Lawn Care
Best grass seed for full sun
Two bags ask for six hours of sun and mean different things by it. Only one publishes the soil temperature that decides when you can actually seed.
Affiliate disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we rank first — here is how we're funded.
We have not tested these units. Every spec on this page comes from the manufacturer's own documentation and is linked to it. Every computed figure is arithmetic you can redo. Prices are checked daily — last verified January 1, 1970. Here is exactly how we pick.
Quick picks
Ranked on the published specs and the arithmetic below. Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. We have not tested these units -- here is exactly how we pick.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo Jonathan Green Black Beauty Sunny Grass Seed Built for six hours of sun and up, with a published 55F soil-temperature floor that tells you when to actually put it down. | Best for full sun | 8.8 | |
| 2 | No photo Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed Half the seed per thousand square feet of the mass-market bag, on a tall fescue base that publishes its species list. | Best coverage per pound | 8.6 | |
| 3 | No photo Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix Five named species and a 4-0-0 analysis on the bag, at the price of needing half again as much seed per square foot. | Best species disclosure | 8.3 |
#ad Buy links are affiliate links. Prices come from a live daily check; where we have no verified price we say "check price" rather than print a stale one.
A full-sun lawn is not simply a lawn with more light. It is a lawn with more heat, faster evaporation and longer dry spells — which is why the sun-specific bags talk about drought before they talk about sunlight.
The short answer
Soil temperature beats the calendar
Seeding windows published as months are approximations for a whole region. Soil temperature is the thing the seed actually responds to, and it lags air temperature by days to weeks.
Three bags for an open lawn
| Spec | JG Black Beauty Sunny | JG Black Beauty Ultra | Scotts Sun & Shade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunlight required | 6+ hours per day | 6+ hours per day | Not published |
| Species | Perennial ryegrass, KBG, tall fescue | Tall fescues, KBG, perennial ryegrass | KBG, perennial rye, creeping red, chewings and hard fescue |
| Germination | 7-14 days | 7-14 days | About 6-12 days to first sprouts |
| Soil temperature | 55F minimum | Not published | 60F-80F air temperature |
| New lawn rate | 3.33 lb / 1,000 sq ft (bag table) | 5 lb / 1,000 sq ft | 7.5 lb / 1,000 sq ft |
| Overseed rate | 1.67 lb / 1,000 sq ft (bag table) | 2.5 lb / 1,000 sq ft | 2.5 lb / 1,000 sq ft |
| Bag sizes | 1, 3, 7, 25 lb | 1, 3, 7, 25, 50 lb | 2.4, 5.6, 16, 32 lb |
| Drought claim | Heat and extreme drought tolerant | Not published as a claim | Not published |
Transcribed from Black Beauty Sunny, Black Beauty Ultra and Scotts Turf Builder Sun & Shade. Rates per 1,000 sq ft are our arithmetic from each maker's coverage table.
1. Jonathan Green Black Beauty Sunny — the temperature figure
Perennial ryegrass for fast cover, Kentucky bluegrass to knit, tall fescue for depth of root, 6+ hours of sun, 7-14 days to germinate, and 55F of soil to start.
The perennial ryegrass content is what makes this a good bare-lot bag. It is the fastest cool-season grass to establish, which on an open, sun-baked lot is the difference between grass holding the soil and a rain event taking the seed away.
Against it: the two coverage figures disagree, there is no published endophyte percentage despite the endophyte claim, and the drought tolerance is asserted rather than measured.
#ad Check the Jonathan Green Black Beauty Sunny Grass Seed price on Amazon — how we're funded.
2. Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra — the broader bag
Same maker, same 6+ hours of sun, same 7-14 day germination, and a shade rating the Sunny mix does not carry. Where Sunny is built for open exposure, Ultra is the bag for a lawn that is mostly sunny with some dappled edges.
It also runs to a 50 lb bag, the largest in our registry, which matters if you are seeding a whole lot rather than patching.
The cost is seed volume: 5 lb per 1,000 sq ft for a new lawn against the Sunny bag's 3.33, and no published soil temperature to seed against.
#ad Check the Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed price on Amazon — how we're funded.
3. Scotts Turf Builder Sun & Shade — treated seed, heavier rate
Five named species, fungicide-treated seed, a 4-0-0 analysis and a published 60F to 80F air temperature window. The species disclosure is the best of the three, and treated seed is a real advantage where damping-off is a risk.
For a genuinely full-sun lot the fine fescues in the blend are the weak link — they are chosen for shade tolerance and are the least heat-tolerant grasses of the five. And at 7.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft it asks for more than twice the seed of the Sunny bag.
#ad Check the Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix price on Amazon — how we're funded.
Seeding an open lot
- Check soil temperature, not the date. Fifty-five degrees at two inches down is the trigger the seed responds to.
- Water lightly and often until germination. A sunny lot dries out fastest — our watering guide covers the switch to deep, infrequent watering afterwards.
- Feed for roots, not blades. Fertilizer for new grass works through why a starter analysis is the right bag on day one.
- Match the species to your region. Grass types guide covers where a cool-season mix stops being the right answer.
What we cannot tell you
We have not grown these mixes. No maker publishes species percentages, cultivar names, endophyte content or a measured drought-tolerance figure, so "extreme drought resistance" stays a claim rather than a number. Germination rate and purity are on the bag tag, which you cannot read until the bag is in your hand.
The picks in full
Specs are the manufacturer's own and linked to the page they came from. Prices come from a live daily check; where we have no verified price we say so rather than print a stale one.
Jonathan Green Black Beauty Sunny Grass Seed
Jonathan Green · Seed (no power) · Our score 8.8/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
Built for six hours of sun and up, with a published 55F soil-temperature floor that tells you when to actually put it down.
Published specs
| Species | Perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue |
|---|---|
| Percentages | Not published |
| Sunlight required | 6+ hours per day |
| Germination | 7-14 days |
| New lawn coverage | Up to 425 sq ft per lb |
| Overseeding coverage | Up to 850 sq ft per lb |
| Bag sizes | 1, 3, 7, 25 lb |
| Soil temperature | 55F minimum |
| Seeding windows | Mid-August to mid-October, or mid-March to mid-May |
Source: Black Beauty Sunny Grass Seed, jonathangreen.com
At 425 sq ft per lb, a new lawn needs 1,000 / 425 = 2.35 lb per 1,000 sq ft. Overseeding at 850 sq ft per lb is 1,000 / 850 = 1.18 lb. Note the 25 lb bag is rated at 7,500 sq ft rather than the 10,625 the per-pound figure implies, so Jonathan Green's own big-bag rate is the more conservative 3.33 lb per 1,000. Use the bag-size table, not the per-pound headline, when you buy.
What the numbers favor
- 55F soil temperature published -- the figure that actually decides when to seed
- 7-14 day germination, half the wait of the same maker's shade bag
- Perennial ryegrass in the blend gives fast cover on a bare sunny lot
- Four bag sizes
- Heat and drought tolerance claimed explicitly for full-sun exposure
What they don't
- The per-pound and per-bag coverage figures do not agree; the bag table is stricter
- No published species percentages
- No published endophyte percentage despite the endophyte claim
- 6+ hours of sun means it is the wrong bag for anywhere under a tree
the lawn is broken up by shade. A sun-specific bag thins out under trees -- use a shade mix there and accept two bags.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed
Jonathan Green · Seed (no power) · Our score 8.6/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
Half the seed per thousand square feet of the mass-market bag, on a tall fescue base that publishes its species list.
Published specs
| Species | Tall fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass |
|---|---|
| Percentages | Not published |
| New lawn coverage | 200 sq ft per lb |
| Overseeding coverage | 400 sq ft per lb |
| Bag sizes | 1, 3, 7, 25, 50 lb |
| Germination | 7-14 days |
| Sunlight | 6+ hours per day |
| Shade tolerance | Rated excellent by the maker |
Source: Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed, jonathangreen.com
The 25 lb bag is rated for 5,000 sq ft of new lawn and 10,000 sq ft of overseeding. 25 / 5 = 5 lb per 1,000 sq ft new, and 25 / 10 = 2.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft over an existing lawn. Every bag size in the range works out to the same two rates, which is a sign the coverage table was calculated rather than guessed.
What the numbers favor
- Species list published, even without percentages
- 5 lb per 1,000 sq ft for a new lawn is a third less seed than the Scotts mix asks for
- Germination window published as 7-14 days
- Range runs from a 1 lb patch bag to a 50 lb reseed
What they don't
- No published cultivar names or blend percentages
- Needs 6+ hours of sun despite the shade rating
- Tall fescue base has a coarser leaf than a bluegrass lawn
you are patching a warm-season lawn. This is a cool-season mix and will not persist in bermudagrass country.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix
Scotts · Seed (no power) · Our score 8.3/10
#ad No verified live price right now, so we show none rather than a stale one. How we're funded.
Five named species and a 4-0-0 analysis on the bag, at the price of needing half again as much seed per square foot.
Published specs
| Species | Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, hard fescue |
|---|---|
| New lawn coverage | 745 sq ft per 5.6 lb bag |
| Overseeding coverage | 2,240 sq ft per 5.6 lb bag |
| Bag sizes | 2.4, 5.6, 16, 32 lb |
| Germination | First sprouts in about 6-12 days |
| Seed treatment | Fungicide-treated seed |
| Seeding temperature | 60F to 80F air temperature |
| Analysis | 4-0-0 |
Source: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix, scotts.com
5.6 lb over 745 sq ft is 5.6 / 0.745 = 7.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft for a new lawn. The same bag over 2,240 sq ft of overseeding is 5.6 / 2.24 = 2.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft. So the two mixes agree exactly on overseeding rate and differ by 50% on new lawns -- Scotts asks for 7.5 lb where Jonathan Green asks for 5.
What the numbers favor
- Five species named on the bag, more disclosure than most
- Publishes an NPK analysis, which a plain seed bag usually does not
- Fungicide-treated seed against damping-off in a wet spring
- Seeding temperature window published in plain degrees
What they don't
- 7.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft on a new lawn is 50% more seed than the alternative here
- No published percentage split between the five species
- Fine fescues in the blend are the least wear-tolerant grasses in a cool-season lawn
you are seeding a high-traffic play lawn. The fescue-heavy blend is chosen for shade tolerance, not for foot traffic.
How it scores
Scores are our editorial weighting of the published specs above, not a test result. They are deliberately kept out of this page's structured data.
Where to buy the tools on this page
Every link below is an Amazon affiliate link. We show no price we have not verified today, so where there is no live figure the link says "check price" and takes you to the listing to read it there.
Best for full sun
Jonathan Green Black Beauty Sunny Grass Seed
Jonathan Green · Seed (no power)
Best coverage per pound
Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed
Jonathan Green · Seed (no power)
Best species disclosure
Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix
Scotts · Seed (no power)
#ad As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we're funded.
Common questions
What is the best grass seed for full sun?
How many hours of sun does a lawn need?
What soil temperature do you need to seed grass?
How much sun seed do you need per 1,000 sq ft?
Is sun grass seed more drought tolerant?
Sources
Read next
- Lawn Care
Cutting the grass is a third of the job. This is the other two thirds.
- Best grass seed
Coverage claims converted to pounds per 1,000 sq ft, checked against Extension seeding rates.
- Best grass seed for shade
Shade tolerance, sunlight hours and seeding rates for three cool-season mixes under trees.
- How to overseed a lawn
Published extension seeding rates, the late-summer window, and the passes-per-lawn arithmetic.
- Cool-season grass types, and how to tell which you have
Published mowing heights, nitrogen rates and tolerances for each cool-season species.
- How much should you water a lawn?
Once a week or less, to a six inch soil depth, in the morning. The catch-can method explained.