How to Choose a Lawn Type for Your Climate

Introduction

Maybe envy is green because it's what you feel when you see a great lawn and want it for your own. Get a great start on that walking carpet by knowing which kind of turf grass will grow best in your climate.

Instructions

Steps

Step One

Learn three facts about your climate. To choose a lawn grass, you need to know how cold it is in the winter, how much it rains (and when), and what kind of soil you have to work with.

Step Two

Evaluate how you'll use the lawn. Higher traffic - kids playing ball and dogs romping - demands different grass than more tranquil settings do.

Step Three

Choose a cool-season lawn grass if winter temperatures stay below 0 degrees F for more than a few days at a time. The popular fescue and bluegrass look worst at midsummer but do give you a bit of green all year long.

Step Four

Look for blended cool-season turf mixes in seeds and sods. Each component proves less demanding and less vulnerable to common pests of either single type.

Step Five

Pick a warm-season turf such as Bermuda grass, zoysia, St. Augustine and centipede where winters are relatively mild. Expect them to turn brown and go dormant with the first frost.

Step Six

Consider overseeding warm-season turfs with perennial ryegrass in fall for great green all winter. Mow them as needed and add the precious green cuttings to your compost heap.

Step Seven

Investigate native American grasses where conditions require a xeriscape approach to gardening that emphasizes water conservation. Don't expect a lush lawn, but use buffalo grass and other prairie species when available.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at lawns in your area to find one you'll like seeing for years - color and texture vary among cool- and warm-season grasses.
• Choose a fine-textured grass like Bermuda or bluegrass for high-traffic lawns.
• Limited budget? Use a true lawn grass in the front yard, but simply "mow what grows" in the back until you can finish the turf.