Blog Details
A Beginner’s Guide: Right Grass Type for Your Lawn
Every homeowner loves enjoying the view of lush greenery on their lawn. But as you sit down to select a grass type, feeling overwhelmed can be quite normal. With so many types and factors to consider, selecting a perfect grass takes a lot of work.
But, with our years of experience and relentless commitment, we are here to help you decide the perfect grass variety your lawn needs. Explore our guide to fill your lawn with the greenery you and your lawn deserve.
Things to Consider Before Choosing the Right Grass Type for Your Lawn
To enjoy season-long, eye-soothing greenery, you must consider the following factors. They indeed help you settle a compatibility score with different grass types and, thus, get the most compatible one.
- Your Location
The place where you live is the key factor in determining the growth profile of any vegetation, including grass. Cool-season grasses thrive in places with moderate summers. They love cold temperatures and struggle in high temperatures. On the other hand, warm-season varieties prefer moderate cold and can tolerate hot summers.
If you live in the Northern part of the US, your lawn is the perfect place for cool-season types. And your lawn can be home for warm-season types if you live in the southern part. The transition zone between north and south is compatible for both grass varieties.
- The Acidity of Your Soil
Soil pH is a strong factor influencing the growth of the grass. Thus, you must select a grass variety suitable for acidity levels in your lawn. The pH range between 6 and 7.5 is ideal for most types of grasses.
But, ideal growth conditions require meeting the exact pH requirement of grasses. Spruce crafts an easy plan for determining the soil acidity. Get a soil sample from your lawn and remove any stones or lumps. Create a soil mixture with distilled water and split it into two containers. In one part, add vinegar. If you see bubbles or foamy layers, the soil is alkaline.
Add baking soda to another container. The soil is acidic if you see bubbles or foam forming.
Also, you can check the acidity in another way. Make a soil mixture with water and pass it through a coffee filter. Dip a pH test strip into the filtered liquid. Match the strip colour with the pH value shown in the packaging.
Finding these methods too messy or lengthy for your busy schedule? Get a professional lawn care service like ours to get the right type of grass.
- How Much Sunlight Your Lawn Gets?
The availability of direct sunlight and shade determines the ideal match (grass) for your lawn. Warm-season types thrive well with more sunlight. Cool-season ones can adapt to less sunlight and more shade.
- Maintenance Criteria of Grass Types
Some grass varieties are fuss-free, while others call for consistent care. Also, some grasses need regular trimming to give your lawn a clean and vibrant look. Evaluate how open your schedule is for making time for plant care.
If you seek high-maintenance varieties even with a busy schedule, look for a professional service like ours.
- Checking the Tolerance Level of Lawn Grass
Do you have kids, pets or both at home? If yes, your lawn has a high chance of wear and tear. With a high possibility of damage, your lawn could be better for resilient types of grass. But, if you have no chance of damage, you can settle for any type, including fragile ones.
Now that we have covered the main factors for deciding the right grass type let’s move on to exploring different varieties of lawn grass.
Grass Types for Your Lawn
Kentucky Bluegrass
A popular choice for homeowners, Kentucky bluegrass offers lush greenery and resists lawn damage on its growth. Ideal for cold weather, this can also tolerate drought.
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass is a common choice for homes and golf courses despite its need for regular maintenance. This warm-season variety is resilient to growth in many soil types.
Centipede Grass
Centipede grass scores low on maintenance criteria and has respectfully earned the nickname “lazy man’s grass”. It can sustain poor-quality soils. But thankfully, this warm-season type does bring quite a handsome appearance given its low requirement of care.
Fine Fescue
Fine fescue with a willowy appearance may not be apt for getting a rich grassy bed. But, this cool season type does score high on tolerant nature and fuss-free maintenance.
Tall Fescue
Tall fescue, as a cool-season type, can tolerate heat, unlike its fine counterpart. Despite its unattractive lanky look, it gives the ease of low maintenance.
Dichondra
Dichondra offers a unique look, given its roundish leaves. This warm-season type needs high maintenance, like pest protection and watering.
Bentgrass
Bentgrass needs regular trimming, fertilization and pest control. So, you can skip this cool-season type if you can make room for only low maintenance.
Perennial Ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass has every component that makes it everyone’s go-to option. This cool-season variety can grow well even with high foot traffic and challenging growth conditions. Plus, growing this is easy on your pocket.
Floratam
Floratam, a warm-season type, thrives well with frequent watering. It brings a lush appearance, thanks to its wide blade.
St. Augustine Grass
A popular choice among dwellers in warm regions, St. Augustine offers a lush green appearance. It seeks moderate maintenance.
Zoysia Grass
Zoysia, a warm-season type, is resilient to frequent foot traffic. But, it requires regular mowing.
Buffalo Grass
Buffalo grass is a resilient variety thanks to its deep root system. It can tolerate low water levels and climatic extremes. This warm-season grass comes with an unattractive shade.
Need Help Deciding How To Make Your Lawn Green and Lush?
Our team of Smiler Services can help you transform your lawn into a well-maintained, flourishing grassy bed. With our softscaping service, we have got you (and your lawn) covered. Also, we help keep your landscape green and thriving with an efficient watering system.
Also, we are known for extensive lawn care and maintenance in Canada, thanks to our customized approach and wealth of expertise. Do you need lawn mowing and landscaping? We are there for you. Thinking of breaking the monotonous greenery in the lawn with some innovation? Let our hardscaping services handle your worry. Stressed about the messiness of your lawn getting out of hand? We offer services of property cleanups to make your outdoor space welcoming and clean.
Now that if you find us indispensable for your lawn care, you can bookmark our website. And save it as “lawn mowing and gardening services near me”. Feel free to make your lawn get a touch of our two decades of excellence. We are here by your side to rejuvenate your lawn from scratch.