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Home » Gardening Guides » Lawns » Types of Grasses » The Right Grass for the Right Regions

The Right Grass for the Right Regions

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Carol A. Crotta

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Choosing the right type of turfgrass or blend of turfgrasses for your region will go a long way toward creating a lovely lush lawn.

Choosing the right type of turfgrass for where you live is key to getting the most out of your yard. Fortunately, the universe of turfgrasses is divided simply into two groups: cool-season and warm-season grasses. As you might expect, cool-season selections grow mainly in Northern climates, where winters are cold and summers are temperate or warm and moist. Warm-season turfgrasses are largely for down South, where they thrive in the mild winters and hot summers. But things get tricky for those in-between areas around the country. Here’s a guide to help you select which grasses work best where you live:

Pacific Coast region, from Vancouver down to the mountains found just north of Los Angeles: Cool-season grasses are for you. It’s best to sow the seed or lay the sod down or in early spring to late autumn.

Northern Gulf states or Southern California: You have a choice of cool- or warm-season grasses, depending on your local climate. Whichever group you choose from, you’ll probably want to select drought-resistant turf in drier areas and think about overseeding warm-season grasses in winter.

Desert Southwest: Use only warm-season turfgrasses. And since you’ll be working with alkaline soil, you may need to acidify its pH lightly to promote thriving growth.

Rocky Mountains, Midwest or central Canada: Most folks in these regions seed with cool-season grasses in August to September or lay sod March through October. Extreme southern portions of these regions in the US may be able to tolerate a warm-season grass with a winter overseeding of cool-season grass.

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Lawn care is a passion and hobby for many homeowners, with a velvety-smooth, healthy green lawn a most satisfying reward.

Eastern midsection of the US (from parts of Oklahoma to Virginia and the northern parts of North Carolina): You have the option of either warm- or cool-season grasses and need to water only to supplement rainfall.

Northeast: Cool-season grasses are the best, and the acidic soil likely needs little or no amendments for pH balance. Sow your grass in late summer or early spring and lay sod anytime from April to the first frost.

Southeast, from the Gulf Coast to Florida, or Hawaii: Only warm-season grasses will be suitable. Remember to be vigilant with lawn care. These hot, humid climates are ripe for fungal disease.

Once you find the right type of grass for where you live, you’ll be on your way to a lush green lawn you can look forward to every season!

Tips

When you’re buying sod or seed, ask a knowledgeable employee what the best mowing height for your chosen variety is. Each turfgrass species has an ideal height – anywhere from ½ an inch to 3 inches long. Mowing it right will help you get the most out of your new grass.
If you decide to install a new lawn, you have even more decisions to make – and more opportunities. You can choose a turfgrass for your specific purpose and budget, as well as change the rest of your landscape to create new flower beds and change your yard’s layout for better flow.

Facts

Warm-season grasses are creepers, while cool-season grasses can either bunch or creep. Some turfgrasses, particularly the warm-season types, are coarse-textured, meaning their blades are wider than ¼ of an inch. Others, like zoysia, bentgrasses, buffalograss and Kentucky bluegrass, are fine-textured, with narrow blades ¼ of an inch wide or less. Coarse grasses will give you a rough-textured lawn, while fine grasses have a softer, even-textured look.
Every time you mow, your grass goes into mild to severe shock as it tries to cope with the loss of a portion of its food-producing surface. That’s why lawn experts recommend cutting no more than 1/3 of the lawn’s height when mowing.

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