What's the right kind of lawn to plant?  (Photo by Jane Gates)

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Autumn and spring are the best times to plant lawns in much of the country.  If you want a lawn, first decide where it will be most effective.  Minimize lawn areas where grass will not grow well naturally.  Then choose the right kind of lawn grass to plant.

Different parts of the country have different climates and soils. Even different areas of the landscape have different issues that impact how well a lawn will grow. As a result, one lawn does NOT fit all. If you want to have a good looking lawn in your landscape with the minimum maintenance and the best appearance, it’s important to choose the right lawn to plant in the right place. Here is a list of the most common lawn grasses and some clues to their needs for growing well.

 Tall Fescue: often used in lawn mixtures, it will handle some shade with its deep roots. It also uses these roots to help grow around trees where root competition will defeat many other grasses. It is not fast to establish but is durable once grown in and can handle foot traffic and even some animal grazing.

Kentucky Bluegrass is one of the most cold-hardy lawn grasses. This one is best adapted to the northeastern and central areas of the country. It is not a good choice for hot or dry climates. This lawn will grow densely with a deep green color with full sun and plenty of water.

Buffalo grass used to be hard to find but it is becoming more available as it grows in popularity in hot, dry climates. An excellent choice for drought areas, Buffalo grass has very deep roots and grows short enough to need little mowing. It is best planted by plugs which is labor intensive and is still rather expensive.

Perennial ryegrass is used most commonly since it germinates quickly and forms a thick, rich green mat quickly in many different soils. It is a cool season grass that even accepts poor drainage and is a good choice for sports areas where temperatures do not get hot.

Zoysia grass has coarse, wide leaves and is somewhat high maintenance since it can have insect and rust problems. Otherwise, it handles hot temperatures well. It can be invasive with its creeping roots and will build up a self-strangling thatch that needs regular removal.

Saint Augustine grass is popular in the South and along the Gulf Coast. It is a winter dormant grass that will need to be over-seeded with another grass like rye grass in the autumn you want green year round when St. Augustine is dormant. This is one of the most salt tolerant grasses and does well in many different kinds of soil.

Bermuda grass is a favorite warm climate grass that goes semi-dormant in the winter. It grows tough, tangling roots that handle heat and dry well, but also invade other garden areas and are hard to remove. It needs full sun and needs good drainage though it is not fussy about soils.

Bentgrass is a specialized, fine growing grass that does best in the northern parts of the country. Since it grows very low with a soft texture it is ideal for use in golf greens and manicured areas. Plan to spend a lot of time keeping this one maintained since it is fussy about water, drainage and shows damage easily.

There are other varieties of lawn grass, but these should help guide you to planting the right kind of grass for your landscape.