There are many different types of grasses & seed to choose from when deciding when deciding what to use to plant or overseed a lawn. The abundance of options can make the task of choosing somewhat overwhelming. Here we list a few of the more popular grass types with pros and cons with the goal of making a choice a little simpler.
The 'transition zone' is an area in the middle of the country where both cool season & warm season grasses tend to grow. Definitions vary but the northern edge covers the middle of Illinois across lower Pennsylvania to the east coast. The southern edge can go as far south as northern Louisiana and across middle Mississippi & Georgia to the east coast. We will concentrate on 5 varieties that do well in this area.
Cool season grasses tend to start growing in early spring & continue until the heat of late summer may cause them to go dormant and turn brown. Growth starts back up with the cooler weather of early fall & some may stay green through winter.Warm season grasses typically start their growth later in spring & thrive during the summer months. Dormancy start in the early to late fall & stays on through winter. The pros and cons listed here are just generalizations for each type of grass. Different 'cultivars'
of these grasses have be bred to overcome some of their flaws. and we will break down each group in greater detail in subsequent posts.
Cool Season Grasses
Fescue - most common in our area. 2 main groups fine leaved & broad leaved or 'tall turf fescue'
- relatively quick & easy from seed. 10-14 days to start. may appear clumpy until lawn fills out
- can be sodded if done properly
- performs well in shady areas
- will go dormant (brown) in extreme heat but recovers well when cooler temps prevail
- pest resistant (bugs) but does better in lawns that have a weed control program
- better drought resistance than other cool season grasses
- does reasonably well in high traffic areas
Ryegrass - 2 types - 'perennial' - used as a turf grass. 'Annual' - used as a temporary ground cover
only, not as a turf grass
- starts quickly & easily from seed - 3 to 7 days - fills in quickly, is bright green in color & grows
thick - especially in the springtime
- perform well in slightly shaded areas but not in intense shade
- drought tolerant for short periods of time but needs regular watering to stay green
- goes dormant (brown) in the summer but recovers in the fall ( not as quickly as fescue)
- low to moderate traffic
- good choice to maintain a green color in the winter months
Bluegrass - grows well from seed but takes time to start - 2 to 4 weeks - does ot fill in as quickly as rye
but does spread much more evenly than fescue - starter fertilizer is helpful to the process
- commonly used as sod & does well if installed properly - prep work is important
- lush beautiful finely textured grass but requires more maintenance than most
- no drought tolerance - regular watering in warmer temps a must - needs more water than
fescue & rye
- does poorly in shaded areas
- weed control program beneficial to bluegrass lawns as is leaving the grass taller
- small amounts of fertilizer help as well but too much nitrogen will burn up lawn
Warm Season Grasses
Bermuda - grows well from seed or sprigs - not seen often as sod unless it is a hybrid
- rarely needs reseeding
- good for high traffic, often used on golf courses & sports fields
- prefers full sun - grows patchy in any amount of shade
- grows faster in the hot summer months but stays dormant & brown for most of the cooler months of the year
- can be overseeded with rye for year round color
- low growing wiry grass - spreads in an aggressive manner- will take over landscape beds if not
kept in check
- drought tolerant - needs less water than most but stays greener with regular watering
- somewhat susceptible to pests & a weed control program is recommended
Zoysia - grows from plugs & spreads slowly - takes considerable time to establish
- grows very densely & chokes out just about everything once it is established
- From seed (plant in late spring for Southern Indiana) 14-21 days to start - 12 weeks to fill in if planted properly
- will spread into landscape beds if not kept in check but not as aggressive as bermuda
- likes full sun - does not do well in shade but better than bermuda
- somewhat drought tolerant but preforms best with weekly watering
- tends to stay dormant from early fall to late spring -does not mix well with any other grasses
- stay brown for more of the year than any other transition zone grass
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