For a contractor handling ordinary lawn establishment and repairs, Hurrells HM4 is my general-purpose choice. Hurrells HM3 is worth considering where the client wants a more varied, finer lawn mixture, while Hurrells HM2 suits lighter-use areas where slower regrowth matters. These three cover different jobs without leaving you with a store full of specialist bags.
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Best mixtures to keep for different jobs
| Job | Shortlist | Why it earns a place |
|---|---|---|
| General lawns, repairs and amenity work | Hurrells HM4 | 50% perennial ryegrass and 50% strong creeping red fescue; straightforward utility mixture |
| A lawn where appearance and ordinary wear both matter | Hurrells HM3 | 30% ryegrass with several fine-grass components |
| Low-traffic, lower-maintenance lawns | Hurrells HM2 | 90% red fescues, without ryegrass |
| Shaded lawn work | Hurrells HM5 | Dedicated shade mixture; assess light and tree competition first |
| Sports-pitch contracts | Hurrells FR3 or a surface-specific mixture | A different specification from domestic lawn work |
Keeping a small range makes quoting and ordering easier. You can use surplus on the next suitable job and explain to a client why a shaded corner needs different seed from the family play area.
Best general-purpose starting point: Hurrells HM4
HM4 suits general landscaping, repairs and amenity areas. Ryegrass supports relatively quick establishment; strong creeping red fescue contributes a finer grass component with rhizomatous growth. The current recipe is a 50:50 split by weight.
I recommend it for a lawn that needs to cope with everyday use and ordinary mowing. For a closely cut ornamental lawn or a sports pitch, choose a mixture intended for that cut and use.
Hurrells lists 20kg as covering 560m² for new sowing or 800m² for overseeding. Use the correct job figure and measure the area. For large orders, calculate from those 20kg coverage figures and confirm the total with Hurrells before ordering a bulk pack.
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Best for a finer lawn finish: HM3
HM3 contains 30% perennial ryegrass, 60% red fescues split between strong creeping, slender creeping and Chewings, plus 5% smooth-stalked meadow-grass and 5% browntop bent. That is my choice where the client wants a neater finish alongside ordinary lawn use.
To thicken a worn lawn with HM3, remove dead material and prepare the surface before sowing, then keep the seedbed damp. Include the preparation in the quote and agree who will water afterwards.
For the detailed comparison, see Hurrells HM3 versus HM4. You can also send it to clients who want to understand the choice.
👉 View HM3 for lawn-renovation jobs
Best lower-maintenance option for lightly used lawns
HM2 leaves out ryegrass and uses 45% strong creeping red fescue, 15% slender creeping red fescue, 30% Chewings fescue, 5% smooth-stalked meadow-grass and 5% browntop bent. It suits quieter lawns where keeping the mowing manageable is a priority.
Explain the aftercare when quoting: watering during establishment, followed by regular mowing and repairs to worn patches.
For commercial sites with several types of ground, our low-maintenance grass-seed guide separates ornamental areas from busy public routes and playing space.
Price the seed used and the bags purchased
For three jobs needing 12kg, 18kg and 27kg of the same mixture, the combined requirement is 57kg. Three 20kg bags supply 60kg, leaving 3kg. Buying independently for each job could leave more surplus, depending on the smaller packs available.
Only combine orders when the same mixture genuinely fits all three jobs and the sowing dates make storage sensible. Keep each client’s quantity recorded. A bag carried between sites should remain identifiable, dry and free of contamination from other materials.
| Planning question | Why it affects the quote |
|---|---|
| New sowing or overseeding? | Different quantities for the same area |
| Several compatible jobs? | Possible reduction in whole-bag surplus |
| Who waters afterwards? | Aftercare responsibility and repeat visits |
| Does the client need staged work? | More visits, but part of the site can remain usable |
| Is trade pricing available? | Compare delivered totals against retail plus any applicable code |
The bulk grass-seed buying guide explains cost per treated area. Include preparation and follow-up visits in your quote; those can cost more than the seed itself.
Shade, dry sites and specialist requests
A shade-labelled mixture is worth investigating when there is enough usable light for grass, but dense shade and competing tree roots may make the expected result unrealistic. Use the shaded-lawn seed guide to assess the situation before promising a lawn under trees.
On a dry site, rooting space and the client’s watering arrangements matter. A tall-fescue mixture such as Hurrells STRESS changes leaf texture and establishment requirements as well as drought response. The current product guidance calls for warmer soil than HM4, so keep that in mind before substituting it for a late-season job. Our tall-fescue guide explains those differences.
For school or sports contracts, request a surface-specific brief. School fields can contain general amenity areas and heavily used sports zones; a cricket square needs a different discussion again.
Make repeat orders easier
Keep the product, batch label, rate, area, sowing date and aftercare arrangement in the job record. Photographing the label is often easier than trying to reconstruct the specification months later. If a supplier changes a cultivar, compare the new declaration before treating it as identical stock.
Hurrells’ trade service includes standard and bespoke mixtures. A bespoke recipe can be useful for a recurring contract with a real requirement, but a clearly specified standard mixture is often easier to manage across ordinary jobs.
