Many lawn care professionals and homeowners debate when is the best time to establish a yard in Iowa, and how much more work and inputs it will take if planted at the wrong time of year. Additionally, so many different turfgrass species are sold that a side-by-side comparison of seed mixtures and planting dates are needed. The objectives of this study were to compare turfgrass seed that is locally, commercially available and commonly used, and planting timings. This is the first of a two-year study.