Types Of Grass For Lawn

Which Grass Is Better For A Lawn

Theres no best type of grass for a lawn it all depends on where you live and how much you want to maintain your yard. Kentucky bluegrass is the most common type of grass since it grows prolifically. That said, its not suited for every region because it only thrives in cool areas. If youre looking for drought-tolerant grass, youre better off looking at options such as Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass.

What Is The Best Drought Resistant Grass Seed Fully Explained

Zoysia grass is a grass. Zoysia is the lowest maintenance grass because of its deep root system. It requires far less water than other grasses and is one of the most tolerant. This is a perennial grass that can be grown year-round in most parts of North America, but it is not as drought tolerant as Zoysiagrass, and it requires a lot more water to produce the same amount of foliage.

In fact, it can take up to three times as much water as a similar-sized shrub or tree, depending on the type of soil its grown in. If youre growing it in a sandy soil, you may need to add a little more fertilizer to get it to flower as quickly as it does in the summer.

The best time to plant it, however, is during the spring and early summer, when the soil is moist and the temperature is warm enough to allow the plant to take advantage of all the water it needs. You can also use it as an annual if you want to keep it around for a few years, or you can simply cut it back when it starts to wilt.

Get A Free Quote From Hambleton Lawn & Landscape

If your lawn isnt what you want it to be and you need help choosing grass that grows well in wet lawns, contact Hambleton Lawn & Landscape. We will be glad to assess your lawn, soil conditions, shade and zone to recommend the right kind of grass.

We provide a full range of lawn and landscaping services including lawn care, aeration and overseeding for residential and commercial properties throughout Northern Virginia.

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When Should U Plant Grass Seed

Aim to seed early in the season, but wait until daytime temperatures are in the 60 to 75 degree Fahrenheit range. The optimal soil temperatures for grass seed germination correspond to this roughly. Strong grass growth can be attributed to spring sunshine and rain.

The best time to plant grass seeds is in late spring or early summer. Grass seeds germinate best when the soil temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature drops below 60 degrees, the seeds will not gerinate and the grass will wilt and die.

What Is The Best Heat Tolerant Grass

The most heat-tolerant grass species include Bermuda grass , zoysia grass, St. Augustine grass, centipede grass, and bahiagrass. buffalo grass performs well in hot, dry conditions despite being cool-season grass. Bermuda grass is a perennial grass that can be grown year-round in most areas of the United States and Canada.

It is native to North America and was introduced to Europe in the mid-1800s. U.S., it is most commonly grown as a ground cover, but it can also be used as an ornamental grass. Bermudan grass can grow up to 10 feet tall, making it an excellent choice for landscaping and landscape design.

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Observe Lawn Grass Features

Once you’ve narrowed your search based on your growing region, look to similarities and differences between common grasses to help identify your grass type. Features such as color and texture are simple to see and feel, but other features require a closer look.

Grass types vary in the width of their blades and whether blade tips are sharp-pointed, rounded or boat-shaped. The arrangement of grass leaves in new shoots, called vernation, may be V-shaped and folded or circular and rolled. Your grass’s growth habit also provides grass I.D. clues. Some types form clump-like bunches. Others spread via above-ground stems known as stolons, below-ground stems known as rhizomes or both. Investigating these features closely lays the groundwork for identifying your lawn grass type.

If you’re still stumped about the type of grass you have, your local county extension agent may be able to help. If you take in a sample, take a whole plant from root to tip, including a seed head if you have it. Some agents may be willing to stop by and look at your lawn in person.

By learning how to identify your lawn grass, you can give it the care and maintenance it needs to become the lawn you’ve desired to own. Pennington is here to help with expert advice, premium lawn care products, and the finest grass seed possible.

Pennington and Smart Seed are trademarks of Pennington Seed, Inc.

Master List Of Lawn Grasses

There is no one size fits all when it comes to grass that grows well in Virginia. Discover what kind of grass you already have on your lawn, or choose the right type of grass for your needs.

Bahia Grass

Bahia grass is a hard, all-purpose grass with a touch, coarse texture that can be difficult to mow. Its aggressive nature allows it to grow in even poor soil with little maintenance. It is known for its disease and insect resistance. Warm-season grass.

A grass that grows well in wet lawns, or lawns with poor drainage, the Bahia grass is recommended. As a warm-season species, it performs best in summer, especially in USDA Hardiness Zones 7-10. Since it puts down a deep and extensive root system it can also be drought and disease resistant. Wet-climate grass.

Bermuda Grass

Bermuda grass can grow rampant if not kept under control, as it requires little maintenance other than sunlight. It is a resilient grass that grows quickly. Warm-season grass.

A fast-growing turfgrass that can however invade gardens and plant beds. Full sun with poor shade tolerance best established by sod, sprigs or plugs.

Centipede Grass

If your ground is acidic, with a pH range between 4.5 and 5.5, centipede grass will provide a hardy lawn. It requires a sunlit area and may need a low-nitrogen fertilizer each spring. Centipede grass does not hold up to heavy traffic and cannot tolerate fertilizer containing phosphorus. Warm-season grass.

Fescue Grass

Kentucky Bluegrass

Rough Stalk Bluegrass:

Rye Grass

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Types Of Invasive Grasses In Lawns And How To Get Rid Of Them

Just having weeds on your lawn is a pain. It is twice as challenging to get rid of them if they resemble grass, making them a bigger problem. These weeds, along with others like crabgrass, nutsedge, common couch, and others, provide a challenge that requires critical analysis on your part to resolve. Crabgrass, nutsedge, quackgrass, clumping tall fescue, green foxtail, and annual bluegrass are examples of invasive plants that mimic grass. Some grassy weeds are hard to eliminate and may need to be treated with a selective pre-and post-emergent herbicide. Tall grass in a medium to tall grassy lawn can easily overtake part of the lawn until closely assessed. Herbicides that kill the grass family will destroy your weeds and lawn. This requires other processing methods described below.

Grass That Grows Well In Wet Lawns

Not all lawns are the perfectly-manicured ones of legend. Lawns come in all shapes, sizes, and soil types. Wet soil can provide a particular challenge, so lets look at some of the types of grass that grows well in wet lawns.

There are a number of reasons why you may have a wet lawn. Grading of the yard can be an issue, and allow water to pool in areas of your lawn. Poor drainage conditions, overwatering, and overly shady regions can also cause water problems.

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Lawn Grasses For Sun & Shade

For sunny areas where winter dormancy is acceptable, the best lawns are warm-season turf varieties like Bermuda, hybrid Bermuda, kikuyu and zoysias. These trailing grasses are excellent at filling in bare spots and recover quickly from foot traffic. They also are very salt tolerant and do not burn easily from pet urine . Warm-season grasses are also deep rooting and drought-tolerant. These types of lawns that go dormant are also best for cold climate areas and can typically handle being snowbound. On the downside, because these grasses trail, plan on a little extra work every couple of years to “de-thatch” and keep your lawn well groomed.

For shady areas, bluegrass is a cool-season variety that has a higher shade tolerance than fescue. Bluegrass blends have a softer, finer blade and grow easily from seed or sod. This grass can actually fill in bare spots more quickly because it spreads by rhizomes and tillers to create a dense sod lawn. A warm-season grass with a high shade tolerance is St. Augustine. This runner-type grass does well in both sunny and shaded areas.

Why are turf varieties sold under different names?

What Is The Best Grass For Dry Areas

Though it will need some water to stay green in arid environments, it is ideal for hot and dry areas because it will tolerate both conditions very well. A fine textured turfgrass that grows best when maintained at 1-2 inches in height, can tolerate partial shade, but requires full sun.

It can be grown in a wide variety of soil types, from sandy loam to clay loams, and it can also be planted in the ground. The best time to plant a Bermuda grass seedling is in late spring or early summer, when the weather is warm and the soil is moist.

The seeds will germinate in about two weeks, so you can plant the seedlings as soon as they are ready to be transplanted. If you plant them too early or too late, the plants will not be able to withstand the heat and humidity of the summer and will die before they have a chance to grow.

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Know Your Grass Growing Region

Your location provides the first clue to your grass type. Just like landscape shrubs and flowers, lawn grasses have climate limits. For your grass to survive winters and summers year after year, it must suit your grass-growing region.

Most common perennial lawn grasses grown in the northern half of the United States are cool-season grasses. They get that name because their peak growth happens during the cool seasons of fall and spring. These common lawn grasses flourish in cool northern climates and die out in hot southern lawns.

Common lawn grasses in the country’s southern half are warm-season grasses, which peak in growth during hot summer months. The cold temperatures found in northern lawns cause these grasses to die over winter.

If your lawn grass survives from year to year, identification starts with cool- or warm-season. In the transition zone, the region where northern and southern grasses hit their limits, your lawn may have cool- or warm-season grasses.

The following are some of the most common cool-season grasses found in U.S. lawns. These characteristics and features can help you identify your grass:

Fine fescue:

The most shade-tolerant common cool-season lawn grass, fine fescues grow well even in heavy shade. The finely textured grasses are key components in seed mixes designed for yards with dense shade. Fine fescues include creeping, spreading types and types with upright, clumping growth.

Kentucky bluegrass:

Perennial ryegrass:

Traditional tall fescue:

What To Consider When You Choose Lawn Grass

Before you even pick out grass, assess the conditions in which the grass will grow. Consider your climate zone and see if it falls north, south, or somewhere in the middle of the United States. When picking out grass, you might hear people talking about three general regions: the northern, southern, and transition zones.

• Northern zone: The northern part of the country experiences moderate summers and cold winters, so cool-season grasses such as perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass best suit this region. Cold-season grass grows best in cold weather but will go brown and dormant in summer if it gets too hot.
• Southern zone: The southern part of the country usually experiences hot summers and moderate winters, so it features the right conditions for warm-season grasses such as zoysiagrass and Bermudagrass. Warm-season grass grows best in hot weather but will go brown and dormant in the cold.
• Transition zone: The middle part of the country has both hot summers and cold winters, so grass that can tolerate both conditions do best in it. Warm-season and cold-season grasses can struggle in this region. In the transition zone, you can use a mix warm- and cool-season grasses, although cool-season grasses tend to do a little better. Tall fescue, technically a cool-season grass, is typically tolerant of both cold and heat.

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Create Curb Appeal With A Well

As we all know, first impressions are essential.

And your lawn is one of the first things people see when they arrive at your home or business, so its important for your landscape to be a healthy and inviting one.

A well-kept lawn can do wonders for your family, neighborhood, and even the environment. Many factors contribute to maintaining a healthy lawn, from types of grass and moisture levels, to pest control, fungus control, and weed removal.

Florida lawns require a higher level of care due to the humid and tropical climate. Besides the pests, weeds, and lawn diseases that thrive in Florida, these lawns are more likely to experience environmental stresses as well. These problems include lack of nutrients, salinity, extreme temperatures, inclement weather, over watering, fungi, soil problems, and exposure to shade or traffic.

Which Type Of Grass Is Best For My Lawn

From the GardenPro Answer Book revised and updated by Lois Berg Stack, Ornamental Horticulture Specialist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

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Different Types Of Grass For Residential Lawns

When people come to your home, naturally the first thing they see is your front yard. A vibrant and healthy-looking lawn is something every homeowner aspires to maintain, but it isnt always easy.

Getting your lawn to a point where it is looking and feeling its best can be a grueling task if you dont really know where to start. There are over a dozen different types of grass, and most lawns are a mixture of more than one.

It could be devastating to your lawn if you dont do your research beforehand because you could end up choosing grass that would be nearly impossible to maintain, and you wont even know why!

Could you imagine spending an entire summer, out in the blistering heat in the middle of your front or back yard trying to nurse your lawn back to health, only to realize down the road that you planted a type of grass that makes it almost impossible for it to survive in your geographical location?

Now, that is obviously an extreme example and I am sure there would be no local gardening stores selling grass that cant survive where you live, but you get the point!

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Grass Seed Blends And Mixes

You can purchase mixed grass seed that is designed to meet specific needs, such as drought-resistant grasses or mixes that you can grow to repair damaged lawns.

Seed mixtures: Some seed mixtures combine several different grass types in one seed package. The strengths and weaknesses of each offset the others to keep your lawn green and healthy. This type of grass seed often contains disease- and drought-resistant properties.

Blended-seed mixtures: Blended-seed mixtures combine several different kinds of the same grass species to capitalize on the strengths of each variety. By using varieties within the same species, you can ensure a more consistent appearance in your lawn.

Lawn repair mix: These products combine grass seed, starter fertilizer and mulch in a single package. This all-purpose mixture is used for reseeding bare areas in your lawn and prevents you from having to buy all the items separately. Also, the fertilizer and mulch are optimized for the particular seed you choose. Most of these mixes also contain technology that helps with water absorption and retention to improve growth. Some grass seed mixes formulated for spot repair replace mulch with soil improvers to help roots develop. Rather than cover bare spots, these mixes quickly thicken up thinning patches.

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What Kind Of Grass Do I Have

Identifying the kind of grass you have is done by examining the width of its blade, its shape, and the type of blade tips. You can also tell species of grass apart by their growth habit as some grass types grow in clumps. Another way to identify the type of grass is by its new shoots that grow . Some grow above-ground stems, below-ground stems or both.