If you’re like most people, you enjoy spending a lot of time outside on your lawn. You probably put a lot of effort into creating the right atmosphere in your backyard, getting the most comfortable patio furniture, the best lawn games, and the perfect grill. But you might have overlooked one of the most crucial elements in achieving a great lawn: the grass itself. When choosing the type of grass for your lawn, you want to consider a variety of factors, including:
- How much shade does your yard get
- How much rain do you experience
- How much work do you want to put into your lawn
- The amount of traffic over your grass
- What specific look you’re going for with your yard.
No matter what type of grass you decide to have on your lawn, Greenkeeper can help make sure it stays healthy and looks great all year round.
Two Types of Grasses; Cool Season and Warm Season
All types of turfgrass are divided into two groups, cool-season grasses, and warm-season grasses. Cool-season grasses grow best in northern climates with moderate summers and cold winters. Warm-season grasses thrive in the southern regions that have hot summers and more moderate winters. Southern Tennessee and Northern Mississippi are in a transitional zone, experiencing both hot summers and cold winters and able to grow both cool- and warm-season grasses depending on your preferences and the situation of your lawn. Additionally, you might need to combine different types of grasses or even pick out specific grasses for certain parts of your lawn that have different conditions, such as those under a shade tree or in the path of pond drainage.
Common Cool-Season Grasses
Tall fescue
This species has wide, dark green grass blades that stay green even throughout the winter. Although tall fescues are very hardy, the blades are coarse, and the grass can develop bare patches that need to be re-seeded.
Perennial ryegrass
This grass species has dark green leaves and a thin, fine texture. It holds up well under a lot of traffic and grows quickly but doesn’t spread on its own, so you will need to fill in bare patches.
Creeping red fescue
This fine-textured grass variety prefers growing in shady areas, growing well in the cold, and quickly taking root. However, creeping red fescues are susceptible to thick thatch and don’t hold up well to a lot of foot traffic.
Kentucky bluegrass
One of the most attractive-looking grass species, Kentucky bluegrass has dark-colored leaves, a soft texture, and does well even under heavy foot traffic. However, this species does not grow well in shady areas or in drought conditions.
Fine-leaf fescues
This grass variety has thin leaves, is highly adaptable to all sorts of conditions, and doesn’t need a lot of attention. It’s often added to grass seed mixes because it tolerates drought and shade well, but fine-leaf fescues aren’t considered very attractive.
Well-Known Warm-Season Grasses
Buffalograss
This grass species has a greyish-green color and is fine-textured. Its best feature is that it is very low maintenance and can tolerate drought and cold. However, it doesn’t grow well with lots of traffic, is a slow grower, and can be dormant for long periods if not properly watered, leaving your lawn looking brown.
Zoysiagrass
Zoysiagrass has a dense, medium texture and is resistant to drought, salt, and shade. This species can also have a lot of thatch problems and doesn’t like heavy foot traffic.
St. Augustine grass
One of the most shade-tolerant warm-season grasses, St. Augustine grass, doesn’t need a lot of maintenance and isn’t affected by most pests like other grass varieties. However, it doesn’t hold up well under a lot of traffic and will need extra watering in drought conditions to survive.
Bermudagrasses
These grass species grow very fast and recover well from drought or traffic damage, but don’t do well in shady areas, are likely to experience problems with thatch, and can even encroach on your flower beds. If you choose a bermudagrass, make sure you go with a hybrid variety that won’t be as coarse and will look better than the common variety.
Centipedegrasses
Known as the “lazy man’s grass,” centipede grasses need very little maintenance and have light to medium green leaves with a coarse texture. The cons to centipedegrass are that it takes a long time to recover and can be damaged by cold temperatures.
For All Your Lawn Care Needs in Mississippi or Tennessee, Call Greenkeeper
Whatever type of grass you decide to grow on your lawn, call the experts at Greenkeeper to keep it healthy and looking its best. We have a comprehensive eight-step lawn care program that extends throughout the year and includes weed control, fertilization, and lime applications as necessary to maintain the well-being and appearance of your yard. With over 30 years of experience, we know how to keep your residential or commercial lawn in top shape. Fill out our contact form to find out more, or give us a call at 901-861-2338 for Tennessee residents and at 662-895-2088 for residents of Mississippi.