Jonathan Green(10322) Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed - Cool Season Lawn Seed (7 lb)

This grass seed delivers great results—if you use it properly. My first attempt didn’t go as well as I hoped, but on the second try, I followed the correct process and the difference was huge. The grass started sprouting within 5 days and filled in nicely. The key is proper preparation: loosen the soil, cover the seeds with a good layer of quality topsoil, and water moderately every day. If you take the time to do it right, this product really works.

I never have good luck with growing anything in my yard, so I wasn’t sure how this would turn out. Things that I plant usually don't grow well, if at all. But this product was a home run. It makes me look like a lawncare professional. I started by using a scarifier to remove all the weeds and moss from my neglected lawn, then applied a 3-inch layer of topsoil before planting Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed. Honestly, I couldn't be happier with the results!Disclaimer: the right prep work + frequent watering is essential to bring out the best this grass seed can offer. If you don't plan to invest the time to do those things, don't bother buying this high quality, expensive grass seed (or any grass seed at all for that matter). Check out Youtube videos for instructions for the prep. I followed the Silver Cymbal Youtube channel's guidance and that worked great. A couple years ago, I bought this same grass seed and spread it across my yard with no prep or watering/maintenance, and that just didn't work at all.First Impressions:The packaging was solid, and the seeds looked high-quality. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, which was a great start.Planting Process:I spread the seeds using a broadcast spreader. The seeds have this special coating that helps them absorb water and nutrients better. Within a couple weeks, I started seeing little green shoots, and by the second week, my lawn was looking fuller and greener. I planted the grass seed in early April, which was a bit too early for my location, but it still turned out great. Applying peat moss on top was key to retaining moisture for the seeds to germinate. Peat moss is expensive but totally worth it. It's like a wet carpet after you water it.Lush, Deep Green Color:The standout feature? The lush, deep green color of the grass. It looks like a thick, green carpet, and the uniform consistency is incredible. The grass blades are fine-textured and dense, making my lawn look like a professionally maintained golf course. The thick consistency of the grass keeps weeds out without me having to do much of anything in terms of weed treatment or removal. I did spray mesotrione + surfactant when i planted the seed, which I believe was crucial to prevent weeds while the grass seed was germinating and growing.Drought and Disease Resistance:This grass is tough! Despite some dry spells, it stayed vibrant and healthy with less frequent watering. I haven't seen any signs of common lawn diseases either, which is a huge plus.Easy Maintenance:Maintaining my new lawn is a breeze. The grass grows evenly, so I don’t have to mow or edge constantly. It responds well to regular fertilization, and it’s stayed lush through different seasons.The downside:Now I have to mow my lawn more often, because the deep roots that these grass seeds have grown have caused the grass to grow faster than substandard grass seed might grow.Value for Money:Sure, it’s a bit pricier than some other brands, but it’s worth every penny. The transformation in my lawn’s appearance and health is amazing, and it’s super low-maintenance.Conclusion:Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed has completely transformed my lawn. The lush, deep green color and thick, uniform consistency make it look stunning. It’s easy to maintain and tough against drought and disease. Adding a layer of peat moss to retain moisture really helped it grow fast. Highly recommend this grass seed to anyone wanting a beautiful, hassle-free lawn. Five stars!Pro tip: save a bit of the grass seed in case you have bare spots that you need to fill in later.

Highly impressed with this seed. I planted it after just roughing up the soil and watered it, simple simon. No fertilizer, no special anything and it took off and grew pretty fast in my back yard. Back yard spots were shaded most of the day but it really took off. It is a bit slower in the sun I think but hard to tell for sure as I have really bad soil in my front yard so it did not grow as fast. I had to be patient and it is finally coming in after a few weeks. I really need to fix my soil and add some compost or something. I have also had success with pre-germinating the seed with soaking (see various videos) and just mixed it with some bagged soil and tossed it on the lawn and it did well. This will always be my go-to for grass seed with no added anything. Love this stuff!

I've used JG Black Beauty Ultra a few times now and have had pretty good success. There are so many different factors when growing grass that you can't always blame it on the seed. This seed has been good the past few times I used it with a decent germination rate and great looking grass.You do have to be patient as the tall fescue seems to take awhile to germinate, but once it starts to grow it doesn't take too long to start thickening up. It seems to be growing very well in my sunny areas, but my shady clay soil areas it's still struggling to grow so I would guess it's going to have a tough time establishing in areas with more dense shade or wet conditions. Overall this is a classic grass seed that's above what most big box stores offer.

DECEMBER 15, 2016: The first 3 pictures below show results a nonexpert can expect 26 days after planting Jonathan Greene Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed, in chilly but mild weather in North Carolina. I started doing my own yardwork this year after professional landscapers overcharged for subpar lawn care. Although I cleaned up parts of the yard the landscapers missed, I gouged 4 holes in the ground with my weedeater in the process. For patching the holes, Jonathan Greene's brand of grass seed was the smallest bag (comes in 1 pound) with the highest ratings I could find at Amazon or Lowe's. The smallest bag (1 Cu. Ft.) of Miracle Gro garden soil was just enough to fill the craters.I planted on November 19, 2016, while the temperature was in the 60s during the day and around the 40s at night. By December 15, we're in the 40s and 50s during the day and usually in the 30s at night. Despite intentions to follow the meticulous instructions of other Amazon customers, I did not fertilize and only watered the seeds twice in the first few days. By the time the pictures were taken, we had 5 or 6 drenching rains and a few other days when it drizzled.The growth is uneven because I didn't distribute the seeds well, and because a flock of birds came out of nowhere and ate a lot of the grass seed the day after planting. But the sprouts that are present look healthy, and are finer and deeper green than the rest of my low-average quality lawn. This is better than expected for my yard, and others who do a much better job of tending to the seedlings will have even better results.JANUARY 3, 2017: Last 3 pics are sample patches of grass at 45 days after planting. I didn't water at all since the last post, but we had a reasonably good amount of rainfall once or twice a week despite continued chilly weather (50s and 40s during the day, 30s at night) The seedlings appear to be growing steadily and continue to fill in more of the bare patches.