Lawn Grasses
A lawn can make or break a home. If you have nicely mulched landscaped beds with lots of attractive trees, shrubs and other plants, but a weed or dirt patch for a lawn...well, your property will suffer when it comes to aesthetic appeal.
On the other hand, if you have a full, green and healthy lawn it will not only be aesthetically pleasing and comfortable, but will also increase the value of your property - and who doesn't want that in today's market!
Everyone loves a full, green lawn, and, with one, you can stop feeling embarrassed about the condition of your yard and finally take pride in it. You can proudly have friends or family over for parties and get togethers, and feel confident that your investment is growing in value.
Growing an attractive and healthy lawn is sometimes easier said than done. The first and most important thing you'll need to do is a little research...in order to choose the right type of grass for your lawn and to determine the conditions your property provides.
Answer these few questions:
- How much money do I have to invest in planting a lawn? Depending on the size of your lawn, some lawn grasses, particularly those that only come in sod form, such as Zoysia and St. Augustine, may not fit your budget. Other types of lawn grasses, such as Bermuda, Centipede, fescue, and bluegrass can be planted from seed or sod.
- Do I have loose, porous soil or dense, hard-packed clay? Some lawn grasses, such as fescue, bluegrass and Zoysia, prefer more porous soil while others, such as Centipede and Bermuda will tolerate more dense soil. That being said, all lawn grasses will thrive better in looser soils than they will densely packed soils.
- How much time, energy and money do I have to invest to properly condition the soil? If you simply don't have the funds to properly till and condition your soil, aerating and then seeding your lawn with Centipede or turf-type Bermuda may be your best choice?
- Will my lawn be in full sun, morning sun with afternoon shade, or mostly shade to shade? If you've got afternoon shade to shade, fescue, bluegrass or St. Augustine will be your best choice. If you have mostly sun to full sun then Bermuda, Centipede, Zoysia or St. Augustine is best.
- Is my lawn sloped steeply enough that erosion will be a concern? Bermuda, Zoysia, fescue and bluegrass do better on sloped areas, with Bermuda as the best performer. Centipede and St. Augustine prefer more level or slightly sloped ground.
- How much foot traffic will there be on my lawn? Will the lawn be the neighborhood football field or rarely be walked or played on? Bermuda is by far the best choice for a high-traffic lawn in sun and, in the South, are used on most golf course fairways and athletic fields. If you've got mostly shade to shade St. Augustine would be the best choice.
- Will cats or dogs be roaming and doing their business in the lawn? Wherever a dog does its business on a Centipede lawn it may cause a dead spot if not removed. Bermuda and other grasses don't seem to be as sensitive.
- Are their low lying areas that may retain water for prolong periods after rain? If so, you'll need to grade these areas to provide for proper drainage as no lawn grasses like moisture-retentive soils.
- How much time do I have for caring for and maintaining the lawn? If low maintenance is what you're after, Centipede and rhizomatus bluegrass might be the best choice. When it comes to mowing a lawn, Centipede, also known as "The Lazy Man's Grass", and bluegrass, require about 1/2 the mowings per season than do other types of lawn grasses. Centipede requires no liming and less fertilization. The highest maintenance might be fescue as it is less drought tolerant, requires regular fertilization, lime, frequent mowing and almost always needs to be overseeded at least one time per year. Bermuda is fairly high-maintenance because it requires frequent mowing and edging in addition to being a heavy feeder.
- How much time will I have to water during periods of drought or will there be an automated irrigation system? Bermuda, Centipede and St. Augustine are the most drought tolerant lawn grasses, and usually pull through even the longest dry spell with very little if any watering. That being said, even these grasses prefer a once-a-week soaking during prolonged periods of drought.
Below you will find a listing of grasses suitable for residential or commercial turf use. Click on any thumbnail image or link to see an expanded Plant File that contains a detailed plant description, usage suggestions and instructions for care.
(6) Plants Found. Showing 1 to 6 of 6.
1