These cool-season grasses will thrive in Portland\u2019s coastal climate. Keep reading to find out which type is best suited to your home\u2019s environment.<\/p>
1. Kentucky bluegrass<\/span><\/h2> ![\"Kentucky](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kentucky-bluegrass-yard.jpg\")
Kentucky bluegrass
Brenda Ryan | Lawn Love<\/figcaption><\/figure> This medium-textured grass<\/a> has a signature dark blue-green turf. If you like to entertain friends and family, don\u2019t worry \u2013 this grass tolerates foot traffic. It grows well in a wide range of soils, but if you have any sandy soils with a pH below 5.5, lime application is helpful. It also works well mixed with perennial ryegrass or fescues to make a more lush-looking lawn.<\/p> - Classification:<\/strong> Cool-season grass<\/li>
- Spreads by: <\/strong>Rhizomes<\/li>
- Shade tolerance<\/strong>: Moderate; aim for four to six hours of sun<\/li>
- Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Moderate; needs at least 2 inches of water a week<\/li>
- Foot traffic tolerance:<\/strong> High<\/li>
- Maintenance needs: <\/strong>Medium to high. This grass needs annual dethatching and nitrogen fertilization.<\/li>
- Mowing height:<\/strong> 2-3 inches<\/li>
- Potential for disease:<\/strong> Moderate with proper mowing and fertilization, high with lower mowing heights<\/li> <\/ul>
Other notes:<\/strong> In order for strong roots to develop, the best time to plant this grass is in the fall when temperatures drop to between 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit. <\/p> Grass Seed Options:
<\/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> 2. Colonial bentgrass<\/span><\/h2> Colonial bentgrass usually requires a lot of maintenance, but it thrives in Portland\u2019s coastal landscape. It creates a soft, dense turf with fine blades and a light green color. <\/p>
This grass will easily take over lawns in Portland. Most mature lawns have significant bentgrass growth whether intentional or not. With suitable irrigation and mowing, this turfgrass will still produce a high-quality lawn in the summer.<\/p>
- Classification:<\/strong> Cool-season grass<\/li>
- Spreads by: <\/strong>Rhizomes<\/li>
- Shade tolerance<\/strong>: Moderate<\/li>
- Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Moderate; will go dormant in a drought<\/li>
- Foot traffic tolerance:<\/strong> Low<\/li>
- Maintenance needs: <\/strong>Moderate<\/a>; requires regular irrigation and light dethatching followed by coring<\/li>
- Mowing height:<\/strong> .38 inches-1 inch<\/a><\/li>
- Potential for disease:<\/strong> Low. The most common diseases can be partially controlled by fertilizing <\/a>with 3-4 pounds of sulfur 1,000 square feet per year.<\/li> <\/ul>
Other notes:<\/strong> Ideally, homeowners should mow with a reel mower instead of a rotary mower to maintain the proper height. <\/p> 3. Fine fescue<\/span><\/h2> ![\"Fine](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/fine-red-fescue-1024x640.jpg\")
Creeping red fescue, a type of fine fescue
Matt Lavin<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> Compared to other fescues, fine fescue has long, narrow blades and a deep green color. One of the most shade tolerant turf grasses, fine fescue will thrive in your tree-lined backyard. It can do well with low nitrogen but will respond to and maintain color better with regular applications of nitrogen fertilizer. <\/p>
Expect fine fescue to dominate a mix, especially with perennial ryegrass, in three to five years.<\/p>
- Classification:<\/strong> Cool-season grass<\/li>
- Spreads by: <\/strong>Rhizomes or bunch-type, depending on the species<\/li>
- Shade tolerance<\/strong>: High. This grass will do better if it\u2019s in partial shade.<\/li>
- Drought tolerance:<\/strong> Low<\/li>
- Foot traffic tolerance:<\/strong> Low<\/li>
- Maintenance needs: <\/strong>Low. Weekly mowing is best but not essential during the growing season.<\/li>
- Mowing height:<\/strong> 1.5-2.5 inches<\/a> <\/li>
- Potential for disease:<\/strong> Moderate; watch for snow mold and fungus in wet, humid areas<\/li> <\/ul>
Other notes:<\/strong> When dethatching, go for coring<\/a> instead of mechanical dethatching to avoid tearing out bunches of the grass. <\/p> Grass Seed Options:
<\/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> 4. Perennial ryegrass<\/span><\/h2> ![\"Perennial](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/iStock-1318738514-scaled_800.jpg\")
Perennial ryegrass
iStock<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Perennial ryegrass is a cool-season grass<\/a> that is often mixed with other grasses like Kentucky bluegrass. As a naturally disease-resistant turf, you won\u2019t have to worry too much about prevention. It isn\u2019t as cold tolerant as other cool-season grasses, but it thrives in climates where the summers are moderate and the winters are cool. If you want a green lawn throughout the winter, perennial ryegrass is a good choice.<\/p> - Classification:<\/strong> Cool-season grass<\/li>
- Spreads by: <\/strong>Bunch-type<\/li>
- Shade tolerance<\/strong>: Low<\/li>
- Drought tolerance:<\/strong> High; takes longer under drought stress to go dormant than most grasses<\/li>
- Foot traffic tolerance:<\/strong> High<\/li>
- Maintenance needs: <\/strong>Low; requires less dethatching than other cool-season grasses<\/li>
- Mowing height:<\/strong> Aim for 1-2 inches<\/a><\/li>
- Potential for disease:<\/strong> Low<\/li> <\/ul>
Other notes:<\/strong> Ryegrass needs more nitrogen than other types to thrive. Monitor it closely, though, because too much nitrogen can cause excess growth. <\/p> Grass Seed Options:
<\/strong>\u2013 Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)
\u2013 Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed<\/a> (choose your size)<\/p> How to choose the best grass type for your lawn<\/h2> Is your lawn partially shaded?<\/strong> Colonial bentgrass does well in sites with morning sun and afternoon shade, and fine fescues can thrive in continuous partial shade.<\/p> <\/div>
Do you own a rotary or a reel mower?<\/strong> Fine fescue, perennial ryegrass, and colonial bentgrass will benefit from a reel mower.<\/p> <\/div>
Do you like to entertain?<\/strong> Kentucky bluegrass will do fine under human and pet feet.<\/p> <\/div>
Don\u2019t want to deal with dethatching?<\/strong> Perennial ryegrass produces the least amount of thatch so you can spend more sitting back and enjoying your outdoor space.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>
Is the thought of maintaining your new lawn overwhelming? Contact a Portland lawn care pro<\/a> to lend a hand.<\/em><\/p> Main Photo Credit: Steven Pavlov<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p> Lawn Love participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Lawn Love may earn revenue from products promoted in this article.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s hard to compete with Portland\u2019s natural beauty — from it\u2019s scenic waterways to its parks like the International Rose […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":4203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[189],"tags":[486],"class_list":["post-4201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oregon","tag-lawn-care-portland-or"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_portland_or_and_mount_hood_from_pittock_mansion.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Rachel Abrams","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/rachel-abrams\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Brenda Ryan | Lawn Love<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This medium-textured grass<\/a> has a signature dark blue-green turf. If you like to entertain friends and family, don\u2019t worry \u2013 this grass tolerates foot traffic. It grows well in a wide range of soils, but if you have any sandy soils with a pH below 5.5, lime application is helpful. It also works well mixed with perennial ryegrass or fescues to make a more lush-looking lawn.<\/p> Other notes:<\/strong> In order for strong roots to develop, the best time to plant this grass is in the fall when temperatures drop to between 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit. <\/p> Grass Seed Options: Colonial bentgrass usually requires a lot of maintenance, but it thrives in Portland\u2019s coastal landscape. It creates a soft, dense turf with fine blades and a light green color. <\/p> This grass will easily take over lawns in Portland. Most mature lawns have significant bentgrass growth whether intentional or not. With suitable irrigation and mowing, this turfgrass will still produce a high-quality lawn in the summer.<\/p> Other notes:<\/strong> Ideally, homeowners should mow with a reel mower instead of a rotary mower to maintain the proper height. <\/p> Compared to other fescues, fine fescue has long, narrow blades and a deep green color. One of the most shade tolerant turf grasses, fine fescue will thrive in your tree-lined backyard. It can do well with low nitrogen but will respond to and maintain color better with regular applications of nitrogen fertilizer. <\/p> Expect fine fescue to dominate a mix, especially with perennial ryegrass, in three to five years.<\/p> Other notes:<\/strong> When dethatching, go for coring<\/a> instead of mechanical dethatching to avoid tearing out bunches of the grass. <\/p> Grass Seed Options: Perennial ryegrass is a cool-season grass<\/a> that is often mixed with other grasses like Kentucky bluegrass. As a naturally disease-resistant turf, you won\u2019t have to worry too much about prevention. It isn\u2019t as cold tolerant as other cool-season grasses, but it thrives in climates where the summers are moderate and the winters are cool. If you want a green lawn throughout the winter, perennial ryegrass is a good choice.<\/p> Other notes:<\/strong> Ryegrass needs more nitrogen than other types to thrive. Monitor it closely, though, because too much nitrogen can cause excess growth. <\/p> Grass Seed Options: Colonial bentgrass does well in sites with morning sun and afternoon shade, and fine fescues can thrive in continuous partial shade.<\/p> <\/div> Fine fescue, perennial ryegrass, and colonial bentgrass will benefit from a reel mower.<\/p> <\/div> Kentucky bluegrass will do fine under human and pet feet.<\/p> <\/div> Perennial ryegrass produces the least amount of thatch so you can spend more sitting back and enjoying your outdoor space.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div> Is the thought of maintaining your new lawn overwhelming? Contact a Portland lawn care pro<\/a> to lend a hand.<\/em><\/p> Main Photo Credit: Steven Pavlov<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p> Lawn Love participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Lawn Love may earn revenue from products promoted in this article.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s hard to compete with Portland\u2019s natural beauty — from it\u2019s scenic waterways to its parks like the International Rose […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":4203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[189],"tags":[486],"class_list":["post-4201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oregon","tag-lawn-care-portland-or"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/rsz_portland_or_and_mount_hood_from_pittock_mansion.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Rachel Abrams","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/rachel-abrams\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/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> 2. Colonial bentgrass<\/span><\/h2>
3. Fine fescue<\/span><\/h2>
Matt Lavin<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/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> 4. Perennial ryegrass<\/span><\/h2>
iStock<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>
<\/strong>\u2013 Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)
\u2013 Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed<\/a> (choose your size)<\/p> How to choose the best grass type for your lawn<\/h2>