Getting that Perfect Green Lawn Part 1
April 3, 2010
Spring is in sight and Oklahoman’s are ready to start cleaning up their property and working on having a lush green lawn without any weeds. The sad news is that the Oklahoma red clay dirt does not fair well with grass seed and along with that the sizzling heat in the summer months can kill practically any grass you have growing.
In order to have a lush lawn during the majority of the year you will need to mix cool season grass with warm season grass. Before you head out to the nursery you had better learn a bit more about how to choose the grass that will grow better in your area and with the shade and temperatures, you often see. You may not even have to use blends once you understand the types of grass that grow best with all the factors you have in your front yard.
Cool season grasses are Kentucky Bluegrass, Fescue, Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Bentgrass. Warm season grasses include Bermuda Grass, St. Augustine, and Zoysia. You must also look at the climate zones for grasses and Oklahoma happens to be in the Transitional Area. Since we are talking about Oklahoma you will have to kind of make a decision regarding the type of weather you normally see but in most cases, both northern and southern grasses will grow well in this area of the country. Mountain areas are higher elevation and need cool season grasses while lower elevation does best with warm season grasses.
Dividing the nation where grass is concerned:
The Northeast and northern Midwest does better with 50% Kentucky Bluegrass and 35% red Fescues along with 20% of Perennial Ryegrass. Tall fescues should not be used in this area of the US. The northern plains and mountain areas, which can include parts of Oklahoma, should use a mixture of red fescue and crested wheatgrass. If you do water your lawn and live in the mountainous area of Oklahoma, you may want to use a combination of red fescue, perennial ryegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass. The northwest along the coastline known as the Pacific Northwest should use 30% red fescue, 15% colonial bentgrass, and 50% Kentucky Bluegrass. The southern states do best with St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Bermuda grass, which all do great with the high humidity found in the south.
This may sound very simple, but once again, we are talking about Oklahoma. Some areas have quite a few shade trees and even though the temperatures reach 100 degrees or more, Fescue may grow very well in the shady areas as long as you water the area daily.
Next, week Part #2 will introduce you to the different types of grasses that can be used to create a blend that will help your lawn become lush and green.
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One Comment to Getting that Perfect Green Lawn Part 1
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Good blog post. Very helpful stuff
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