Choosing right grass requires some give and take

Originally published in The Free Lance-Star: 3/23/2007
Regina Prunty is an agent in Virginia Cooperative Extension's King George County office, specializing in commercial horticulture.
Phone 540/775-3062; Email: rprunty@vt.edu.

A question I'm often asked is "what kind of turf grass should my lawn be?" It's not a simple question to answer.

When it comes to growing turf grass, our area is in a transitional zone. We are between the preferred area for cool- and warm-season grasses. This means we can grow both types, but our climate is not ideally suited for either one.

So what do I mean by cool- and warm-season grasses? Cool-season grasses include fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, creeping red fescue, hard fescue, chewings fescue and perennial rye grass. These are green in the spring, fall and winter and turn brown in the summer whenever we experience a drought and hot temperatures. It's a safe bet that we'll have dry weather sometime during the summer, which will cause cool-season grasses to go dormant and turn brown. These grasses are established by seed or sod and require a soil pH range of 6.2 to 6.5.

Warm-season grasses need warm temperatures to grow and go dormant during the cooler months of the year. In a typical year, they would be brown by late October and remain that way until mid-late April. Examples grown in our area are bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. These can be established by seed, but because they spread rather quickly, plugs (round clumps of grass) or sprigs (individual pieces of grass) are often used. The expense of sod isn't usually justifiable since they fill in so quickly. They aren't as picky as fescue about soil pH.

The most commonly grown cool-season grasses in our area are fescues. There are three different kinds of fescue: tall, turf-type and fine. Tall fescue includes the well-known K-31. It is a bunch-type grass and grows in clumps, leaving openings for weeds to germinate and a less uniform appearance. Its wide blades give it a coarse texture. It is probably the most inexpensive of all the grasses and is established by planting seed, so large areas can be planted easily and at little cost. K-31 is used predominantly as a pasture grass so it tolerates foot traffic and heavy use. It has fair drought tolerance, turning brown in dry weather but tending to rebound when rain returns. It grows best in sun to light shade. For those looking for a high-quality, uniform turf grass, this isn't the grass to choose.

Turf-type fescues have a narrower blade and a more appealing uniform appearance than K-31. Though still a bunch grass, when seeded at the proper rate the clumping growth habit isn't as noticeable. There are many varieties available but selection is typically limited to what's available in the garden center. The 'Rebels,' for example, have been around for several years. Turf-type fescues will tolerate sun to light shade like K-31. Overseeding is needed at least every other fall to keep a thick stand in our area due to stresses from drought, disease and improper maintenance. Though these have some tolerance to water stress, they're not as drought-tolerant as warm-season grasses.

The fine fescues have the narrowest blades of all the fescues, only inch wide. Included are creeping red fescue, hard fescue and chewings fescue. These are used mostly in part-shade to shaded areas. If the site is too shaded for fine fescues to grow, it's too shaded to grow turf grass. Since they don't grow as tall as other fescues, fine fescues don't have to be mowed as often.

I've seen good drought tolerance with the creeping red and hard fescues in our area. Creeping red has a bit of spreading ability so it does fill in over time but it doesn't spread as much as the warm-season grasses. The downside of the fine fescues is they don't tolerate traffic and are for low-use areas. If there are active dogs or lots of use, these won't work.

Bluegrass is a popular cool-season grass with a blue-green color. Due to its shallow root system, it doesn't tolerate heat stress or drought very well and isn't recommended for our area. No more than 5 percent should be included in fescue blends in our area. If you visit West Virginia or Pennsylvania, you'll find gorgeous bluegrass lawns, as they don't have our summer heat and humidity.

Other cool-season grasses include perennial rye and annual rye. Perennial rye will come up fast and grow but only lasts for about a year in our climate. It can be included in mixtures for quick germination and growth but don't expect it to last. Annual rye is used as a temporary cover, mainly when it's the wrong time of year for planting other longer-living grasses.

Of the warm-season grasses, zoysiagrass is the most commonly used here. It's also known as carpetgrass because of the dense cover it forms. It has a medium to fine texture and great drought tolerance. There are different varieties with 'Meyer' being one locally grown from plugs, sprigs or sod and 'Zenith' established from seed. If there are no insect or disease problems, it will not have to be replanted for years. But if you're in a neighborhood, it can spread to adjoining properties.

Common bermudagrass is the most often found bermudagrass in our area. Though it is considered a weed in most cases, there are hybrids that are grown as desirable turf such as 'Riviera.' I often get a look of bewilderment when I suggesting bermudagrass be intentionally planted. All bermudagrass is very drought-tolerant. It looks best when mowed short, to 1 inch.

Warm-season grasses are planted in the late spring to early summer so they are well-established by fall. Cool-season grasses are planted preferably in the fall with the second opportune time being March or April.

Since neither warm- nor cool-season grasses look great the whole year here, the advantages and disadvantages of each should be considered.

For growing any turf grass, you should have 4-6 inches of topsoil, take a soil test before planting and maintain it properly. Information on recommended varieties, establishing and maintaining turf grass is available at our local Extension Offices and on our Web site: ext.vt.edu.