By DoMyOwn staff
Understanding your grass type allows you to select the appropriate lawn care products, optimize maintenance schedules, and diagnose issues accurately.
Hi this is Heath from DoMyOwn.com.
Have you ever looked at your lawn and thought... "What kind of grass is this?" You're not alone. And here’s the thing… knowing your grass type is the first step to great lawn care. From choosing the right fertilizer to knowing when to mow, seed, or treat for weeds, your grass type determines it all.
So, let’s break it down. First, why does it matter?
Because using the wrong products or the timing of your maintenance incorrectly can hurt your lawn.
A weed killer that’s safe for Fescue could seriously damage Centipede grass or vice versa.
Warm-season grasses, like Bermuda, Zoysia, St Augustine, and Centipede prefer the heat of summer.a
Cool season grasses like Ryegrass, Fescue, or Kentucky Bluegrass, grow best in spring and fall. Timing is very critical. Cool-season grasses should be fertilized and overseeded in spring and fall.
Warm-season grasses? Wait until late spring… when soil temperatures hit at least 65° or when the lawn is 75% green from winter dormancy, then feed them through the summer.
If you don’t know your grass type, it’s easy to make mistakes. So how do you figure out what kind of grass you have?
Use this three-step method:
Step one: Know your region. If you’re in the northern U.S., chances are you have a cool-season grass like Fescue, rye, or bluegrass.
In the South, it’s probably Bermuda, Zoysia, centipede, or St. Augustine.
If you live in the middle, what’s called the transition zone, you might have either, or even a mixture of the two.
Step two: Look at the grass itself.
Bermuda has fine thin green blades, with a woody stem, it grows through rhizomes and a stolon and can repair itself quickly because of this.
St. Augustine is broad, flat blades that form thick mats and grow with a stolon across the surface.
Tall Fescue has dark green clumps with coarse texture and can be wide or thin blades. Grow by the root system considered a bunching grass.
Kentucky Bluegrass has soft, boat-shaped blade tips, usually a bluish green and grows through rhizomes.
Each grass type has its own look and feel to it.
Step three: Still not sure?
Ask for help. Your local extension office can often ID your lawn from a photo or sample.
For a wide selection of high-quality lawn care products and expert advice, make sure you visit our website at DoMyOwn.com.
Know your grass. Grow it better. And it’s that easy with the expert help from DoMyOwn.com. Subscribe to our channel for more DIY and product videos.
