Chances are, nobody’s going to ask you what kind of grass you have.
It’s not a big topic at dinner parties or in the break room at work or on dating apps.
But it’s kind of nice to know, just like you should know your kid’s teacher’s name or what your partner’s favorite dessert is. And the more you know about your grass, the better able you’ll be to take great care of it.
So if you’ve ever wondered, “how do I know what kind of grass I have?” here you go:
First off, if you live in Minnesota or Wisconsin, you have cool season turfgrass.
Cool season turfgrasses are varieties that thrive in the cool springs and falls like we have here in Wisconsin and Minnesota. They stand up to our freezing winters and pop back up healthy in the spring.
Next up, did you have a sod lawn installed?
Everybody loves bluegrass, with its great deep green color, soft texture, and ease of mowing.
But it’s the most expensive grass, and the hardest to tend.
Honestly, besides bluegrass, there aren’t that many popular types of grass in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
A couple possibilities:
Like its name implies, this grass is very fine textured with needle-like blades.
If your grass is thriving in shade, it's probably fine fescue. Unlike bluegrass, it’s shade tolerant, growing well even in heavy shade.
It’s soft, with a gray-green color.
It seems weird to call grass shiny, but ryegrass actually does have a shine to it. And after you mow it, it has a whitish tint to it.
It’s dark green and soft.
If you didn’t have a sod lawn installed, you probably have a blend of grasses in your yard.
If you have a mix, that’s actually great news. Every type of grass has advantages and disadvantages.
Fescue does better in shade. Bluegrass thrives in the sun. Rye stands up well to high foot traffic.
Maybe you started off with a bluegrass lawn. But over time you noticed some bare spots creeping in. So you headed to the hardware store to buy some grass seed.
But that cheap seed had a bunch of types of grass seed in it — maybe even some weed seed.
Suddenly, your lawn is a not-so-great-looking patchwork of grasses.
Be really picky about grass seed.
If your yard is shady, you’ll get more fescue seed, and maybe just 10 percent bluegrass, or none at all.
Sunny? More bluegrass.
Rye isn’t our favorite grass, but it serves a few good purposes.
If you have an erosion-prone hillside, or destructive dogs, you want coverage as quickly as possible.
The good news is the same basic lawn care tips apply, no matter what type of grass or grasses make up your lawn:
You choose from three different levels of lawn care programs at RainMaster, based on the results you’d like, how fast you want to see results, and your budget.
Here’s a good goal: when you ask, “What kind of grass do I have?” your answer should be thick, healthy, thriving grass.
Choose a lawn care program designed to really meet the needs of your lawn, and you can get there — no matter what type of grass is out there.
Want to get to the bottom of your lawn problems and be confident about your choice for lawn care services? Request a quote today! We’ll review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy your lawn and stop worrying about it.