With spring peeking around the corner everyone has lawns on their mind. Spring is a time of renewal and second chances on those landscaping projects that may not have gone so well last year. It’s time to patch up all those bald spots on the lawn and plant new blooms. Growing grass can be a tough task to accomplish however. There are so many different types and so many questions – when do I plant grass seed? Do I fertilize? How often do I water the grass? With a little bit of knowledge choosing the right type of grass for your yard can be made a bit simpler.

The first thing to consider when choosing the type of grass to plant is what zone you live in. There are three different zones – the warm zone, cool zone and transition zone. The warm zone is the southern most portion of the United States. The transition zone is directly above the warm zone and reaches to about the Mason Dixon line. Anything above the transition zone is considered the cool zone. Determining which zone you live in is important because that will be the major deciding factor in which type of grass will grow best in your yard.

The next factor to consider in a new lawn is maintenance. How much time and effort do you want to put in to keeping your lawn green? This can help you determine which grass will be best for you. If you want a lawn to look perfect, green and groomed you will want a different grass than if you just want something to cover the ground. Also consider factors that are outside of your control such as the amount of shade in your yard, slope, how hot the summers are and how much rainfall you receive. All of these will factor in to choosing the right type of grass.

Once you have mapped out all of the characteristics of your lawn and all of your basic needs, you can choose your grass. If you live in the warm zone and want a low maintenance lawn you might want to choose Bahiagrass. It comes in different varieties depending on the texture and quality of lawn you want. If you don’t mind a bit more maintenance in the warm zone you may want to choose Bermuda or St. Augustine grass. For those people who love to put a lot of work into their lawns in the warm zone go with Zoysiagrass.

If you live in the transition zone, determine if you live in a cooler portion of the zone or a warmer portion. Fescue, Bluegrass and Ryegrass are usually good choices for the transition zone. Most times, a cooler zone grass tends to grow better in this area of the country. You can however, depending on your location, could have great success with Zoysia or Bermuda grass. The best thing to do when you live in the transition zone is to talk to your neighbors who have lush lawns and find out what they are growing. By finding out what is already successful in your area, you can save yourself a lot of money and frustration.

For those people who live in the cool zone there are quite a few options to choose from. If you live in the cool zone and want a low maintenance lawn go with a variety of Bluegrass or Ryegrass. These will give you a medium to fine texture with an overall good look. If you are OK with putting a bit more time in to your lawn choose a variety of Fescue grass. This type of grass makes a great family lawn. If you don’t mind a high maintenance lawn and love the look choose Bentgrass. This grass is often used on golf courses and will give you a great manicured look.

Author Bio: Keith Smallwood is the president of Creative Energy Exteriors, a leading Virginia home improvement company offering products such as Richmond decks and Virginia replacement windows. Creative Energy Exteriors can be found online at: CreativeEnergyExteriors.com .

Category: Home Management
Keywords: grass, choosing grass for your home, which grass is best, different types of grass