Cool-season and warm-season grasses have preferred temperature ranges and go dormant during different seasons.
The types of people who care deeply about their lawns make it a point to learn as much about their grasses and how to best take care of them as possible. After all, grass is still a plant, and plants need care. In many homes, however, the owners don’t know much about their grass and don’t invest in lawn care beyond cutting the grass and occasional watering. If you want a lush and healthy lawn, however, you need to put in the work. You have to know when and how to water, aerate, or overseed; you need to spend time on weed management; you need to know the type of grass you have, be it Tall fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, something else, or some combination. Let’s start this knowledge journey with an investigation into the differences between cool-season and warm-season grasses.
Cool-Season Grasses
Cool season grasses are named that because they thrive in a range of temperatures that stay in the cooler end of the spectrum and because they thrive during the cooler growing seasons: spring and fall. Cool season grasses thrive in the 50-80 degree range. When the temperatures are consistently over that range for a long period, soil temperatures rise, and these grasses go into dormancy to conserve energy. This is why cool season grasses get brown and look dead during the height of hot summers. Once the temperatures come down again, they come out of dormancy and get green and lush again. When it gets very cold during the winter and temperatures are routinely below that range, the grass will go dormant again.
Warm-Season Grasses
Warm-season grasses, on the other hand, like the heat. They do well in very warm environments when the average air temperatures are between 80 and 95 degrees. These grasses do go dormant when temperatures are consistently lower than that range. This means that during the winter in most areas of this country, the grasses will still go dormant. There are some areas, such as the southwest, where even in the winter, the average temperature is high enough that the grass stays green all year.
Transition Zone
In the transition zone of the US, you can see both cool-season and warm-season grasses growing together. The important thing to remember is that just because they can both grow there, they may not be able to grow together. They are going to have different watering needs at different points of the year, and it is impossible to address those needs if they’re growing together.
Have More Questions? Stay in Touch!
Order early and order often to ensure the best service possible. Contact us through our online page. Please find us at 27616 Little Lane, Salisbury, Maryland 21801. Our phone number is 410-726-6103, and our fax number is 410-742-6550. Speak to Jason Anderson for Turf Grass Sales. Reach him by email at jason@quanticocreeksod.com. Finally, follow us on social media on Facebook, LinkedIn, and our blog!