The best grasses for southern New Mexico lawns are buffalograss, Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, and fine fescue.
Warm-season grasses grow best in southern New Mexico due to its semi-arid climate. However, its cool nights allow cool-season grasses to grow here if they are properly watered.
Each grass has its own needs and preferences. Some grow in shade, others don’t need much maintenance, and some can withstand heavy foot traffic. Let’s look at the best grasses for southern New Mexico.
If you want to know the best grasses for the entire state, read our article, The Best Grass for New Mexico Lawns.
Bermudagrass: Drought-tolerant
Bermudagrass is the most popular grass in southern New Mexico. Its drought and heat-tolerance makes it well suited to the state’s warmer desert climate. It can also tolerate heavy foot traffic and needs little water. However, it doesn’t like shade or cold, and it struggles with insects and diseases.
If you want a Bermudagrass lawn, check out our article on How to Grow and Care for Bermudagrass.
Grass Seed Options:
– Scotts Turf Builder Bermudagrass (10-lb. bag)
– Hancock Seed Co. Bermudagrass (50-lb. bag)
Fine fescue: Handles shade
Fine fescue has delicate leaves and a high shade tolerance, making it one of the best grasses for shady lawns in southern New Mexico. Its high drought tolerance helps it survive in southern New Mexico’s hot desert climate (assuming adequate irrigation). However, it struggles with heavy foot traffic and diseases.
Read our article on How to Grow and Care for Fine Fescue to learn more.
Grass Seed Options:
– Outsidepride Legacy Fine Fescue Grass Seed (5 lbs.)
– Eretz Creeping Red Fine Fescue Seed (choose your size)
– Outsidepride Creeping Red Fine Fescue Grass Seed (25 lbs.)
Buffalograss: Low-maintenance
Buffalograss prides itself on not needing much care. Once established, it doesn’t need much fertilizer, mowing, or water (although it will go dormant in summer without extra watering). It also doesn’t need a lot of water.
Where buffalograss needs help is with weeds. It has an open growth habit, so it constantly battles these thieves. You’ll need to provide weed control to help it along.
If you’re set on a buffalograss lawn, read our article on How to Grow and Care for Buffalograss.
Grass Seed Options:
– Everwilde Farms Buffalograss Seeds (1 lb. of seeds)
– Buffalograss seed (primed) (5-lb. bag)
Zoysiagrass: Durable under foot
Zoysiagrass is a great choice if you plan on having kids and pets run around in the yard. It has a high foot traffic tolerance and a strong but slow recovery habit. It likes full sun but will tolerate light shade.
Despite a good drought tolerance, Zoysiagrass does grow brown during a drought. It’s also vulnerable to diseases and can be invasive.
Intrigued? Learn more about Zoysiagrass in our article on how to grow and care for it.
Grass Plug and Seed Options:
– EZPlug Zoysia Plugs (50 Large Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (50 Full & Lush Grass Plugs)
– Zoysia Plugs (100 Plugs)
– Zenith Zenith Grass Seeds (1/8 lb. of seeds)
Other grass options in southern New Mexico
Here are several other grasses that call southern New Mexico home:
Kentucky bluegrass
Kentucky bluegrass grows aggressively and is resilient to heavy foot traffic. It can be used in mixtures with perennial ryegrass and/or tall fescue on athletic fields.
Newer variants of Kentucky bluegrass exist that are heat tolerant and don’t require much irrigation, allowing them to grow in all New Mexico lawns.
If you’re interested in a Kentucky bluegrass lawn, read our article on how to grow and care for it.
Grass Seed Options:
– Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed (3 lbs.)
– SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed (5 lbs.)
Tall fescue
Tall fescue is a good general turfgrass for New Mexico due to its heat and drought tolerance, although it needs adequate irrigation to grow in southern New Mexico. It has good wear tolerance, but it needs frequent mowing and can’t repair bare spots or thinning on its own.
Read our article on How to Grow and Care for Tall Fescue to learn more.
Grass Seed Options:
– Triple-Play Tall Fescue Grass Seed Blend (5000 sq ft)
– Eretz Kentucky 31 K31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed (choose your size)
– Pennington The Rebels Tall Fescue Grass Seed Mix (7 lb.)
St. Augustinegrass
St. Augustinegrass is a heat-loving grass with wide blades, fast growth, and solid shade tolerance. Because of this, it’s a popular warm-season turfgrass in southern New Mexico. That said, it needs mowing often and is vulnerable to chinch bugs and fungal diseases.
Learn more about St. Augustinegrass in our article on how to grow and care for it.
Grass Plug Options:
– Seed Ranch St Augustine Seville Grass Plugs (2 Trays)
– Seed Ranch St Augustine Floratam Grass Plugs (2 Trays)
Additional lawn care resources for southern New Mexico
For more help developing your green thumb, check out these useful guides to caring for your yard in southern New Mexico:
Southern New Mexico Planting Zones
17 Native New Mexico Plants for Your Landscape
Hire a professional
Now that you know what the best grasses are for southern New Mexico, it’s time to pick one – and we can help. Contact Lawn Love and we’ll send a professional who will help you pick the best one for your yard.
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Main Image Credit: AllenS | Wikimedia Commons | Public Domain
