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Method ledger

How YardVerdict scores grass seeds

Each product on the grass seeds scorecard gets one 0–100 score from the weighted formula below, computed only from published manufacturer specs and dated retailer records; we do not physically test products. The current table covers 22 products across 7 recorded spec fields, refreshed July 1, 2026.

Scale: 0-100
Products: 22
Fields: 7
Updated: July 1, 2026

The weights

Grass Seeds scoring dimensions, weights, definitions, and data sources
Dimension	Weight	Definition	Data source
Germination Speed	20%	Listed germination days runs from 7 to 25 across the scored catalog; lower numbers score better, and unlisted values score neutral.	Germination Days
Coverage Per Pound	20%	The scored range for listed coverage sq ft per spans 23 lb to 1,600 lb; higher numbers score better, with missing values held neutral.	Coverage Sq Ft Per
Price Per Pound	14%	Listed price per lb usd runs from 1.86 USD to 11.25 USD across the scored catalog; lower numbers score better, and unlisted values score neutral.	Price Per Lb Usd
Sun Adaptability	14%	The sun requirement scale runs from Full Sun to Versatile; entries nearer Versatile earn the most credit, while unlisted ones stay neutral.	Sun Requirement
Grass Type Resilience	12%	The grass type scale runs from Centipede to Mix; entries nearer Mix earn the most credit, while unlisted ones stay neutral.	Grass Type
Moisture-Retaining Coating	10%	Where coated seed is listed as yes it earns full credit; a no, or no listing at all, scores zero.	Coated Seed
Bag Size	10%	Listed bag size runs from 3 lb to 40 lb across the scored catalog; higher numbers score better, and unlisted values score neutral.	Bag Size
Total	100%	All dimensions above sum to the full score.	Published score total

#1 Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed64/100Germination Speed 17 pts, Price Per Pound 14 pts, Sun Adaptability 11 pts
#2 Barenbrug Monaco Elite Seeded Bermudagrass63/100Germination Speed 19 pts, Moisture-Retaining Coating 10 pts, Grass Type Resilience 9 pts
#3 Pennington Smart Seed Sun and Shade63/100Sun Adaptability 14 pts, Germination Speed 12 pts, Grass Type Resilience 11 pts
#4 Vigoro Tall Fescue Water Saver63/100Sun Adaptability 11 pts, Grass Type Resilience 10 pts, Coverage Per Pound 10 pts
#5 Pennington Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed62/100Germination Speed 17 pts, Sun Adaptability 11 pts, Grass Type Resilience 10 pts

5 products with score contribution by dimension
Product	Composite	Coverage Per Pound	Germination Speed	Price Per Pound	Sun Adaptability	Grass Type Resilience	Bag Size	Moisture-Retaining Coating
Jonathan Green Black Beauty Ultra Grass Seed	64/100	4.8 points from grade 0.24	16.7 points from grade 0.83	14 points from grade 1	11.2 points from grade 0.8	10.8 points from grade 0.9	1.1 points from grade 0.11	5 points from grade 0.5
Barenbrug Monaco Elite Seeded Bermudagrass	63/100	6 points from grade 0.3	18.9 points from grade 0.94	7 points from grade 0.5	7 points from grade 0.5	9 points from grade 0.75	5 points from grade 0.5	10 points from grade 1
Pennington Smart Seed Sun and Shade	63/100	3.9 points from grade 0.2	12.2 points from grade 0.61	7 points from grade 0.5	14 points from grade 1	10.8 points from grade 0.9	4.6 points from grade 0.46	10 points from grade 1
Vigoro Tall Fescue Water Saver	63/100	10 points from grade 0.5	10 points from grade 0.5	7 points from grade 0.5	11.2 points from grade 0.8	10.2 points from grade 0.85	4.6 points from grade 0.46	10 points from grade 1
Pennington Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed	62/100	2.2 points from grade 0.11	16.7 points from grade 0.83	7 points from grade 0.5	11.2 points from grade 0.8	10.2 points from grade 0.85	4.6 points from grade 0.46	10 points from grade 1

The top five grass seeds are separated by 2 points; germination speed is the tiebreaker.

What the score bands mean

Score bands80+ strong60–79 solidBelow 60 limited fit

80+: strong marks on the heaviest dimensions with few weak lines in the listed specs.
60–79: competitive on most scored inputs, with at least one clearly weaker dimension.
Below 60: trails this field on the inputs weighted most; the product cards list exactly where.

Source hierarchy

Published manufacturer specifications rank first, dated retailer records second; marketing claims without a checkable figure are excluded from scoring. Missing values never earn invented numbers; they are labeled “not listed - neutral 50” and take the neutral 50 grade the weight definitions describe.

2026-06-30Jonathan Greenmanufacturer evidence for 8 catalog fields
2026-06-30Penningtonmanufacturer evidence for 8 catalog fields
2026-06-30Lowe'sretailer evidence for 2 catalog fields
2026-06-30Scotts / ScottsMiracle-Gromanufacturer evidence for 9 catalog fields
2026-06-30Barenbrug USAmanufacturer evidence for 7 catalog fields
2026-06-30Home Depotretailer evidence for 4 catalog fields
2026-06-30GrowTraxmanufacturer evidence for 3 catalog fields
2026-07-01Scored product catalog22 compared products

Retrieved 2026-06-30 to 2026-07-01 · Built 2026-07-10

Scored product catalog2026-07-01Source record
Barenbrug USA2026-06-30Source record
GrowTrax2026-06-30Source record
Home Depot2026-06-30Source record
Jonathan Green2026-06-30Source record

YardVerdict source ledger tracks grass seeds with 8 retrieval records, retrieved 2026-06-30 to 2026-07-01.

Update history

July 1, 2026Rankings rebuilt from the refreshed catalog: 22 grass seeds re-scored on 7 published spec fields, germination speed first.

Back to the grass seeds scorecard