Lawn Grass Types

The lawn is an area which is planted with grasses of different types. Grasses do not grow much higher and are therefore, suitable for gardening purpose. There are different lawn grass types being used in gardens. Grass for lawns need to be chosen on the basis of their ability to survive in a particular region. The water requirements are also taken into account.

Types of Lawn Grass

Lawn grass can be broadly classified into varieties used for different seasons of the year. Which means that, these grasses are categorized into warm season and cool season ones.

Warm Season Lawn Grass
Here are examples of few warm season grasses. Most of these are drought tolerant; these plants attain a healthy growth in a well-drained soils.

Bahia
The bahia grass can be grown in variety of soil types ranging from clay, sandy to the infertile ones; soils with high pH are however, not recommended for growing the bahia. This lawn grass is resistant to insect and pest attacks. The grass attains vigorous growth in quick time and its root grow to a depth of about 8 inches. It grows well in humid areas with ample sunlight. Anything in excess, may it be fertilization or watering, affects the growth of bahia. The bahia can be grown with seeds as well sods.

Bermuda Grass
The bermuda grass is commonly used types of home lawns. This type of grass is found in over 100 countries. It has a medium texture, is drought tolerant and requires direct sunlight for healthy growth. Planting of the bermuda grass is carried out with the help of sod, seed, sprigs or plugs. Pests that affect bermuda grass include the sod webworms, mole crickets and armyworms. Dollar spot and dead spot are the common diseases.

Zoysia Grass
Named after an Austrian botanist, Karl von Zois, the zoysia is a warm season grass which is drought tolerant. The grass is native to Southeast Asian countries like Japan and China. Since, this grass was brought to the United States from Manila, is also known as Manila grass. It grows well in soils with proper drainage. The zoysiagrass has a root system that goes deep into the soil. Different varieties of Zoysiagrass include the Korean Lawn grass, Manila grass, Meyer Zoysiagrass, Belaire Zoysiagrass, Emerald Zoysiagrass, Cashmere Zoysiagrass and El Toro Zoysiagrass.

Cool Season Grasses
The cool season grasses have higher water requirements. Most of these plants are shade loving and also need to be fertilized regularly. Let us have a look at the important cool season varieties of lawn grasses.

Kentucky Bluegrass
The Kentucky Bluegrass is known for producing a high quality lawn. This lawn grass is characterized by a moderate growth pattern and is known to spread and fill bare spots. It is recommended for cooler climates and conditions like dry weather results into the plant going dormant. The Kentucky bluegrass has a shallow root system. It cannot grow properly in shady areas. Planting is done with sod or seed. Regular fertilization and watering keeps the plant healthy.

Perennial Ryegrass
The perennial ryegrass flourishes in cool and moist conditions where temperatures don't go to the extremes. Northern states of USA are considered to be the best for growing perennial ryegrass. This grass type grows rapidly in the spring and therefore, should be mowed twice a week. The needs of fertilization, mowing and watering are quite high for perennial ryegrass. Planting is carried out with seeds. The lawn grass is fairly tolerant to shade.

Creeping Bentgrass
This lawn grass type is known to spread with a profuse growth of creeping stolons. The creeping bentgrass creates a dense mat of leaves which are smooth on the upper side, while the lower side is ridged. The specialty of creeping bentgrass is that, it can tolerate mowing which is close to the ground. Roots of the creeping bentgrass are shallow.

The types of lawn grasses described in the article above, should give basic information about the different species being used.