Which grass is best for your Washington, D.C., lawn? The final candidates have been selected:
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Here are a few reasons why these are the best grass types for your lawn:
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Even though you live in the transition zone, cool-season grasses are usually the best fit for Washington, D.C., lawns. Cool-season grasses tolerate cold winter weather and have growth periods during spring and fall. Since they prefer the cooler shoulder seasons, they will go dormant (brown) in the summer.<\/p>
Tall fescue is one of the most recommended<\/a> turfgrasses in Maryland and Virginia. Even the South Lawn of the White House<\/a> was, at one time, a tall fescue lawn. Tall fescue grass has a high drought tolerance due to its extensive root system and requires a low to moderate level of maintenance. Grass Seed Options: If you have a shady lawn, fine fescue may be the grass for you. Fine fescues have a high level of shade tolerance<\/a> and are often combined with Kentucky bluegrass in a sun\/shade grass seed mix. Other advantages are that fine fescues are highly drought tolerant and have a very low fertilization requirement. If your lawn receives a lot of foot traffic, you may want to consider another grass. Fine fescues do not hold up well under high levels of wear. Grass Seed Options: Kentucky bluegrass is a popular cool-season grass that is found throughout Maryland and Virginia. It\u2018s often sold in a mix or blend and, under ideal conditions, produces a dark green stand of grass. Kentucky bluegrass is a high-maintenance lawn that requires regular fertilization<\/a> and watering to keep diseases at bay. There are many varieties of Kentucky bluegrass<\/a> to choose from, and remember that a mix or blend of grasses<\/a> almost always yields the best results in a cool-season lawn. Grass Seed Options: Perennial ryegrass is worth mentioning but is somewhat of a special case. Perennial ryegrass declined in popularity in the 1990s due to outbreaks of gray leaf spot. In recent years, breeders have developed disease-resistant varieties and this grass has come back into favor. Perennial ryegrass is often only used in very small percentages in certain cool-season grass mixes. For example, the University of Maryland’s Turfgrass Technical Update<\/a> recommends not<\/em> mixing perennial ryegrass with turf-type tall fescue and only recommends a 0-15% inclusion in mixes with Kentucky bluegrass in cases where erosion is a concern. <\/p> Even so, other experts recommend leaving perennial ryegrass out of your grass mix<\/a> entirely. If you do choose to use this grass, select a variety that is disease-resistant<\/a> for the best chance of success. Grass Seed Options: Before you cast your vote for best grass type for your Washington, D.C., lawn, you\u2019ll need to answer a few questions about your yard: Now that you\u2019ve learned about several D.C.-friendly grass types, all that is left to do is to cast your vote. Which one will you choose? Here\u2019s our shameless stump speech: If you\u2019d prefer to leave your capital lawn care to an expert, look to one of our local Washington, D.C., lawn care professionals<\/a> to mow, edge, blow, and make your lawn worthy of anyone\u2019s vote.<\/em><\/p>
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<\/strong>\u2013 Triple-Play Tall Fescue Grass Seed Blend<\/a> (5000 sq ft)
\u2013 Eretz Kentucky 31 K31 Tall Fescue Grass Seed<\/a> (choose your size)
\u2013 Pennington The Rebels Tall Fescue Grass Seed Mix<\/a> (7 lb.)<\/p> 2. Fine fescue<\/h2>
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<\/strong>\u2013 Outsidepride Legacy Fine Fescue Grass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)
\u2013 Eretz Creeping Red Fine Fescue Seed<\/a> (choose your size)
\u2013 Outsidepride Creeping Red Fine Fescue Grass Seed<\/a> (25 lbs.)
\u2013 Outsidepride Hard Fine Fescue Grass Seed<\/a> (10 lbs.)<\/p> 3. Kentucky bluegrass<\/h2>
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<\/strong>\u2013 Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed<\/a> (3 lbs.)
\u2013 SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)
\u2013 Jacklin Seed – Biltmore Blue Blend – 100% Kentucky Bluegrass (5 lbs.)<\/p> 4. Perennial ryegrass<\/h2>
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<\/strong>\u2013 Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)
\u2013 Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed<\/a> (choose your size)<\/p> How to select the best grass type for your lawn<\/h2>
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