Greg Peker
An Expert in Sodding, Gardening & Landscape.
One of the most prominent features that impacts curb appeal is your lawn. A well-manicured lawn enhances your yard and home. The first step to having that perfect lawn is discovering the best type of lawn grass for your climate and aesthetic.
Best Type of Lawn Grass for the Cold Season
Winter puts a strain on lawns due to low temperatures and reduced rainfall or watering. While some types of lawn grass cannot withstand the cold, cool-season grasses survive quite well when temperatures are between 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Outside of this range, the growth of these grasses either slows or they become dormant. When temperatures reach the ideal range again, they spring back to life. The best grasses for winter include Kentucky bluegrass, red fescue, and ryegrass.
Best Grass for the Warm Season
Some grasses thrive in warmer conditions and survive cooler weather by going into a dormant state; others simply will not tolerate freezing temperatures. Either way, these grasses ultimately grow best when there is warm weather and generous water. The best type of grass for warmer regions includes Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, zoysia grass, buffalo grass, and centipede grass. It is important to note that these grasses vary on how well they tolerate shade, drought, and pests.
Common Types of Lawn Grass in Canada
Because most of Canada experiences both extremely hot and cold seasons, it is recommended that homeowners plant a mix of grasses to maintain the best-looking grass throughout the year.
- Kentucky Bluegrass – This is the most common grass in Canada. It is dark blue-green and is best planted in an area with well-drained soil and full sunlight, although it can tolerate a little shade. It spreads well on its own, however, it has shallow roots and needs to be watered and fertilized frequently.
- Canadian Bluegrass – This grass is another popular choice for Canadian lawns. It is grey-blue or grey-green in colour and is low maintenance with a creeping root system that can become invasive. This grass prefers soil that is well-drained and needs access to full or partial sun. It also does well on rocky terrain.
- Ryegrass – Ryegrass is a resilient fine, dark, grass that tolerates cold and drought quite well. It can go a couple of weeks without watering and can be planted alone. However, it is typically combined with Kentucky bluegrass or used to fill in bare or thin spots during overseeding.
- Tall Fescue – This coarse grass with deep roots typically does not spread vigorously, although newer varieties spread more than older ones. It’s technically a cooler-season grass but tolerates heat and drought better than other cool grasses. This is one of the top reasons why tall fescue is a popular choice among Canadian homeowners.
- Red Fescue – The red variety of fescue grass is a fine grass that thrives in northern and temperate climates. It spreads quickly and doesn’t require much maintenance, needing only occasional watering, mowing, and fertilizing. It retains moisture well, making it drought-resistant. It also does well in shady areas of your yard.
- Bermuda Grass – The thickness of the Bermuda grass blade varies, with hybrids being finer than the coarse, common ones. Bermuda grass is often planted with ryegrass to provide a consistent lawn in both hot and cold weather. It does not do well in hot, dry, or shady areas. Although drought-resistant, its blades look unattractive when dormant.
How to Identify Lawn Grass Types
Learning how to identify the lawn grass types based on their shape, growth pattern, and shoot type may guide you as you make a decision on the best lawn grass.
- Shape of grass tip – Figuring out the grass blade tips is best done before mowing the grass. Grass tips can be rounded, pointed, flat, notched, or boat-shaped. Paying attention to the grass tips can give you clues as to the grass’s adaptations to the environment.
- Observe growth pattern – The types of lawn grass can be categorized as those that follow bunching or creeping growth patterns. With bunching grass, new shoots emerge from the centre of a circular clump while shoots from creeping grass emerge along the stem like a mat.
- Identify shoot type – The shoot type of lawn grass boils down to how the new shoots are arranged, which are either V-shaped (stolons), circular (tillers), or rolled in. This detail affects lawn care and also informs you about whether you can overseed your lawn.
Is the Type of Grass Important?
The type of grass you choose can make the difference between a lush, thriving lawn and a lackluster one that seems unresponsive to your efforts. Choosing the best grass starts with understanding your climate and yard. Identify how much sun and shade your yard gets at different points during the day. The amount of care you’re willing to put in should also inform the decision about the lawn you’re going to get. Some grasses are low maintenance; others require consistent attention to maintain vibrancy.
Related Article: How to Care For Your Turf Lawn?
Let’s Choose the Right Grass for Your Lawn
With so many options, it can be confusing to decide what types of lawn grass to add to your lawn. Niko’s Gardening has extensive knowledge and experience in grass types and lawn care. Our services include mowing, fertilizing, dethatching, aerating, and more. To get started, get in touch for a free estimate.
FAQs
We don’t recommend using 100% of one type of grass for your lawn. It’s ideal to mix different types of grass to ensure that your lawn is in good condition year-round. When you mix different grass species, you create a diverse lawn. So if one type of grass becomes dormant during the winter, the other type may still be able to survive cooler temperatures and keep your lawn looking well. If disease or insects destroy one type of grass, the rest can still survive. Consider using 80% Kentucky bluegrass and 20% ryegrass.
The two ideal times to establish a lawn in Toronto are in the spring and fall. Of these two, fall is the best because temperatures are ideal and the soil has the right amount of moisture for lawn establishment. Aiming for mid-August through late September will give your grass enough time to become established before winter. If you choose to plant grass seed in the spring, do so between mid-April and mid-May. Grass seed grows best when the ground isn’t too wet from frequent rainfall and before temperatures get too warm.
