Warm season grasses are varieties that are in active growth beginning in late spring and go dormant in early to mid-fall. Cool season grasses are varieties that are in active growth (“green up”) much earlier in the growing season (mid-spring) and stay green longer into the fall before going dormant in late fall.
What is a warm season grass?
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Warm Season Grasses Defined
In the cooler weather of late-fall and winter, they go dormant, turn brown, and won’t green up again until warmer weather returns in spring. The major grasses in this category are bahia grass, bermuda grass, centipede grass, St. Augustine grass, and zoysia grass.
What is an example of a cool season grass?
The most common types of cool-season grasses are Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, and tall fescue. You’ll often find the seeds of these grass types mixed together for different needs and uses, such as high traffic, sunny, or dense shade conditions.
Do I have cool season grass?
Grasses that are suited for cool weather include bluegrasses, ryegrasses and fescues. Unlike warm season varieties, cool season varieties do not go dormant in the winter. Pictured above from left to right: bluegrass, ryegrass and tall fescue.
How do I know if my grass is warm season?
Warm-season grasses include Bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Centipedegrass, Zoysiagrass, Bahiagrass and Carpetgrass. They are often called southern grasses because they grow best in hot summer areas and lack the winter hardiness of the cool-season grasses.
Can you mix warm and cool season grasses?
Should Cool and Warm-Season Grasses Ever be Mixed? For most residential lawns, cool-season grasses should never be mixed with warm-season grasses. Doing so results in a very non-uniform, patchwork-like lawn full of differing colors and textures.
Is centipede a warm season grass?
Centipede is what’s known as a warm-season grass. That means its most productive growth period comes during warm weather of the late spring through summer months.
Is buffalo grass a warm season grass?
Buffalograss is a warm-season grass that spreads by stolons (runners) but not as aggressively as bermudagrass. Once established, it survives extreme heat, drought, and cold. Buffalograss grows best in full sun, but 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day is enough for acceptable turf.
