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Choosing the right grass type! Nothing determines the success of your lawn more than initially choosing the right grass type. The bottom line is that not every grass type can grow in every location. The first choice is a warm season grass versus a cool season grass. One of the best ways to choose a grass for your site is to find a lawn in your area that has been established for more than three years that has the features you are looking for in a lawn. Determine the grass type and any special care and model your program after an existing success! Warm-season grasses are most suitable for the southern United States. One type, Zoysia, is a warm-season grass which also has some tolerance for cooler temperatures. However, in areas where the soil freezes zoysia will not survive. Zoysia grass grows via runners that spread along the surface of the soil and send down roots as they spread. It is a well-liked sod-forming lawn grass. It doesn't grow too quickly so it's not considered invasive as is Bermuda grass. In the South Bermuda grass has a mixed reputation. Among many it is quite popular, though others consider it a weed. Improved hybrid Bermuda grasses are usually established by either sodding or plugging. There are some Bermudas available from seed although many professionals consder them inferior to vegatitive varieties. The texture of Bermuda grass blades is much finer than the texture of zoysia. Bermuda produces both above-ground runners stolons and underground runners which readily spread. Keep in mind that if your neighbor uses another variety, planting Bermuda nearby may create strained relations! Cool-season lawn grasses grow best at temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees. Fescue is a premiere cool season variety. It grows in as a "bunch-type grass" rather than a sod-forming grass, so a fescue lawn grows as individual plants. Bunch-type grasses only hold together in the form of sod if the producer of the turf uses a structural netting. This netting allows the grass to be harvested as sod, although many find the characteristics as sod lacking still. The type of grass also determines the proper mowing height. Running grasses, or sod-forming grasses such as zoysia and Bermuda discussed above should be mowed at a lower height than bunching grasses such as fescue. In fact, mowing fescue too close to the crown can actually kill it. When a landscaper uses the term crown, he or she is referring to the growing point of the grass. Always follow the recommended mowing height for your type of lawn. In many cases, simply giving a little more leeway will greatly improve the success of your grass! Here are some of our favorite varieties with suggested mowing heights: