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Low-Maintenance Grass
By: Sandy Feather
©2007
Penn State
Cooperative Extension
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Q. What is the
best type of grass to plant for a low maintenance lawn here in
western Pennsylvania? We are looking for something beautiful and
durable, something that would not require a lot of chemical inputs
such as insecticides, fungicides and synthetic fertilizer. Is there
such a turfgrass?
A. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to your
question. As is true for any plant, it is important to choose the
right type of grass for the conditions in your yard. How much sun
does it receive? Is the soil well drained, or does rain collect in
certain areas? Do you have a sufficient base of topsoil, or do you
have mostly heavy subsoil? Four to six inches of topsoil is
important for a healthy, lower maintenance lawn because decent
topsoil has good physical characteristics, which allows for soil
that drains well while retaining sufficient moisture. Good soil
structure is important for grass to produce an extensive, healthy
root system. Are you willing to water when we get into hot, dry
weather in summer months? Some grasses are more drought tolerant
than others, but all lawns will brown out when we go for weeks
without rain. A soil test will reveal your soil’s chemical
characteristics – the level of specific nutrients and soil pH
(acidity or alkalinity). These can be adjusted by tilling in the
required amendments prior to planting. Those grasses with lower
fertility requirements can get by with a single application of
fertilizer, especially if you use a mulching mower and leave the
clippings on the lawn rather than bagging them. Grasses also vary in
their tolerance to hot, humid weather as well as their winter
hardiness.
It is also important to consider how your lawn is used. Do all the
neighborhood kids play in your yard, or do you have large dogs? Or
is weekly mowing the most foot traffic your lawn sees? Some
varieties of grass stand up to heavy use better than others. Lawns
that see a lot of use generally require a higher level of
maintenance – particularly fertilization and irrigation - than those
that do not to help them recover and stay healthy.
In the Pittsburgh area we generally grow cool season grasses such as
Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescues or turf-type
tall fescue. These grasses are adapted to our winter weather, and
typically put on the most growth in the cooler weather of spring and
fall. Unless they receive supplemental water during hot, dry summer
weather, they go semi-dormant. Warm season grasses are grown in the
southern United States. Zoysia is the only warm season grass we can
grow in our area. Most lawn experts do not recommend it here because
it turns brown at the first frost and stays brown until late spring
or early summer. That said, I know people who love their zoysia
lawns.
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Here is a brief rundown of each grass’s
strengths and
weaknesses:
Kentucky
Bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is considered by many to be the
Cadillac of lawns while other criticize it as too high maintenance.
It has a medium to fine texture, good color, and tolerates wear and
winter temperatures well. It also tolerates our clay soil better
than most other grasses. Kentucky bluegrass spreads by rhizomes
(underground stems) that create a dense sod and allow it to recover
from wear, drought, or insect and disease damage better than other
cool season grasses. On the downside, Kentucky bluegrass requires a
higher level of fertility than other cool season grasses for optimum
performance. That means three to four pounds of nitrogen per
thousand square feet in three or four applications through the
growing season. Although its rhizomatous growth habit allows it to
recover from damage better than other grasses, it also allows faster
thatch build up. Thatch is a tangled mat of sloughed off stems,
roots and rhizomes produced as grass plants grow. A thick layer of
thatch interferes with the movement of water though the soil and can
act a breeding ground for insect and disease problems. Kentucky
bluegrass seed can be slow to germinate, taking two weeks or better.
It grows best in full sun and well-drained soil, and prefers a
mowing height between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half inches.
Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne) has a fine to
medium texture and dark green color. It tolerates wear and hot
weather well. Perennial rye seed can germinate in five to seven days
under optimum growing conditions and it establishes quickly. It
grows aggressively and is often used to repair damaged lawn areas.
It tolerates cold weather, but can be severely damaged by ice as
well as extended drought. Perennial rye is a bunch-type grass that
does not spread by rhizomes, which means that it does not recover
from damage as well as Kentucky bluegrass. It also means that it
does not build up thatch as quickly, either. It has more moderate
fertility requirements than Kentucky bluegrass, three pounds of
nitrogen per thousand square feet in three applications through the
growing season. Perennial rye is best in full sun and well-drained
soil, and prefers a mowing height between one-and-a-half and
two-and-a-half inches.
Fine Fescues (Festuca spp.) include creeping red
fescue (F. rubra), Chewings fescue (F. rubra var.
commutata), hard fescue (F. longifolia), and sheep fescue
(F. ovina). These are the finest textured grasses and have a
medium to dark green color. They tolerate shade, low fertility, and
low pH (acid) soil. They do not tolerate hot, humid conditions, poor
drainage, or heavy wear. Some can build up thatch quickly. Creeping
red fescue spreads by rhizomes and can fill in damaged spots like
Kentucky bluegrass. The others are bunch-type grasses. Hard fescue
is slow to germinate while the others are moderately fast. Sheep
fescue is primarily used in low maintenance situations such as golf
course roughs and is not often used for home lawns. Fine fescues
require one to two pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet in
two or three applications through the growing season. Fine fescues
are best in some shade (not dense, all day shade) and well-drained
soil, and prefer a mowing height between two and three inches.
Turf-type Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a
relatively recent development. Plain tall fescue – the straight
species – has long been used as a pasture grass. It is very tough
and durable. A tall fescue cultivar called ‘Kentucky 31’ has been
grown successfully on extremely difficult sites such as strip mine
reclamations and highway median strips. It is too coarse to be
considered a good lawn grass, but turf hybridizers have worked to
refine the appearance while maintaining its tolerance for drought,
poor soil and moderate shade. Turf-type tall fescue is the result.
It is less coarse than old varieties and has darker green color. It
is slow to establish its deep and extensive root system, and should
be watered during hot dry weather for at least its first growing
season. It still has a coarser appearance than the above-mentioned
grasses and should be used alone to avoid a clash in textures.
Turf-type tall fescue is usually considered a bunch-type grass,
although some cultivars do produce short rhizomes. Turf-type tall
fescue is probably the least thatch-producing grass used for home
lawns. Turf-type tall fescue requires two-and-a-half to three pounds
of nitrogen per thousand square feet in two or three applications
through the growing season. It prefers full sun to part shade and
well-drained soil, and a cutting height between two and three
inches.
Zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica) is the sole warm season
grass. It puts on the most growth during the heat of summer. Zoysia
spreads by rhizomes and stolons, which are stems that grow along the
soil surface. It can form a dense, weed-resistant turf, and is
drought tolerant once established. Zoysia spreads aggressively and
can make a pest of itself in flower beds and shrub borders. It will
also invade neighboring cool season lawns and can create problems
with neighbors who fuss over those lawns. It is a prolific thatch
producer and should be dethatched yearly. It has low fertility
requirements, one to two pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet
in two applications through the growing season. Zoysia is grown from
plugs, rather then seed. It can take three to six years to establish
a dense stand. Meyer zoysia is the only variety of zoysia
recommended for Pennsylvania. It is best in full sun to partial
shade and well-drained soil, and prefers a mowing height of one inch
– much lower than any of the cool season grasses will tolerate.
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Summary
With the
exception of turf-type tall fescue and zoysia, it is rare to grow a
single species of grass in a lawn. It is more common to grow a
mixture of grass species in order to avoid planting a monoculture.
By planting different species of grasses together, you ensure that
some portion of your lawn will survive drought, insects or disease
if others do not. A good shade mix will contain a high percentage of
fine fescues with a shade-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass cultivar such
as A-34 (Bensun), Bristol, Eclipse, Glade, Nugget, Touchdown and
Victa. If an area is only moderately shady, turf-type tall fescue
can also be used. For full sun, a mixture of Kentucky bluegrass and
perennial ryegrass is best. You may encounter something called “Penn
State Mix” in your shopping. This is simply a mixture of grasses
long recommended by Penn State’s agronomy department for home lawns,
but Penn State does not sell grass seed. Many seed suppliers and
local garden centers offer their own versions of Penn State Mix. The
basic mixture is one-third Kentucky bluegrass, one-third perennial
ryegrass, and one-third fine fescue. Different suppliers use
slightly different percentages of each grass species. It is best in
full sun, but can also be used in light shade.
Aeration
Mulching grass
clippings
Lawn fertilization schedule
Sandy's Lawn
Care Advice
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