Lawn Care/Basics for Homeowners-Lawn Care/What Grass Do You Have?

The most commonly used turfgrasses in the Midwest are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine-leaf fescue, creeping bentgrass, and zoysiagrass. These species vary in growth habit, appearance, and maintenance requirements. The next sections will describe these turfgrasses (also buffalograss) and will detail their characteristics. Growth habits include rhizomatous (spread by underground stems), stoloniferous (spread by aboveground stems), and bunch (gradual increase in clump size). Appearance characteristics include overall turfgrass quality based on a combination of turfgrass color, leaf width, and density. Maintenance requirements include mowing, irrigating, fertilizing, cultivating, and controlling pests.

In addition, these grasses differ in environmental adaptation, wear tolerance, recuperative ability, and use. Environmental adaptation refers to the environment in which each turfgrass will normally perform best. For example, each turfgrass performs best in a particular type of soil and in a certain amount of light. Wear tolerance refers to a turfgrass's ability to withstand traffic, while recuperative ability indicates the turfgrass's ability to recover after damage that can result from insects, diseases, traffic, or environmental stresses. Finally, for each of these turfgrasses, information concerning normal uses is presented.

The relative merits of these grasses may vary from state to state and other grasses may have particular advantage for particular areas. For a more specific discussion for particular localities, see:

(Alabama) Selecting Turfgrass for Home Lawns
Selecting Turfgrass for Home Lawns
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0092/

Lawns in Georgia On-line Manual at:
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/PDF/b773.pdf

(Illinois) Know your Lawn Grasses
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawnchallenge/lesson1.html
and
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lawnchallenge/lesson1a.html

Turfgrass for Louisiana Lawns
http://www.louisianalawnandgarden.org/NR/rdonlyres/B20DC5F3-AE95-4ACF-814D-EAB6DC38AE70/1866/pub2230turf5.pdf

Recommended Turfgrass Cultivars for Nebraska
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/horticulture/nf65.htm

Cool-Season Turfgrasses for Nebraska
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/horticulture/g1016.HTM

(New Hampshire)Low Maintenance Turfgrasses for Landscapes and Commercial Agriculture
http://www.ceinfo.unh.edu/Pubs/AgPubs/Aptf1007.pdf

Selecting A Lawn Grass for Oklahoma
http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-997/F-6418web.pdf

Available Grass Varieties for South Dakota
http://agbiopubs.sdstate.edu/pub_description.cfm?Item=EC890

Outstanding Grasses for Texas
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/xeriscape/table1.html

(Wyoming)Low-Maintenance Grasses for Revegetating Disturbed Areas and Lawns (7pp, .pdf)
http://www.uwyo.edu/CES/PUBS/B1070.pdf

Establishment Method: Seeding, sodding

Appearance: Moderate to high quality depending on cultivar, management, and environment; medium texture; green to dark green with good density

Growth Habit: Rhizomatous

Wear Tolerance: Medium

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, neutral to slightly acid, fertile soils; full sun to light shade; good low-temperature tolerance; poor to fair drought tolerance, depending on management and cultivar

Maintenance Requirements: Low to high depending on cultivar, use, and management level; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 inches; supply 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week during the growing season to maintain green and active growth; vigorous cultivars grown under high maintenance are prone to producing thatch; diseases and insects can be a problem depending on cultivar, use, management, and growth environment

Recuperative Ability: Good

Uses: Use low maintenance types in areas receiving minimal culture; improved types are generally used for home lawns, commercial sites, and other areas requiring attractive turf; Kentucky bluegrass is also used on golf course fairways, tees, and rough areas, and in other athletic settings because of its recuperative potential and appearance

Other Notes: Most popular cool season turfgrass with many cultivars available; match cultivar to use and management level; slow to establish by seed; seedlings usually weak

 

Establishment Method: Seeding

Appearance: Moderate to high quality depending on cultivar, management, and environment; medium texture with good density and uniformity; similar to Kentucky bluegrass

Growth Habit: Bunch

Wear Tolerance: Good

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, neutral to slightly acidic, fertile soils; full sun; avoid temperature extremes; lacks tolerance to excessive heat, cold, and drought

Maintenance Requirements: Moderate to high depending on cultivar, use, and environment; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 inches; supply 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week during the growing season to maintain green and active growth; thatch is not a major problem due to bunch-type growth habit; some cultivars are susceptible to diseases, especially red thread and Pythium blight

Recuperative Ability: Poor

Uses: Use low maintenance types in areas receiving minimal culture; improved types are generally used with Kentucky bluegrass for home lawns, commercial sites, and other areas requiring attractive turf; perennial ryegrass is also used on golf course fairways, tees, and rough areas, and in other athletic settings because of its wear tolerance, appearance, and rapid germination

Other Notes: Rarely used alone; usually combined with Kentucky bluegrass in full sun or with Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue in shady areas; good tolerance to soil compaction; very good for overseeding and renovation; germinates rapidly and strongly; insect pests and diseases can be a problem

Establishment Method: Seeding and occasionally sodding

Appearance: Medium-coarse to coarse texture with low density

Growth Habit: Bunch

Wear Tolerance: Good, after establishment

Environmental Adaptation: Adapts to wide range of soils and environments; full sun; tolerates some shade; does well in heat and drought; useful in the transition zone; tolerates short periods of submersion

Maintenance Requirements: Low to moderate; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 1/2 inches; supply 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply water as necessary; established tall fescues have good drought tolerance and will require modest irrigation during most Midwestern summers; thatch is not a major problem due to bunch-type growth habit; brown patch can be a disease problem during some years

Recuperative Ability: Poor

Uses: Lawns, parks, golf course roughs, and low maintenance areas in the central and southern portions of the Midwest; use turf-type tall fescues where moderate to moderately high-quality turf is desired and pasture types (such as 'Kentucky 31,' 'Alta 'Fawn') for utility purposes

Other Notes: Can become an undesirable weed in other turfgrasses

(Fine-leaf Fescues)

Establishment Method: Seeding

Appearance: Very fine to fine texture with good density and uniformity; red and chewings fescues are medium to dark green, sheep fescues tend to be distinctively blue-green, and hard fescues tend to be more gray-green; red fescues are rhizomatous, while other fine fescues have bunch-type growth habits

Growth Habit: Rhizomatous or bunch

Wear Tolerance: Poor to moderate

Environmental Adaptation: The best cool season grasses for dry, shaded areas; often mixed with Kentucky bluegrasses and perennial ryegrasses in dry, shaded areas

Red and chewings fescues (F. rubra)- Well-drained, droughty, infertile, acid soil; light to moderate shade

Sheep fescue (F. ovina)- Well-drained, droughty, sandy, infertile, acid soil

Hard fescue (F. longifolia)- Less drought tolerant than sheep fescue, but more tolerant moist, fertile soils

Maintenance Requirements: Low; mow frequently (depending on use), normal lawn heights are 2 to 3 inches; supply 1 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season; supply water as necessary; watch creeping types for thatch development; disease prone, especially when grown in moist, high-fertility settings

Recuperative Ability: Medium to poor

Uses: Lawns, parks, utility settings especially in light to moderate shade; avoid use in heavily trafficked areas or athletic settings

Other Notes:

Establishment Method: Seeding, sodding

Appearance: Fine texture with high density, quality, and uniformity; tolerates extremely low cutting heights

Growth Habit: Stoloniferous

Wear Tolerance: Poor

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, slightly acid, fertile soils; often grown on pure sand or sand modified with organic matter; full sun to light shade; avoid drought; tolerates cold well

Maintenance Requirements: High; 2 to 6 pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet per growing season; requires frequent mowing, tolerates low mowing heights; usually maintained 3/16 to 3/4 inch depending on use and site; irrigate as necessary, may require mid day syringing during summer's heat; may be prone to thatch development; there are a variety of disease and insect pests that attack this grass, especially when mowed at putting green height

Recuperative Ability: Good

Uses: Typically used on areas requiring low height of cut; golf course putting greens, tees, and fairways, as well as bowling and croquet greens; rarely used in other areas because of high maintenance requirements

Other Notes: Can become an undesirable weed in other turfgrasses

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Establishment Method: Vegetatively and occasionally seeding

Appearance: Low growing and of medium texture with high density, quality, and uniformity; tan-brown during dormant season (mid autumn to mid spring)

Growth Habit: Stoloniferous, rhizomatous

Environmental Adaptation: Well-drained, moist, slightly acid, fertile soils; full sun to light shade; tolerates heat and drought well

Maintenance Requirements: Moderate; good drought tolerance, irrigate as needed; mow at 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches; grass blades are tough and best appearance occurs when mowed with a reel-type mower; requires 1 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year and tolerates saline conditions relatively well; irrigate as needed, although grass is drought tolerant and will require minimal irrigation; produces much thatch, so periodic dethatching is usually required; limited insect and disease problems in the Midwest

Recuperative Ability: Moderate to good

Uses: Zoysiagrass is used in a variety of lawn and athletic turf settings, including home lawns, commercial lawns, golf course tees and fairways, football and soccer fields, and baseball fields

Other Notes: warm season grass; relatively short green period in much of the Midwest; expensive and slow (1 to 3 years) to establish

Establishment Method: Seeding, vegetatively

Appearance: Fine texture with low to moderate density and gray-green color during growing season; dull tan during dormant season (mid autumn to mid spring)

Growth Habit: Stoloniferous

Wear Tolerance: Medium

Environmental Adaptation: Fine-textured, dry soils, but tolerates a wide range of soil types; full sun; will tolerate short periods of submersion; avoid shade

Maintenance Requirements: Low; it requires 0 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year; can be mowed infrequently at 2 to 3 inches; irrigation is rarely required after establishment; it appears to have few pest problems and has a low thatching tendency

Recuperative Ability: Good

Uses: Low-maintenance lawns, parks, industrial areas; its gray-green color and long dormancy period keep it from being used in settings requiring a highly attractive turf; slow establishment from seed reduces its usefulness in areas where soil erosion is a problem

Other Notes: Warm season grass; relatively short green period; expensive and slow to establish

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Page Updated June 28, 2005