When talking about lawn, many people ask how to choose the right grass for their lawn. Thus, we will address this question. There are several factors to keep in mind when choosing the right grass for your lawn. Your location and lifestyle, the water availability, the wear and tear, and maintenance are very important. Hence, will be discussing these in order to help you choose the right grass for your lawn.
Location
Match the grass type to your region. The first thing you must consider when choosing a grass is your location—and that involves the climate. Basically, lawn grasses fall into two categories: warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses. Warm-season types of grass thrive and perform best in hot summer days. They can be found in the southern part of the United States. Some of the most common examples of these are Bermudagrass, Buffalo grass, centipedegrass and St. Augustine grass. Cool-season grasses don’t thrive in summer heat and they prefer moderate and cold winters. They thrive best in northern part of the U.S. Popular grasses for cool-season are Kentucky bluegrass, Perennial ryegrass, Tall fescue and Fine fescue.
Availability of Water
According to one research, every person needs 200 gallons of water per day to water the lawns all over the country. But how will you sustain your lawn if you have a water problem or restrictions in your area? What if there’s a drought? What about the rainfall in your area? These are valid questions every homeowner should consider when choosing the right grass. The answer is choosing a grass that is drought-tolerant. Low water grasses are Buffalo Grass, Blue Grama, St. Augustine Grass, Zoysia Grass, and Fine Fescue. The first two have a lighter green color and are uneven compared to traditional ones.
Wear and Tear
Some grasses do not respond well to wear and tear. Others can endure the foot traffic. Therefore, determine first whether the lawn will be used frequently or rarely. Do you have dogs? Will you play sports on your lawn? Do you have children? In other words, what will be the activities on your lawn? Answering these vital questions can also help you choose the best grass for your lawn.
Lifestyle and Maintenance
Grasses are not created equal. So determining the type of grass you need depends on your lifestyle and maintenance. You can ask yourself: How much of my time and money am I willing to invest on my lawn? What are my lifestyle needs? You may want to choose Buffalo grass and some species of Fine fescues since these grasses are low maintenance. If there is high traffic in your lawn, choose either Kentucky bluegrass, Bermudagrass, Turf Type Tall Fescue, or Perennial Rye Grass. The downside of these grasses is that they are not water-savers. So the trick is to make sure to keep a reasonable size, maybe 1000 square feet or less. When choosing the right grass for your lawn, consider your location and lifestyle, availability of water, foot traffic, and maintenance. If you keep these in mind, you will surely have a good-looking and healthy lawn.