Choosing the Right Grass for the Lawn

When shopping for grass seed, the brands are one thing, but the seed varieties and mixtures are another. Choosing between fescue and bluegrass, rye grass and Bermuda can be daunting when the difference between them is not obvious from the packaging.

Do the Homework

Before going to the garden center, sit down at the computer and hunt up a good website on grass in the area. Try the local college or university extension program. There should be a map with zones on it. A full lower forty-eight states map will have at least three zones: a cool zone, a transition zone and a warm zone.

If there is a state map, it may be more specific. A big Midwestern or western state will have more than one zone and more than one type of grass that will survive and thrive there. Missouri, for example, supports fescue everywhere, but southern Missouri residents may be able to grow zoysia or Bermuda.

Varieties of Grass Seed

Fescue is a grass that grows in the transition zone all the way up into Canada. It’s a cool season grass. Fescue stays green year round and is shade and drought tolerant. Also available in blends, it fills in for the warm season grasses in the northern part of the transition zone and it does better in warmer sections of the transition zone than other cool zone grasses.

Bluegrass, often called Kentucky Bluegrass, is a lush cool season grass. Often used for sport fields, it requires slightly higher rates of fertilizer and water. Bluegrass alone is used in low to medium traffic areas, but in blends for higher traffic areas. Bluegrass is one of the longest living perennial grasses available. Though not very drought tolerant, bluegrass can go dormant and come back after a drought with periodic water application.

Ryegrass is added to blends to provide early season green. Perennial ryegrass is truly a cool season variety. Annual ryegrass lives only one season and goes by the name of winter ryegrass. In addition to providing early germination, ryegrass mulched into a lawn will build up the nutrients in the lawn bed.

Bermuda is a warm season grass with excellent drought tolerance. Bermuda grass is used in all types of applications including golf courses, pasture land and erosion control. Its versatility and drought tolerance make it an excellent choice in the southern United States.

Zoysia grass is a warm season grass from Asia. As fescue is a cool season grass that can go south further than the others, zoysia is a warm season grass that can go further north than the other warm season grasses. Zoysia is a good high traffic grass, and it is salt and drought resistant. It spreads by the roots, which is why it is excellent in high traffic areas. It isn’t as prone to disease as some grasses, but clippings should be removed after mowing, because it has tendency to make a dense thatch.

Talk to Neighbors and Friends

The real test of whether a grass seed or seed blend is right for a lawn is the opinion of the locals. A seed that is working for the next door neighbor is a pretty sure bet. The seed that is making the neighbor’s life miserable is definitely something to avoid. Be sure to consult the person whose lawn meets expectation, not the person with the yellow patches or high water bills.

Landscapers and lawn maintenance people will have definite opinions, but without seeing their handiwork, taking their advice might be problematic. If low maintenance is the goal, a lawn maintenance contractor may not be the best source. Government and university sources give the least biased information in that respect.

Online lawn seed sales websites have a lot of information about the subspecies of the grasses discussed above. There are a lot of varieties to choose from and many have more specific uses for special problem areas. Talk to an extension professional in the local area for specific local challenges and solutions.