How to Select the Right Lawn Grass for Your Location

lawn grass in both sun and shade

Choosing and installing the lawn grass best suited to your climate and location is key to having that beautiful, lush lawn you have always wanted.

There are many, many different kinds of grass, just as there are many, many different kinds of locations. The key to having beautiful grass is finding the right match between your climate and particular location and the grass that loves these conditions.

To find the grass that is right for your lawn, follow the steps below:

Things You'll Need

• grass sod, plugs or seed

Instructions

1. 

   LEARN THE SPECIFICS OF YOUR REGION

   Familiarize yourself with the high, low and average temperatures in your particular location.

   Check the average rainfall.

   Determine what type of soil you have: sandy, clay, high humus, other

2. OBSERVE YOUR LAWN AT DIFFERENT TIMES DURING THE DAY

   Determine how sunny and/ or shady your lawn is. Determine if you have sunny areas and shady areas that may need different types of grass.

3. CONSIDER TRAFFIC AREAS

   Do you need grass that is tough enough to withstand high traffic, or will your lawn be virtually undisturbed by outdoor activities?

4. THINK ABOUT LAWN MAINTENANCE AND WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PUT INTO IT

   Some grasses need cutting less frequently than others. Some grasses creep and must be edged frequently to keep them out of border plantings and flower beds.

   Are you planning to install a sprinkler system, water with a hose and sprinkler, or prefer not to have to water at all?

5. CONSIDER HOW LONG ARE YOU WILLING TO WAIT FOR A FULLY ESTABLISHED LAWN

   Some grasses can be seeded into a new or established lawn and will provide fairly quick results.

   Some grasses can be rolled down as sod, for the quickest established lawn of all.

   Other grasses have to be sprigged or plugged, as they are not available as seed or sod.

6. KEEP ALL YOUR ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS IN MIND WHEN YOU GO TO SELECT YOUR GRASS FOR YOUR LAWN

   The answers to the above questions should be written on paper. This will give you a handy reference and reminder of your conditions and intentions. You will need to compare your Conditions and Intentions list against the available varieties of grass.

   Creating a Conditions and Intentions list takes a little extra time, but using this as your guide when selecting your lawn grass will lead to many years of greater satisfaction and less work to maintain your beautiful lawn.

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide