So you’re all geared up to manage your lawn and be the envy of your neighbours, you’ve got your mower and all manner of pest control and lawn care products at the ready. That’s all there is to it right? Wrong! One thing you probably have overlooked is what type of grass you have and what you can expect from it. For example depending on the species you might have a harder time caring for your grass than you would others, so it’s definitely worth having a heads up on what type you have in your garden.
Firstly grass can be classified under two broad categories:
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Warm weather grass
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Cold weather grass
Warm weather grasses are, as the name suggests, most commonly found in warmer climates such as tropical or even dry baron environments. These grasses are able to tolerate dry conditions, which you might think is great, but they will tend to turn brown during colder seasons.
Cold weather grasses behave almost in the opposite manner, staying green and dormant during cold weather, and often turning brown during the hotter seasons.
Some more specific sub types of both warm and cold weather grass include:
Bermuda grass
Commonly used on sports fields, golf courses and public parks, this is a rugged grass that is tolerant to both cold and draught. It responds well to sunlight and thrives in warmer conditions.
Blue Grass
So called because the seed head the grass bluish in colour. This grass can grow to heights of up to three feet and is fairly resilient, growing in both warm and cold seasons and in areas of otherwise poor growing potential
Bent grass
Is perfect for creating the best looking lawns, however it requires a high amount of maintenance, probably using a well maintained cylinder mower.
Centipede Grass
A warm weather grass that can thrive in less fertile and nutritious soils, as well as being resistant to pests and disease. It’s got quite a course texture and is light green in colour. Perhaps most importantly, Centipede grass is often known as ‘lazy mans grass’ due to its slow growing nature, and all round hardyness. This means it’s a great choice if you don’t want to have to mow too often, or have to apply fertilisers to your lawn.
Zoyza
Native to Japan and China this is a warm weather grass that is both resistant to draught and attractive in appearance. Like other warm weather grasses it will turn brown in cool or frosty conditions.
So as you can see there is a huge amount of variation available to you if you are thinking of rolling out some new turf, but before you go running out to buy Bent Grass, be honest with yourself, yes it looks great if properly maintained, but will you realistically be able to put the hours in to do this? Likewise if you live in a cold and wet location, you’ll probably struggle to get the best from warm weather grasses.
