and develop, helping you achieve a healthy, lush lawn before long.
If you have any questions or would like advice on watering, germination, or ongoing lawn care, please don't hesitate to get in touch – we're always happy to help.
Easy and fast👍
The service from this business was superb , quick delivery and a range of grasses to suit all environments. However I can’t review the actual product apart from saying it was sown two weeks ago and there is now a faint green tinge to the area as the seed is germinating. It has needed copious watering due to being sown a week prior to our unexpected and intense heatwave! We won’t know how good it is for the dry/poor soil area for at least another six months, but 🤞🤞🤞
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're glad you're happy with our service and the seed germination is promising. Fingers crossed for great results in the coming months. Let us know if you need any further assistance!
Delighted with the grass seed . It has sprouted,despite being sown quite late, in mid- November.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We're so happy to hear that you're delighted with our drought resistant dry soils grass seed. We're also glad to hear that it has sprouted, even when sown late in the season. We appreciate your support and hope your lawn continues to thrive.
Had a trial with it by seeding just a small area. Excellent results.
I would recommend.
Thank you for sharing your positive experience with our Drought Resistant Dry Soils Grass Seed. We are thrilled to hear that you had excellent results with just a small area seeded. Thank you for your recommendation - it means a lot to us.
Prompt delivery in early October. Germination was relatively fast at just over a week, with what seems like a high germination rate. Time will tell next summer as to whether this drought seed mix is superior to standard garden centre stuff. Germinated better than the standard stuff, so that’s a good sign. Birds didn’t seem to have a big impact and certainly no more than the garden centre variety with their anti bird claims.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for our Drought Resistant Dry Soils Grass Seed. We are so happy to hear that the germination was quick and that you had a high success rate. We hope that this seed mix will continue to perform well for you during the summer. It's great to hear that the birds didn't have a big impact either. Thank you again for your feedback and we hope to continue providing you with quality products in the future.
live in an area. with sandy soil& over the years our lawn has been awful Been using grass from garden centres but no good results . Saw your company on line & found you do grass for all conditions . Have ordered a few timesfor drought resistance areas & the.. results have been great.Come springtime will be ordering again.
Sowed seed late September in a dry spell and it seemed the grass was not going to grow so we watered the seed daily and it sprung up. Really pleased with product.
Thank you for leaving a review for our Drought Resistant Dry Soils Grass Seed. We're so glad to hear that the grass eventually grew despite the dry spell and that you were pleased with the product. Our team works hard to provide quality seeds that can thrive even in tough conditions. Thank you for choosing our product and we hope it continues to bring you a lush and resilient lawn. Happy gardening!
I’m pleased and surprised at how well the re-seeding/over seeding turned out. The real test may come next year if there is another drought
Thank you for your review. We're so glad to hear that you were both pleased and surprised with the results of our Drought Resistant Dry Soils Grass Seed. We hope that it continues to thrive for you, even in the face of potential future droughts. Let us know if you need any further assistance.
Grass seed did not grow
Part of the new seed has germinated and looking good but another part (2metres away) shows no signs of life. Perhaps the temperature is borderline for germination.
Hi Peter,
Its fair to say that with the 'extended winter' we are having (you can't call this spring!!!) things are taking a little longer than usual to get going. If any areas are lagging behind these will normally catch up. It might be that the area that is slow to get going is a little bit damper/cooler.
Best regards,
Grass Seed Online
Let’s clear this one up
“Drought resistant, so I won’t have to water it.”
“That is the whole point of buying it. I sow it, I leave it, it copes.”
This is the single most common reason this mix disappoints someone, and it is worth two minutes of your time before you buy.
It is drought resistant once it has roots. It has no roots on day one.
Every seed of every grass needs constant moisture to germinate, and this mix goes into the soil that dries fastest of all. Water it through establishment and it will repay you for years. Sow it into a heatwave and leave it, and nothing will come up.
No surprises
What to expect, and who it’s not for
We’d rather set this straight now than have you disappointed later.
What to expect
- First shoots in 7 to 14 days from the ryegrass.
- The tall fescue filling in over 2 to 4 weeks.
- A lawn that holds its colour through a dry summer.
Good to know
- It needs more seed per m² than our other lawn mixes: 35 to 50 g/m², not 25 to 35.
- Tall fescue has a broader leaf than a fine fescue, so this is a hard-wearing lawn, not an ornamental one.
- If your lawn sits wet in winter, Wet Soils & Clay is the mix you want. For a fine, formal finish, choose Traditional Lawn.
Questions, answered
Before you buy
Do I still need to water it?
When should I sow it?
Why has only some of it come up?
Why does it need more seed than your other mixes?
Will it survive a hosepipe ban?
Is it good for a family lawn?
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.
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