Understanding your grass type helps you make better decisions about mowing height, watering frequency and overseeding bare spots. Look for differences in color, texture and blade width to identify your grass.
Cool-season varieties begin growing in late winter and spring, flower and go dormant in summer, then green up again in fall. Grass with fine blades suggests fescue or bluegrass, while a wide blade indicates St. Augustine or ryegrass. Visit Website to learn more.
Kentucky Bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is one of the most important cool-season grasses planted as turf. It is the primary grass for lawns and a major component of athletic fields, golf course fairways, tees, and roughs, and is also used extensively in pastures. This grass is adapted to a wide range of climates and grows best in the fall, winter, and spring. It performs well in full sun, but can also grow in shade. It spreads by rhizomes, which means that it can cover any bare spots in a lawn, making it an ideal choice for filling in thin areas.
Like other cool-season grasses, it prefers soil with a pH level between six and seven, but is more tolerant of lower soil levels than most other types of turfgrass. It also tolerates a variety of soil conditions, from sandy to clay, but does not do well in poorly drained soils or wet spots.
Breeding and selection work with this grass has focused on improving color, low growth rate, disease resistance, heat tolerance, and shade tolerance. As a result, there are many different cultivars of this grass available. The majority of these are erect growing with a fine to medium leaf texture. They are very good at holding their color and do a great job with mowing.
These characteristics make this a popular choice for many homeowners. They are relatively low maintenance, but do require a regular watering and fertilization program to maintain their appearance.
Bluegrass is a perennial, meaning that it comes back year after year. It grows best in the fall, winter, and early spring, but is less vigorous during the summer than other cool-season grasses. This is due to its natural tendency to enter a dormant state during hotter weather.
Kentucky bluegrass is a very good choice for home lawns, as it offers a pleasant color and a dense, durable playing surface. Its dense turf can withstand heavy foot traffic, and it is also known for its high drought and heat tolerance. This grass is best suited for cool to moderate climates and requires less watering and fertilizer than other lawn grasses, including ryegrass and tall fescue.
Zoysia
Zoysia is an excellent choice for lawns in warm climates. It has several advantages over cool season grasses, including superior heat and drought tolerance, a dense growth pattern, resistance to pests and other lawn diseases and low maintenance requirements. It also looks great when mowed properly. However, Zoysia comes with a few drawbacks that should be taken into account when selecting and caring for a lawn.
Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda, St. Augustinegrass, Centipedegrass and Zoysia begin growing vigorously in mid- to late spring, reach their peak during the hot summer weather and then slow down or go dormant in winter. They perform best in warm regions with a mild winter, such as the Southeast, the Southwest and lower portions of the transition zone.
These warm-season grasses have fine to coarse blades with a muted green color. They grow in a thick mat that crowds out weeds and requires less frequent mowing than other types of grass. They handle heat and humidity well but do not tolerate shade very well. In colder climates, they may not thrive or need extra care to keep them healthy during the winter.
Like other warm-season grasses, Zoysia spreads through above-ground stolons and underground rhizomes. This can lead to a patchy appearance in some lawns, and it can also be a problem when encroaching into garden beds or sidewalks. The thick growth of these grasses can also block out light and reduce plant health, and they are susceptible to fungus problems and insect infestations.
Zoysia is a good choice for soil conditions that are slightly acidic to neutral, but it does not do well in very sandy or clay-heavy soils. This type of lawn also requires regular aeration to prevent thatch buildup and improve water infiltration and nutrient uptake.
This is one of the few grasses that can be planted in mid to late summer, or even fall — but it needs to have enough time before the first frost. Trying to plant it before this window will delay active growth, give the weeds (many of which are cool season growers) a head start and make it challenging for the warm-season grass to survive.
Centipedegrass
Known as the “lazy man’s grass,” centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) is an attractive, low-maintenance turf that thrives in the southeastern United States. It’s often used for rough areas on golf courses, but it also makes a lovely lawn. This stolon-spreading turf can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions and can quickly recover from damage caused by traffic or fires. It is also very drought tolerant.
This warm-season grass can be planted from seed, sod or plugs. When planting sod or plugs, do it in the late spring to early summer for best results. Centipedegrass grows very slowly, so be patient as your lawn develops. It can also be oversseeded in existing lawns to fill in bare spots. Before you overseed, prepare the site by aerating and dethatching your lawn. This will loosen compacted soil and improve seed contact.
As its name implies, centipedegrass spreads by its own stolons (long runners that look like tiny legs) as well as by seed. It is a persistent weed in natural and disturbed areas, including roadsides. It is a Tier II invasive species in Louisiana, meaning it has the potential to have moderately negative impacts on wildlife and native plants.
Centipedegrass grows best in acidic soils and does best in full sun, but will tolerate some shade. It’s also relatively resistant to weeds and pests, although it may become diseased in excessively wet conditions. Fungicides can help, and keeping the mower blade sharp and mowing at the right height will reduce disease pressure, too.
Fertilize your centipedegrass lawn with nitrogen-rich fertilizer for good growth, but don’t overfertilize it in the hopes of promoting lushness. This could lead to nutrient imbalances and thatch buildup. A soil test is always recommended to determine your lawn’s exact needs.
Centipedegrass doesn’t tolerate high levels of phosphorus or potassium, so be careful when selecting your fertilizers. Get a laboratory soil test done in early spring, so you’ll know exactly what nutrients your lawn is lacking. A lab can also test your soil for organic matter, which indicates the amount of humus in the ground. A high humus level encourages healthy root growth and helps centipedegrass retain moisture.
Dichondra
Dichondra is a lush, low-maintenance ground cover that offers an attractive alternative to traditional lawns. It forms dense mats of small, rounded leaves that are beautiful in full sun or shade. It is a good option for regions that experience drought-prone conditions or where water conservation is a priority, such as New South Wales and Queensland. Dichondra is a warm-season grass, which means it grows best when temperatures are above 22 degrees Celsius. It is often referred to as Tom Thumb or kidney weed due to its bright green, kidney-shaped leaves. This fast-growing plant has creeping stems that root at leaf nodes and spreads as it goes, creating a dense, evergreen groundcover in sunny areas that can be up to 6 feet wide or more.
While it is a good option for low-traffic areas, dichondra is not as durable as turf grass and may be damaged by heavy foot traffic. It can also be difficult to weed, and it can overtake native plants if not managed correctly.
Like other grasses, dichondra requires plenty of sunlight to thrive. It grows well in a range of soil types but performs best when planted in rich, well-draining earth. It needs to be watered regularly until germination, but should not be kept constantly wet. It also does not need regular supplemental fertilization.
A surprisingly hardy, low-maintenance grass that is beautiful in many climates, dichondra is an excellent choice for those looking for a green carpet alternative. Its vibrant, silver-green or green leaves offer a fresh look to the garden and complement the colors of other plants. It is a great addition to the flower bed and also makes a stunning spill over pots and baskets.
While it is a perennial, it can be killed by severe frosts and needs to be protected in colder climates. When grown in the correct conditions, however, this plant is an exceptional option for any garden and landscape. It is best sown directly into the ground in spring or fall, when the soils are warm and the weather more moderate. This allows the dichondra to get established before the warmer, drier summer weather comes and reduces the risk of damage from winter cold.
