Nothing can help improve the curb appeal and outdoor ambiance of your home like the perfect lawn. People who have a beautiful lawn…love and cherish it. And those who do not have the perfect lawn, envy their neighbors lawn! Not every home comes with the ideal lawn.
In fact, even homes that have decent lawns may not be
the right grass you want for your home.
It could even be that circumstances have changed and factors such as weather or an increase in traffic on your lawn have started to take their toll. The great news is that either way you don’t have to settle for what Mother Nature gave you. Even if you have previously tried to improve your lawn without great success, you need to re-evaluate whether or not you have chosen the right grass type.
There are several determining factors that can cause a
homeowner to have the wrong type of lawn for their home:
You made a great grass choice, but it is wrong for your climate.
Trees have grown over your yard, and there is a great deal more shade.
You have removed some trees, and now there is a great deal more sun exposure.
There are now children or grandchildren using your lawn as their playground, and the grass is not able to handle it.
There are, of course, plenty of other reasons that a
particular grass type may not be ideal for your situation.
Usually though, the most common mistake made is simply choosing the wrong grass for your climate.
Grasses
Often times people get stuck on wanting a particular type of grass, and nothing else will do. While it is important to like what you get and get what you like, it also means having realistic expectations. You might love a grass that only does well in shade, but it won’t work in constant sunlight no matter how much you love it.
It is also important to truly understand your climate conditions specific to the place where you live in. For example, climate conditions in Southern California can be much different than Northern California.
cool Season Grasses
Make sure what you choose is actually suitable for your location, right down to your neighborhood if need be.
Let’s start out with a rundown of what types of warm season grasses are some of the most popular available.
Soil
Water
Drought
Light
Shade
Maintenance
Traffic
Bahiagrass
This warm season grass is ideal for full sun but is able to tolerate some shade. It is also a popular choice because it is known for requiring low maintenance. Not only that but bahiagrass does well in some of the more challenging soil conditions such as slightly acidic, sandy or infertile soil conditions. This grass is common around areas such as Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Another reason this style of grass is popular and considered low maintenance is that it adapts well to regular watering, including the possibility of drought tolerant qualities. This type of grass is a rough and coarse textured grass that is perfect for a majority of warm climates. This makes it ideal for areas that are prone to the potential for high amounts of annual rainfall yet can still survive drought conditions.
Yet another reason that this type of grass is a popular selection is because it forms a thick turf that has the ability to keep the weed count low by crowding them out. Not to mention it has some tolerance to shade.
However, keep in mind that bahiagrass requires regular mowing in order to look its best.
When going with bahia, also remember that it may spread slowly but then grows aggressively. Another thing to consider is the fact that the texture and uneven growth can also mean tough stems. This can make mowing bahia more difficult, and the results may not be an even and perfectly manicured lawn.
There are, however, newer versions of this grass that are less coarse as well as more adaptable to cooler temperatures.
Bahiagrass is also known for having a better resistance to challenges many other types of grasses may endure such as diseases or insects.
It is important not to mix bahia with other types of grass because it does not do well when combined with other grass. It is perfect for coverage, as long as you are not looking for a turf that is also high in quality.
 Slightly acidic, sandy or |
 Full sun |
 Low maintenance |
 Regular, but tolerance to |
 Tolerant to some shade |
 Takes traffic |
Bermuda grass
Bermuda grass is one of the most popular choices for warmer weather climates. Part of the reason for this is its ability to withstand heat. In fact, this type of grass is even ideal for potential drought conditions; it is one of the best choices for these conditions actually.
Bermuda grass is ideal for aggressive ground coverage.
Although Bermuda grass is ideal for aggressive ground coverage, this can be its downfall as well. It can be such an aggressive grower, in fact, that it can take over nearby flower beds, earning it the nickname “devil grass.”
Due to its ability to establish and grow quickly, as well as be tough, this is also a popular choice for sports fields. This obviously means Bermuda grass is a great choice for your own yard if it will be seeing high traffic and outdoor use.
The thing to keep in mind is that this grass choice is not ideal for shade and will begin to thin in shaded areas.
It is also often brown during
cooler weather seasons.
There are several varieties that do well in the south and even on areas such as golf greens. The varieties range from soft and fine to more coarse, so know what you have in mind before making your choice of Bermuda grasses.
| Slightly acidic, sandy or |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
| Regular, but tolerance to |
 Not tolerant to shade |
Takes traffic |
Buffalograss
Buffalograss is known for being more versatile than some other types of grasses because it has superior winter hardiness. Sunlight is one of the more important elements, though, as this type of grass does best with a minimum of six or more hours of direct sunlight each day. This is especially true of this type of grass’s need for morning sunlight.
Not the best choice for
continuous physical activities.
Buffalo grass has superior winter hardiness.
It would then be obvious that Buffalograss does not do well with and is not ideal for areas with shade. Yet this is also a warmer climate grass that is popular due to its low requirements for maintenance.
It does fairly well in a variety of soil types, yet is not as easily adaptable as Bahia. The one soil buffalograss cannot adapt to is textured or coarse sand type soils unless organic matter like compost is added. It does do well, though, during the establishment period.
In addition to being unable to handle shade, this type of grass cannot tolerate standing water. It is important to have drainage in order to prevent water buildup,
which can drown out the grass.
The tradeoff is that this grass is very tolerant to drought conditions. It can keep its medium green color all summer, but is not the best choice for families planning to use the turf for continuous physical activities.
| Variety of soil types, cannot adapt to textured or coarse sand type soils unless organic compost is added |
Needs direct sunlight, |
Low maintenance |
| Needs proper drainage, |
Not tolerant to shade |
Takes traffic |
carpetgrass
Although not as popular or widely known, carpetgrass is beginning to increase in popularity. This is partially due to the fact that it is one of the best choices for high traffic tolerance. This warm season grass is ideal for areas that do not suffer drought, though. It has coarse blades and shallow roots, compared to some of the other choices.
Buffalo grass has superior winter hardiness.
It is often not a person’s favorite based on the overall appearance. However its ability to take high traffic and survive in areas that stay damp is what makes it a choice to consider. Although carpetgrass crowds out weeds, it can also end up crowding out desirable grasses.
Perfect for erosion control.
Perfect for erosion control, this grass choice does well in sun and can tolerate moderate amounts of shade. Also, since it is a slow grower, it doesn’t require much maintenance, which can make up for some of its other faults.
| Tolerant to high soil |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
 Frequent, not tolerant of |
Tolerant to shade |
Takes traffic |
Centipede grass
Centipede grass is another warm season choice that is also low maintenance. It is the perfect pairing for someone who has a lawn that lacks shade and gets full sunlight. On the plus side, this grass choice does well with poor soil conditions that other grasses may not be able to survive in, such as sandy, low fertility or acidic soils.
Centipede grass does well with poor soil conditions.
The thing to keep in mind about centipede grass is that it does best with regular watering. Anyone who is looking for a grass that is also able to withstand cold or drought should steer clear of this type of grass. It is also more of a “for show” grass as opposed to one meant to stand up to a beating.
If you are looking for something on which you are able to carry out physical activities, this may not be the one for you. It is also not the best match for salt spray, so would be best for a warm climate that is not near the beach.
It is best not to mix centipede with other grass choices.
Some of the new varieties are adaptable and more easily able to handle drought and cooler weather, so keep this in mind if either or both of these issues are a concern for your lawn.
| Tolerant to poor soil conditions – low fertility, sandy or acidic soils |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
 Regular |
Tolerant to lacks shade |
 Cannot takes traffic |
St. Augustinegrass
Although St. Augustinegrass is a popular warm season choice, it is different than many of the other choices when it comes to maintenance. In fact, this grass choice is actually rated moderate to high when it comes to amount of upkeep required. The other concern is that it is not as adaptable to soil conditions as other warm season choices.
The soil conditions must be fertile and there
must be drainage present.
For St. Augustinegrass to do well, the soil conditions must be fertile and there must be drainage present. This grass likes regular watering best as long as that drainage is in place. As is fairly common with other warm climate grasses, this choice does not do well with exposure to cold weather or drought conditions.
What the St. Augustinegrass is best known and loved for is its broad, dark green blades of grass.
It also happens to be one of the
most shade tolerant choices among
the warm season grass choices.
Not to mention it is also great with
adapting to handle salty soil, salt spray
and plenty of heat.
On the one hand, St. Augustinegrass is great because it only needs to be mowed about twice a month. Yet, on the other hand, this grass is also the only known one to be threatened by a potential virus attack.
| Fertile with proper drainage |
Full sun |
 Moderate to |
| Regular |
Tolerant to lacks shade |
Cannot takes traffic |
Zoysia grass
Some of the qualities of this grass do not just make it popular; they have helped earn this grass the nickname the miracle grass. Zoysia grass is unique because the texture of the leaf can vary depending on the variety you choose. It can be anywhere from coarse to fine. This option is often popular because it is a tough grass that is an aggressive grower.
For St. Augustinegrass to do well, the soil conditions must be fertile and there must be drainage present. This grass likes regular watering best as long as that drainage is in place. As is fairly common with other warm climate grasses, this choice does not do well with exposure to cold weather or drought conditions.
When it comes to being a more well-rounded option that can tolerate different climates and adapt more easily, zoysia grass is the ideal choice. This choice of grasses can tolerate heat as well as drought and even take shade and cooler temperatures.
It may be classified as a grass, but it can actually tolerate the colder weather as is
found in the north more than other choices of grass.
However it can come up brown in the spring, especially if the weather remains cool, which can be one reason a homeowner will not choose zoysia grass.
This grass can also take some wear and tear but is not suitable for regular amounts of traffic.
| Well-drained soil |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
| Regular, but tolerant to drought-like conditions |
Tolerant to lacks shade |
Can takes traffic |
There are many areas of the country where cool season grasses can be grown. These areas of the
country are normally plagued with cold temperatures that fall way below freezing levels and also
warmer summer temperatures that have no extended periods of hot weather.
Normally these areas of the country usually see longer periods of rainfall in the summer months.
When there are periods of dry weather, this type of grass usually needs lots of irrigation.
The benefit to growing cool season grasses is that they tolerate more in the lines of droughts as they lay dormant.
If the grass suffers more than normal periods of drought, which is considered more than four weeks, the turfgrass will then die out.
This means that you will have to repeat the necessary steps in growing cool season grass.
This type of grass normally grows well in the spring and fall seasons. These are seasons where the temperature is around 65 degrees or cooler. During the spring months, the cool season grass is able to grow due to falling temperatures as well as in the fall. There are lots of choices to be made when considering what type of cool season grass to grow.
- Soil
- Water
- Drought
- Light
- Shade
- Maintenance
- Traffic
Bentgrass
The Latin term for this type of grass is Agrostis Stolonifera. It is the type of grass that you would usually see on a golf course. Many homeowners now purchase this type of grass as they want their lawns to replicate that of their favorite golf courses with their lush green look and feel.
The way this type of grass spreads is by long and creeping stems. The stems tend to extend over the surface. The tips of the stems make direct contact with the roots.
Therefor it is very easy for this type of grass to
grow, which is why it has become so famous over the
years with homeowners.
There are several types of bentgrasses: creeping, velvet and colonial.
Another reason why homeowners love to plant this type of grass is that it can be planted by sod or seeds depending on how you enjoy planting cool season grass.
Creeping bentgrass is very popular all over Asia and Europe. They are categorized by their shallow root system as well as tall and slender leaves. It is the most popular one of its type due to it look and simplicity. You can find creeping bentgrass on any green on your favorite golf course.
| Well-drained soil, but |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
| Regular |
Tolerant to some shade |
Takes traffic |
Kentucky Bluegrass
Another popular turf grass that falls into the cool grass category is Kentucky bluegrass. Again, it is very easy to grow and can be found all over North America. The reason for its name is because of the color, which ranges from light green to deep bluish green.
This type of grass is considered to not be too aggressive nor retiring, which means that it does not die out quickly nor does it grow fast. It can be mixed with other types of grass that are compatible with cool seasons if you are looking for it to become diverse and live longer.
High amounts of fertilizer are required for this grass along with much water in order to produce a lawn full of beautiful grass that you are going to enjoy.
Kentucky bluegrass is known to have a good root system to withstand the horrible effects of drought.
Kentucky bluegrass does not always have a bluish appearance
as it tends to have a later yield of light green color.
The one downfall of this type of grass is that it
recedes. This means that there will be periods of
your lawn suffering from patches and bare sections.
As far as perennials go, Kentucky bluegrass
is known as one of the longest living ones.
A simple reason for the grass receding is due to insect damage. Although it is not scientifically known, there are other reasons suspected such as shifts in the climate, water deficiency or anything else that disrupts the environment.
| Well-drained soil |
Full sun |
 Moderate |
| Regular, frequent water |
Tolerant to some shade |
Takes traffic |
Rough Bluegrass
If you are getting brown patches in your yard generally in areas where there is tall fescue and bluegrass lawns then you are getting what is known as rough bluegrass. Another name for this type of grass is Poa Trivialis. You will notice that the leaves fall in one flat direction.
This type of grass grows best when cool.
That is why it is considered a cool season grass. Moist conditions must prevail as well and the grass must be high in order to manage it better.
You’ll notice that there is no control over this grass unless it is high, but the clumping will subside once the weather starts to warm up and the rains cease. The seeds are very aggressive as they produce clumps very quickly.
The rough bluegrass is more than capable of forming turf, but with certain
limitations. The conditions have to be just right as does the management of it.
This type of grass is considered to be fine-textured as it develops a high shoot density mainly under cooler conditions.
Rough bluegrass can also stand long amounts of shade only if there are small amounts of moisture.
| Variety of soils |
 Not tolerate to full |
Moderate |
| Regular |
Does well in shade |
Takes traffic |
Fine Fescues
Fine fescue is one of the best grasses to plant as it is very shade tolerant, easy to grow and can withstand long spells of drought. There are three types of grasses that fall into the fine fescue category. They are: chewing fescue, creeping red fescue and hard fescue. All of these can survive extreme temperatures.
There are three types of fine fescue: chewing fescue, creeping red fescue and hard fescue
None of the fine fescues are able to tolerate much wear and tear, but they can grow in the shade without any water.
The hard fescue is characterized as having a strong bunching habit that
gives it the appearance of being less
refined. It will keep up in those areas that tend to be cold, windy and dry.
How it grows, all depends on the type of soil you are planting it in.
Highly recommended to plant fine fescue with other
types of cool season grasses.
You will notice that your lawn offers a vibrant
green color as it helps to keep the soil in place.
When mixed in with another type of grass seed, the lawn will be able to handle more wear and tear over the years.
You can find these in both seeds and sod. It all depends on how you like to manage your lawn.
| Variety of soils – must be well-drained |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
| Some water required – |
Tolerant to shade |
Cannot takes traffic |
Perennial Ryegrass
Another cool weather choice is ryegrass. Not only does this choice fare well in cold temperatures, but it also can withstand heavy traffic. It also does well with its ability to resist bugs, disease, and stress.
Perennial raygrass does not require reestablishing growth each year.
The characteristics of perennial ryegrass and annual ryegrass are similar except perennial does not require reestablishing growth each year. Find out more about the traits of ryegrass in general under the annual ryegrass category.
| Variety of soils – must be well-drained |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
| Regular, not tolerant to |
Tolerant to shade |
takes traffic |
Annual Ryegrass
Keep in mind the main difference between perennial ryegrass and annual ryegrass is the need to reestablish annual each year. Annual ryegrass has become one of the most common and popular cold weather grass choices available.
Although it can be used even for functions including food for livestock, it is well liked for being the best choice for yards, gold courses and sports fields.
This makes it one of the more common choices in the northern states.
Annual ryegrass is a quick-growing grass choice that does
well with full sun. It also mixes well with other grasses and
can tolerate high heat.
The fine texture means it is easy to mow, which is good because it requires regular mowing.
This choice can even withstand some drought conditions, but watering is ideal for a healthy looking lawn.
| Variety of soils – must be well-drained |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
| Regular, tolerant to drought |
Tolerant to shade |
Cannot takes traffic |
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is a great choice for a yard for cooler climates with a desire for low maintenance and care. It even does well with a variety of soil types, but there must be proper drainage in place. There are several varieties of wheatgrass that do well in cool climates.
Wheatgrass is one of the popular choices to put in areas where other grass does not do well. Keep in mind that this choice of grass is actually an adaption of a type of forage or pasture grass similar to hay, so the look is not going to be like that of a traditional lawn. However many homeowners prefer the look as well as the lack of maintenance required.
Wheat grass is an adaption of a type of forage or
pasture grass similar to hay.
If not cut too short, wheatgrass can even make suitable turf grass.
The best trait about this choice of grass is that it can survive drought conditions and very cold conditions throughout the winter. It requires less
water and fertilizer.
This choice can even withstand some drought conditions, but watering is ideal for a healthy looking lawn.
| Variety of soils – must be well-drained |
Full sun |
Low maintenance |
| Regular, tolerant to drought |
Tolerant to some shade |
takes traffic |
conclusion
The idea is to get a realistic outlook for which grass would be best for your current living situation.
Your climate is obviously the most important place to start with. From there, you can then begin to make choices based on other details. While it would be great to always have the grass you think looks the best, this may not be the wisest choice to make.
Choosing a grass based on its appearance and then having it brown and die.
Because of the climate, wear or other factors is only going to cost you more money, not to mention frustration. Be realistic about the amount of wear and tear your lawn will probably get, and don’t overlook how your pets affect the lawn.
Also be realistic about the amount of time and effort you can invest establishing it and maintaining it.
When you choose the grass that will work best with your climate and other determining factors, you will soon realize having a lawn that looks lush and green will look great no matter which grass type it is. Our lawn care guide has more tips on making your lawn look great and how to maintain it.