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Justin Cawyer
Justin Cawyer is the CEO of American Lawn & Landscape Inc., and has been in the landscape industry for 22 years. Starting out as a mowing service, their business has expanded to include everything from landscaping to fertilizing and weed control. For a complete list of services, you can see their ad in Names and Numbers, visit yardsbyamerican.com, or call 620-249-5700.
Lawn, Garden & Landscaping
2011-06-01 11:08:00
Types of grass
Question: We are completely redoing our landscaping and want it to be right for our needs. One of the biggest concerns is that everything will have to be both attractive and hearty. This is particularly true for the lawn. We have four rowdy boys that use it for football, soccer and other activities. What types of grass hold up best to brothers of destruction?
Answer: It sounds like you need something just short of Astroturf as far as durability! Fortunately, there are many types of grasses that hold up well under challenging conditions. The first thing you need to know is that grass types are divided into two groups, Cool-Season, which prefer winters that are mild and wet to frigid and snowy, or Warm-Season, which prefers winters that are mild and hot or dry summers. For Cool-Season grasses, here are the most hearty and durable choices: •Kentucky Bluegrass- This grass is the most common cool season grass. Although it does not like extremely shady areas, it takes the heat and cold well and is perfect for high traffic lawns. •Perennial Ryegrass- This type of grass can take a beating, and takes the cold and heat as long as it is not too extreme. It is great for over seeding and using in combination with other grasses. •Tall Fescue- Tall Fescue is another great choice. This grass is not fussy about soil types and will grow well in full sun or shade. It holds up under tough conditions and temperature variations. Warm-Season Grasses: •Bermuda grass- Bermuda is going to hold up the best under high traffic. As a matter of fact a lot of football fields and other athletic fields have Bermuda on them for durability. •Buffalograss- This grass is known for its warm season heartiness, but has excellent winter hardiness as well. It grows well in most soil types with the exception of sand based soils. •Zoysiagrass- Zoysiagrasses are among the most wear tolerant turf grasses. It takes the heat and cold well and it can take a lot of traffic. However, it does like well-drained soil. The most popular and well growing grasses in Kansas consist of cool-season grasses with Tall Fescue ranking highest. Once you start investigating, you will find that there are so many types of grasses that it can be overwhelming. A lawn care professional can help you sort out the differences, determine your soil type and choose the one that will hold up best under your particular conditions.
 
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