Boise\u2019s climate is too extreme for most warm-season grasses, but buffalograss is a warm-season<\/strong> superstar that flourishes in the hot summer months. It\u2019s a hardy grower that goes dormant for the winter months and greens back up in spring. <\/p> Let\u2019s walk through the five best grasses for your Boise lawn.<\/p> Kentucky bluegrass is often seen as the quintessential cool-season turfgrass for Boise lawns. It\u2019s gorgeous and great for play, with fine emerald blades that are soft to the touch. Plus, it\u2019s exceptionally cold-hardy, so it can tolerate Boise\u2019s icy winters and frequent freezes. <\/p> For a resilient green space that can handle the next backyard barbeque or family game of badminton, Kentucky bluegrass is your go-to grass.<\/p> Kentucky bluegrass is slower to germinate than other grasses, but once it\u2019s established, it spreads quickly via rhizomes (underground horizontal shoots). <\/p> The downsides to growing Kentucky bluegrass? It\u2019s less drought- and heat-tolerant than other grasses (like tall fescue and buffalograss), and when grown in shade, it\u2019s susceptible to powdery mildew. Grubs also gravitate to Kentucky bluegrass, which means pesticides may be necessary. And Kentucky bluegrass is prone to thatch buildup, so it may require regular dethatching<\/a>. If you\u2019re looking for a low-maintenance turfgrass, you may want to consider other options. <\/p> Grass Seed Options: Boise isn\u2019t exactly a lush oasis, so drought tolerance is key to a successful lawn. With the deepest root system of the cool-season grasses, tall \u201cturf-type\u201d fescue is an exceptionally heat-tolerant grass that resists drought <\/a>and shade better than Kentucky bluegrass. It\u2019s also less susceptible to pests, weeds, and diseases, so you can cut back on pesticides and herbicides. <\/p> Tall fescue produces dense, deep green foliage and is prone to clumping. Compared to Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue\u2019s leaves are coarse and tough, which may dissuade some homeowners from planting it in their yard (though new varieties have finer leaves that resemble those of Kentucky bluegrass).<\/p> Pro Tip:<\/strong> Avoid “K-31” or “Kentucky-31” tall fescue, which has wide blades and forms coarse clumps.<\/p> Grass Seed Options: Want low-maintenance grass for shady areas of your lawn? Fine fescues are more than just fine \u2014 they\u2019re terrific! With extremely narrow leaves that soak up every ray of sunlight, they grow better in shaded areas<\/a> than any other cool-season turfgrass. Growing fine fescue means you can forget the fertilizer, toss the herbicide, and cut your mowing schedule. <\/p> Fine fescues are excellent choices for shady Boise lawns with poor, dry soil, and there are plenty of varieties to choose from (or combine).<\/p> The best fine fescue varieties for Boise: <\/strong><\/p> If you\u2019re tired of hauling out the lawn mower every weekend, you can plant hard fescue or a low-mow fine fescue mix to reduce your mowing to just once or twice a year. <\/p> Fine fescue germinates quickly (within six to 12 days) but grows slowly and does not recover quickly from damage, so avoid planting it in areas with heavy foot traffic. It\u2019s also one of the least heat-tolerant turfgrasses, so if your lawn is exposed to direct summer sunlight, you may want to consider another type of turfgrass.<\/p> Grass Seed Options: With glossy, emerald green foliage, perennial ryegrass is certainly a showstopper. All that beauty comes at a cost \u2014 a high-maintenance one. In Boise, it\u2019s best grown as a \u201cnurse grass\u201d for Kentucky bluegrass: Perennial ryegrass germinates quickly and grows densely to provide shade and prevent weed growth so Kentucky bluegrass has time and space to establish.<\/p> Perennial ryegrass is not cold-hardy and requires fertilizer, frequent watering, and mowing. However, it\u2019s a winner for sunny areas of your lawn where kids and pets play. <\/p> Grass Seed Options: Buffalograss may be a warm-season grass, but it\u2019s a strong grower that can handle our icy winters and resist drought like a pro. If you don\u2019t mind your grass going dormant (turning brown) in winter, buffalograss is a lovely, low-maintenance option that\u2019ll reduce your water use and cut down on mowing.<\/p> Looking for an eco-friendly lawn option? Plant buffalograss instead of Kentucky bluegrass to cut your outdoor water usage by 5<\/a>0% to 75%. If you want to reduce your lawn mower emissions, you can grow buffalograss as low-mow grass<\/a>. It\u2019ll form a tall, dense sod that you\u2019ll only have to mow once each year. (If you want a tidier lawn, you can still mow it weekly like any other turfgrass). <\/p> Buffalograss has light blue-green blades and a soft, fine texture that\u2019ll make your toes (and your puppy\u2019s paws) happy. As temperatures drop in early to mid-October, leaves will turn tan or lavender as the grass goes dormant. In spring, buffalograss will green back up. <\/p> Buffalograss is highly disease-resistant and stands up to most foot traffic, though it isn\u2019t quite as resilient as Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue. <\/p> Grass Seed Options:<\/strong> Some sources claim that wheatgrass is a good choice for Boise lawns. It\u2019s not.<\/strong><\/p> For wildflower meadows and prairies, growing wheatgrass is a quick way to prevent erosion, but for you as a homeowner, the cons outweigh the pros. Wheatgrass forms <\/a>a thin stand; goes dormant in summer; grows too tall to be planted around pathway; and can\u2019t tolerate much mowing. If you\u2019re looking for grass that prevents erosion, choose fine fescue instead<\/strong>. <\/p> The best time to spread your grass seed depends on whether it\u2019s a cool-season or warm-season variety. <\/p> Plant cool-season grass<\/strong> (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, or perennial ryegrass) in late summer<\/strong> (Aug. 15 to Sept. 15<\/a>) <\/strong>to give it time to establish before cold weather sets in. Plant your grass at least 45 days before the first frost. <\/p> Plant warm-season grass<\/strong> (buffalograss) in early summer<\/strong> to optimize summer growth.<\/p> Ready to turn your Treasure Valley lawn into the talk of the town? Start by testing your soil and making the necessary soil amendments,<\/a> so your fresh seeds have a healthy home to grow. Then, seed your lawn<\/a> as a weekend DIY project and give your germinating seeds plenty of water.<\/p> Idaho may be the nation\u2019s top potato producer, but our city offers a lot more than spuds. If you\u2019d rather spend your weekend skiing the Bogus Basin, cheering on the Hawks, or admiring street art in Freak Alley, call a local lawn care pro<\/a> to do the lawn preparation and seeding for you. They\u2019ll transform your lawn into a real gem.<\/p> Main Photo Credit: Robbymilo<\/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":" Choosing the right grass type for your Boise lawn is hardly small potatoes. With our dry climate and four distinct […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":7628,"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":[213],"tags":[395],"class_list":["post-7619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-idaho","tag-lawn-care-boise-id"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/rsz_1boise-idaho-robbymilo-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Maille Smith","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/maille-rose-smith\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7619","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\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7619\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Kentucky](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kentucky-bluegrass-yard.jpg\")
Brenda Ryan | Lawn Love<\/figcaption><\/figure> 1. Kentucky bluegrass<\/span><\/h2>
<\/strong>\u2013 Jonathan Green (11970) Blue Panther Kentucky Bluegrass Grass Seed<\/a> (3 lbs.)
\u2013 SeedRanch Midnight Kentucky Bluegrass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)<\/p> ![\"Tall](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/23480915048_629a89fac4_k_800.jpg\")
Ty Haller<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> 2. Tall fescue<\/span><\/h2>
<\/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> ![\"Fine](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/fine-red-fescue-1024x640.jpg\")
Matt Lavin<\/a> Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> 3. Fine fescue<\/span><\/h2>
<\/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> ![\"Perennial](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/iStock-1318738514-scaled_800.jpg\")
iStock<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> 4. Perennial ryegrass<\/span><\/h2>
<\/strong>\u2013 Outsidepride Perennial Ryegrass Seed<\/a> (5 lbs.)
\u2013 Eretz ProTurf Perennial Ryegrass Fine Lawn Seed<\/a> (choose your size)<\/p> ![\"Buffalograss\"](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/3139246071_47110d3ef9_c.jpg\")
John Tann<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> 5. Buffalograss<\/span><\/h2>
\u2013 <\/strong>Everwilde Farms Buffalograss Seeds<\/a> (1 lb. of seeds)
\u2013 Scotts Pursue Buffalograss with Natural Seed<\/a> (1 lb. of seeds)<\/p> A note about wheatgrass<\/h2>
How to choose the best grass for your Boise lawn<\/h2>
When to seed your lawn<\/h2>
Seed your lawn yourself or call in a pro<\/h2>