Growing Food the Old-Fashioned Way

Purchasing sod for your yard is an investment, so you need to ensure that you get the best grass type to meet your family's unique needs. The good news is that there are a wide variety of different grass types on the agricultural market today.

Climate and Your Lawn's Grass

Residential sod grasses are classified into two categories:

1. cold season grasses
2. hot season grasses

Below, you'll learn about each category and which ones pair up best with your climate or home lifestyle.

Cold Season Grasses

Cold season grasses do the majority of their growth during the seasons of fall, winter, and spring. The grass then stays dormant during the warmer summer months. Cold season grasses require a cold winter season and a hot, dry summer season to grow well and stay healthy.

Additionally, there are some cold season varieties that can take heavy traffic, and others which are meant to only be used in decorative applications. Some of the best options for high traffic cold season grass varieties include:

• bentgrass
• bluegrass
• wheatgrass

These grasses can grow quickly and can take continual walking on and additional traffic by both your family and your pets.

If you are looking for a purely decorative option, then the following grass species do well in low traffic areas:

• fire fescues
• ryegrass

Hot Season Grasses

Just like cold season grasses, there are also hot season grass varieties. Hot season grass varieties do the majority of their growth during the late spring and summer. Once fall arrives, this type of grass goes in to its dormant phase and stays there until the spring season arrives. Hot season grasses require mild winters and hot summers to grow well and stay at optimal health.

Some good options for high traffic hot season grasses are:

• bahiagrass
• Bermuda grass
• zoysiagrass

These grasses can take a beating and still look wonderful all summer season long.

On the other hand, if you want decorative grasses which will do the majority of their growth during the warm summer months, you should choose:

• gramagrass
• centipedegrass

By choosing the right sod for your home, you can protect your investment and provide a lawn that your family can enjoy for years to come. If you have additional questions about grass types, please contact a local landscape contractor in your area. Professionals such as California Sod Center will be able to let you know how to measure how much traffic to expect.