Florence Grovida Gardening

Choosing the Right Grass

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Organic lawn care gets a lot easier if you grow the right grass for your climate, sun, and soil conditions. You can find grasses that thrive under nearly every combination of lawn conditions. Finding the right grass variety for your lawn is easier than ever because plant breeders have worked hard to produce grasses that thrive under different conditions.

One particular variety can't do it all. For that reason, most grass seed and turf is sold as combinations of grasses that complement one another. The labels on grass seed packages list the percentage of each seed by weight, as well as other information such as what percentage of weed seed and inert matter the package contains and when the seed was tested for germination. The most important things to look for are improved varieties, current-year test date, and weed content of less than 1 percent.

Cool-season and warm-season grasses

Turfgrass species (grasses that are used for lawns) are classified as either cool season or warm season. The cool-season grasses grow best north of the so-called bluegrass line — an imaginary border that stretches from the middle of North Carolina through the centers of Arkansas and New Mexico into Southern California. The warm-season grasses grow best south of that line.

Too cool, man

Cool-season grasses prefer moist, cold-winter climates with mild summers. These grasses grow most actively in the cool spring and fall months; they may turn brown and become dormant during extended hot, dry periods in summer. Although traditionally grown north of the bluegrass line, cool-season grasses also grow well at higher elevations and in other, cooler microclimates south of the bluegrass line. (Jump to Chapter 3 for information about microclimates.) Trying to grow cool-season grasses outside their preferred climate, however, adds up to more maintenance and trouble. These species need frequent watering in arid climates and are prone to disease and insect attack in hot-summer spots. The main grass species that grow in the north include the following:

• Kentucky bluegrass is known for its cold-hardiness, fine-textured blades, and rich green color.
• Perennial ryegrass is tough enough to be used on athletic fields.
• Tall fescue is a good low-maintenance grass that can be allowed to grow tall.
• Chewings fescue grows well in light shade and tolerates cold and drought.
• Hard fescue is a low-maintenance species good for the far North.
• Red fescue (also known as creeping fescue) withstands shade and drought well.
• Bent grass is the very fine-textured (and very fussy) grass used mainly on golf putting greens.

Some like it hot

Warm-season grasses thrive where winters are mild and summer temperatures stay above 85 degrees Fahrenheit for months on end. Most don't appreciate freezing weather and respond by turning brown. They grow vigorously, especially during the summer. Warm-season grass species for the South include the following:

• Bahia grass makes a thick, drought-tolerant lawn in the Gulf Coast states.
• Bermuda grass is the workhorse grass of the South. It grows fast and can withstand hot, dry weather.
• Centipede grass is called lazy man's grass because it needs less mowing and water than other grasses do.
• Carpet grass has thick, coarse blades, but it grows well in the coastal plain region.
• St. Augustine grass may be the most attractive of all warm-season grasses, but it does require frequent watering and feeding to stay that way.
• Zoysia grass withstands more shade than most warm-season southern grasses but is slow to establish.

Regional preferences

Because climates vary in many ways other than temperature, it helps to divide the United States into nine turf-growing zones, as shown in Figure 20-2. Each zone has specific grass species best suited to grow in its climate.

• Zone 1 (the coastal West) is characterized by dry summers and cool, wet winters. Grow cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, and perennial ryegrass.
• Zone 2 (the western transitional zone) has long dry summers and moderate winters. You can grow either warm- or cool-season grasses here. Hybrid Bermuda grass is popular for the summer. For winter color, sow seeds of a cool-season grass, such as ryegrass or tall fescue, over your warm-season grass lawn when it starts to turn brown or yellow in the fall.
• Zone 3 (the arid Southwest) has long, hot, dry summers and dry winters. Plant Bermuda grass or zoysia grass for summer in low-elevation areas and overseed with ryegrass or fescue for winter color. In high elevations, plant drought-resistant buffalo grass.
• Zone 4 (the Great Plains) has two native turfgrasses: buffalo grass and blue grama grass. Plant them for a low-maintenance lawn. Use Bermuda grass or zoysia grass in the southern region, and use northern grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass or perennial ryegrass, in the northern region.
• Zone 5 (the Midwest) offers moist, humid summers and cold winters. Any cool-season grasses will grow here, such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and any of the fescues. Warm-season zoysia grass may be grown in the southernmost areas.
• Zone 6 (the Northeast) has a climate similar to the Midwest, except with cooler summers and longer winters. Grow the same types of grasses — all cool-season species, especially Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.
• Zone 7 (the eastern transitional zone) is an area where both warm-season grasses such as Bermuda grass and cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass grow.
• Zone 8 (the central Southeast) has a warm, humid, and wet climate year-round. Although the cool-season grass tall fescue may be grown in high-elevation areas, this is primarily warm-season country, best suited for Bermuda grass, zoysia grass, and centipede grass.
• Zone 9 (the Gulf Coast) is even warmer and wetter than the central Southeast. Along with Bermuda grass and zoysia grass, you can grow centipede grass, Bahia grass, and St. Augustine grass here.

Figure 20-2:

The nine turf-growing zones in the U.S.

Figure 20-2:

The nine turf-growing zones in the U.S.

Best grass for trouble spots

Anybody can grow a lawn when conditions are perfect. But when they're not so great, you can stack the odds in your favor by choosing grasses that have been proven to succeed under less-than-optimal conditions. Table 20-1 lists some of these varieties.

Table 20-1 Grasses for Trouble Spots

Condition	Cool-Season Grasses	Warm-Season Grasses
Shade	Rough bluegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue	St. Augustine grass, centipede grass, Bahia grass
Drought	Tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue	Bermuda grass, zoysia grass, Bahia grass
Heat	Perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass	Bermuda grass, centipede grass, zoysia grass, St. Augustine grass
Cold	Kentucky bluegrass, Canada bluegrass, fine fescue, creeping bent grass	Bermuda grass, zoysia grass, hybrid St. Augustine grass

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Researchers recently discovered that some grass species show increased resistance to insect and disease attack, and also need less water and fertilizer, when the grass plants are colonized by beneficial fungi called endophytes. So-called endophyte-enhanced lawn seed mixes are now available for home lawns. You can't see the fungi on the lawn; they're inside the grass plant. Also look for grass mixes described as dwarf or semidwarf. These grasses grow more slowly than regular grasses, so they need less water, less fertilizer, and less-frequent mowing.

Endophyte-enhanced seed is only for lawns; it's toxic to livestock and horses, and should not be used in pastures.

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