Turf grass is the type of grass grown on lawns. Turf grass is a landscaping and lawn gardening term for the grass used on a lawn. This type of grass is in contrast with ornamental grasses, which are generally larger, taller, and grow in bunches. Well-known types of turf grass include St. Augustine grass, centipede grass, and zoysia grass.
How much sunlight does turf grass need?
Most turf grass management guidelines agree that lawns should receive at least six hours of sunlight each day, tolerating about 20% filter from trees. Your lawn’s sunlight-to-shade ratio is unique based on your home’s environmental and landscaping factors. Some front yards are heavily shaded even though their backyards are in full sunlight.
Is turf grass and sod the same?
Sod, also known as turf, is a patch of grown grass that you roll out and plant. Sod is a quick fix for a healthy and green lawn. It’s much faster than using grass seed. This guide will compare different types of sod. It’ll also cover warm- and cool-season sod, as well as sun tolerance.
How to select turf grass?
How to Select Turf Grass. Selecting the right turf grass for your yard involves knowing your yard, knowing how you use your yard and knowing your climate. Like other plants, grasses have specific ...
What is the best fertilizer to use on grass?
- Organic fertilizers are naturally made at home. It breaks down its nutrients over time and is slow-release absorption into the soil.
- Granular plant food takes time to soak the soil after watering. ...
- Water-soluble styles of lawn food are instant and help grass start to green within days.
What is the difference between lawn and turf grass?
By definition, a lawn is a piece of residential, commercial or industrial land on which grass grows. Turf is the term used by horticulturists referring to grass that is mowed and maintained with the same uses as a lawn.
Is turf grass the same as sod?
Sod, also known as turf, is a patch of grown grass that you roll out and plant. Sod is a quick fix for a healthy and green lawn. It's much faster than using grass seed.
How many types of turf grass are there?
twoTurfgrass is categorized into two main types – cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses. Cool-season grass types adapt best in regions where the temperature is within the range of 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, while warm-season grasses grow best in temperatures between 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Is turf real grass?
Real turf consists of natural growing grasses, more technically called graminoids. They are known as monocots, usually herbaceous plants with a narrow leaf emerging from the base. Grass is very versatile and has been around since the days of the Dinosaurs. They have adapted too many different climates and areas.
Whats better for dogs turf or grass?
In several ways, artificial turf is better for dogs than natural grass. For instance, you do not have to worry about your dog digging up the yard and leaving a mess. You also do not have to worry about your dog eating the grass. Artificial grass is generally safer for dogs, too.
Why is turf called sod?
sod (n. 1) "turf, slice of earth with grass on it," mid-15c., apparently from Middle Dutch sode "turf," or Middle Low German sode, both related to Old Frisian satha "sod," all of uncertain origin. Perhaps the notion is water saturation and the group is related to sog.
What is the best grass for a lawn?
The turf-type fescue family is the best grass seed for variation. Members include fine fescue, creeping fescue, hard fescue and tall fescue grasses (such as Kentucky 31 tall fescue). Due to the variety, tolerance of certain conditions varies.
What is the most popular grass type?
Bluegrass (or more specifically, Kentucky bluegrass) might just be the most popular grass variety for northern homes.
What is the fake grass called?
synthetic turfArtificial grass, also known as synthetic turf (or simply “fake grass”), is made of heat-resistant, plastic fibers that are stitched onto a solid backing, like a big green carpet. Artificial turf can replace sports fields, lawns, and areas where grass fails to grow.
What is turf grass made of?
The fibers are typically made from nylon, polypropylene or polyethylene and are connected to a backing material. The base material, also called infill, consists of one or more granular materials that are worked in between the fibers during the installation process.
Is turf cheaper than fake grass?
Whilst artificial turf can be expensive initially, it will pay for itself over the long term and often works out even cheaper than natural turf as it does not have the high maintenance costs of real grass. Some keen gardeners like to look after and maintain their gardens and take pride in the way it looks.
Why are turf fields better than grass?
Fewer injuries: Durability and an even playing surface mean fewer injuries and unlike grass that gets torn up by rough play and eventually turns into vast patches of slippery mud (twisted ankles from potholes, uneven playing surface, slips in the mud). Saves water.
What is a synonym for sod?
In this page you can discover 27 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for sod, like: turf, clod, grassplot, pasture, meadow, lawn, grassland, mead, prairie, pasturage and green.
What is pre grown grass called?
Sod, also known as turf, is pre-grown grass that is held together by either the soil beneath it through a root system or a thin layer of another material that is typically bio-degradable. Sod grass is used to enhance the appearance of residential and commercial landscapes.
Should I plant grass seed or lay sod?
If the lawn consists of more than 40 to 50 percent weeds or dead grass, then it's better to start over with new sod. However, if approximately half or more of your lawn appears healthy, it's likely best to plant grass seed and manually get the weeds under control.
What is sod used for?
Uses. Sod is generally used for lawns, golf courses, and sports stadiums around the world. In residential construction, it is sold to landscapers, home builders or home owners who use it to establish a lawn quickly and avoid soil erosion.
What Kind of Grass Do I Have?
Identifying the kind of grass you have is done by examining the width of its blade, its shape, and the type of blade tips. You can also tell species of grass apart by their growth habit as some grass types grow in clumps. Another way to identify the type of grass is by its new shoots that grow (stolons). Some grow above-ground stems, below-ground stems or both.
What type of grass is best for a landscape?
Different types of grass are suitable for various climates—warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses. If you need to improve the look of your garden landscape and lawn, grass identification is essential to reseed the sod with a similar type of grass.
What grass grows in Texas?
Centipede grass (zones 7-10) —This grass variety has thin blades of grass with a coarse texture. This slow-growing, low-maintenance grass grows well in sandy coastal regions such as the Texas Gulf Coast.
How to tell if grass is perennial?
Blades are flat and gently taper to a point. Another identifying feature of perennial lawn grass is that it grows in clumps or bunches.
Why is fescue grass so hardy?
The unique feature of fescue grasses that makes them so hardy is their clumping growth nature. Deep roots absorb nutrients and moisture where other species of grass can’t reach.
What is the best temperature for grass?
Warm-season grasses grow well in temperatures between 80°F and 95° (27°C – 35°C). Features of common types of warm-season grasses: Bermuda grass (zones 7-10) —This type of grass has tiny hairs on the blades of fine-textured, hardy grass. It’s an excellent turfgrass for sports fields and golf courses.
How big does Kentucky bluegrass get?
Kentucky bluegrass is characterized by its boat-shaped tips and narrow leaves. The grass blades grow up to 8” (20 cm) long and are about 0.12” to 0.2” (3 – 5 mm) broad with a smooth texture. Compared to other species of grasses such as tall fescue, KBG is a slow-growing grass.
What is the shape of grass?
Grass types vary in the width of their blades and whether blade tips are sharp-pointed, rounded or boat-shaped. The arrangement of grass leaves in new shoots, called vernation, may be V-shaped and folded or circular and rolled. Your grass's growth habit also provides grass I.D. clues. Some types form clump-like bunches. Others spread via above-ground stems known as stolons, below-ground stems known as rhizomes or both. Investigating these features closely lays the groundwork for identifying your lawn grass type.
What type of grass is best for a warm season lawn?
Bermudagrass: Extremely tolerant of heat and drought, deep-rooted Bermudagrass is among the most common of warm-season lawn grasses.
What type of grass is best for shade?
These characteristics and features can help you identify your grass: Fine fescue: The most shade-tolerant common cool-season lawn grass, fine fescues grow well even in heavy shade. The finely textured grasses are key components in seed mixes designed for yards with dense shade.
What is the best grass seed for winter?
This medium to finely textured grass has excellent cold hardiness. It's a common ingredient in sun and shade grass seed mixes. Perennial ryegrass: One of the fastest germinating grasses available, perennial ryegrass is used to establish permanent northern lawns and to overseed southern lawns for winter color.
Why do lawns die in winter?
The cold temperatures found in northern lawns cause these grasses to die over winter. If your lawn grass survives from year to year, identification starts with cool- or warm-season. In the transition zone, the region where northern and southern grasses hit their limits, your lawn may have cool- or warm-season grasses.
How much less water does grass need?
Once established, these grasses require up to 30 percent less water than ordinary grasses—that's year after year, for the life of your lawn. By learning how to identify your lawn grass, you can give it the care and maintenance it needs to become the lawn you've desired to own. Pennington is here to help with expert advice, ...
Where does Zoysia grass grow?
Coarse in texture, it prefers sandy, acidic soils. It's typically limited to lawns in the Southeast, Southern Coastal Plains and Texas Gulf Coast. With greater heat and cold tolerance than other warm-season grasses, Zoysia grass stays green longer in fall and greens up earlier than other grasses in spring.
When do annual grasses grow?
Summer annuals. These grass-like weeds begin to grow (germinate) in the spring, mature in the summer, and then produce seeds and die by the fall or first hard frost—an entire life cycle completed within 12 months.
What is the white part of the grass plant?
The white, thick part of the grass plant at soil level where the shoot meets the roots. It’s central to lawn health—if the crown dies, the grass plant dies. Sheath. The lower (basal) portion of the grass leaf between the crown and the blade that encloses and protects young shoots of grass.
How to get rid of grassy weeds?
For example, spraying crabgrass killer at the wrong time can kill your grass seeds. Instead, aim to control grassy weeds by keeping your lawn dense and healthy so they don’t stand a chance. If these turf grass imposters have already invaded your lawn, you can try a few other tactics to weed them out.
How long do annual weeds live?
Annual weeds. These weeds live for only one season and are typically easy to control because they lack the complex underground structures needed to spread new plant growth through creeping roots. Still, annuals produce tons of seeds that can infest and dominate your yard under the right conditions.
Does Trugreen have weed control?
Because each yard is unique, TruGreen® customizes a grassy weed control program for your lawn. The plan of attack depends on your region, type of turf grass and the specific weeds invading your lawn.
Can you control grassy weeds by hand?
Hand-pulling grassy weeds can work if there are only a few, especially if they’re annuals. Perennial grassy weeds are harder to control by hand because you don’t always pull up the vegetative structure, which is what sprouts new weeds.
Can perennial grass grow from seed?
Perennial weeds. Perennial grassy weeds can germinate and spread from seeds, but they also produce a root structure (tubers, bulbs or corms) that can birth new weeds from your lawn’s surface (using stolons) or from underground (using rhizomes).
What are Invasive Grasses?
Unlike grasses such as fescue, bent, and rye that we want on our lawns, there are weed-like grasses that shouldn’t pay your lawn a visit. These are also called invasive grasses.
How do Invasive Grasses Reach Lawns?
You surely didn’t plant them yourself, so where did the invasive grasses in your lawn come from? Well, similar to pretty much any other weed, invasive grasses will get into a lawn through seeds that are either carried by the wind or by wildlife.
7 Common Invasive Grass Types
Common invasive grass types you can come across in your lawn include the following:
Wrap Up
There you have, a guide to identifying and getting rid of 7 common invasive grass types. Yes, the process can sometimes be tiring, but it’s so worth it when you’re left with a healthy, pleasant-looking lawn.
What is wheat grass?
Wheatgrass varieties are coarse-looking, all-purpose grasses that need very little water or fertilizer. They are easy to start from seed and great for low maintenance areas.
What grasses can tolerate drought?
Cool Season Drought-Tolerant Grasses 1 Tall fescue is an adaptable, bunch-type grass with a coarse texture. Each plant grows from a single seed, so it needs to be seeded heavily. With regular mowing, tall fescue can provides a "carpet" effect of a traditional lawn. It prefers 3/4 inch of water per week preferably in one deep watering. It is very traffic-tolerant. 2 Sheep fescue is a bunch grass that grows in clumps. It provides more of a natural look and needs very little water. It only needs fertilizing every other year and requires infrequent mowing, but the bumpy surface is not recommended for backyard activities. 3 Buffalograss is native to the Midwest and gaining popularity for its thick, lush turf, infrequent mowing needs, and hardiness. It only needs 1/4 inch of water per week in the summer but can survive on less. Buffalo is very slow to start from seed, so it must be purchased in plugs and planted about 5 inches apart. Buffalograss should be mowed high (5 inches) or not at all. It makes a bumpy surface, so it would not be good for backyard activities. 4 Wheatgrass varieties are coarse-looking, all-purpose grasses that need very little water or fertilizer. They are easy to start from seed and great for low maintenance areas.
Why is drought resistant grass good for lawns?
Certain species of grass are better equipped to handle drought because of their native conditions and some grasses are improved cultivars, bred for their drought resistance. Drought-resistant grasses are one part of a drought-tolerant lawn, along with healthy soil and proper cultural practices.
How to increase drought tolerance in lawn?
Breeding, plant health, and cultural practices need to work together to provide drought resistance in a lawn. Deep infrequent watering, healthy soil, and mowing at a species-appropriate height can increase the drought tolerance of any plant, including lawn grass.
How much water does buffalo grass need?
It only needs 1/4 inch of water per week in the summer but can survive on less. Buffalo is very slow to start from seed, so it must be purchased in plugs and planted about 5 inches apart.
What is drought resistant grass?
Drought-resistant grasses are one part of a drought-tolerant lawn, along with healthy soil and proper cultural practices.
What is the color of centipede grass?
Centipede grass is "apple-green" or "lime-green" in color and although slow growing, makes an attractive, low maintenance lawn once established. It prefers full sun or partial shade and tolerates acidic soil, so it is commonly found growing in the dappled shade under pine trees.