Grass

Grass
Grass is one of the staples of life.  It feeds many animals and covers the expanse of the globe.  It is beautiful and has a soft cooling texture.  It is no wonder that so many of us choose to have grass in our front and back yards.

Seed Blends
Grass is grown from a seed blend.  In most cases, the blend is about seven seeds.  The blend is necessary to make the grass resistant to disease and various environmental conditions.  Grass of a singular seed could be wiped out with minor environmental changes. 

Seed Blend Colors
Have you ever noticed that your neighbors grass is darker green than your grass and that no matter how much fertilizer or techniques you apply your grass is never as green as the neighbors?  Maybe this is where the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence comes from?

The reason your grass may not be as green is because of the starting off seed blend.  Some seed blends are darker and greener than others.  It’s like having a pink rose and trying to make it turn red with fertilization.  The problem is that it’s a totally different variety. 

Ryegrass
Sod farms like rye grass better than bluegrass because it grows much faster.  Harvest times are greatly reduced.  For this reason, almost any bluegrass you buy has ryegrass mixed with it.  If you call the sod farm, they all say that it is 100% bluegrass.  However, this is simply not true.  In addition, farms can increase their yield by sowing more ryegrass in the mix.  What exactly are you buying?  You can’t really tell.  The best thing to do is to see grass that has been in for a couple of years and see how it looks. 

Some ryegrass seeds are great for sod grubs because they have a natural grub toxin built in. 

Bluegrass
Don’t get confused about what good grass is.  Bluegrass is the best and that’s why every sod farm calls their sod bluegrass.  Bluegrass grows slowly and has a finer needle texture.  Its root structure has rhizomes that will automatically fill in areas that are dead.  Golf courses love bluegrass because it will fill in divots on its own.  Bluegrass is more tolerant to virtually every lawn disease out there.  I wonder if it grows slower than ryegrass because quality takes time.  Bluegrass takes approximately 20% more water than other grasses and that is one of its downsides for some areas.  Bluegrass likes full sun and you should account for the sun requirements before planting.

Fescue
Fescue grass has a wider needle structure.  It is drought tolerant and can appear to be dead, but come back with a little bit of water.  Fescue is most often quite a bit more expensive than bluegrass.  The main reason is that homeowners typically want bluegrass. Sod farms up sell the fescue grass as premium because it takes less water.  The secret of the sod farm is that it is actually cheaper and easier for a sod farm to produce fescue than bluegrass. 

Fescue grass is so tough that it is actually classified, by some, as a weed (historically).  Other “weed” grasses are starting to gain popularity, like Johnsongrass, because of their superior toughness and drought sustainability.  

Fescue roots can grow up to several feet deep.  Their root structure is mostly what makes them so drought tolerant.

Bent grass
Have you ever wondered how the grass on golf greens is so low growing and looks good?  You should know that it isn’t the same as your homeowner bluegrass.  Bent grass grows low to the ground.  It can be cut very short without hurting it. 

The other factor is you need a special mower to get it that low.  Golf courses have reel mowers that are made just for cutting the grass on the green. 

Reel Mowers and Grass
A sharp blade keeps the grass healthy.  Blades that are ripped from dull blades are more prone to disease; especially when cut wet.  Reel mowers do a better job of cutting grass blades cleanly and that is why they are the preferred type of mower for golf courses. 

If you are a homeowner, it is best to just buy a new lawnmower blade yearly.  Old blades can be sharpened, but the edge simply doesn’t last like a newly forged blade.  You might pay half as much for a sharpening as a new blade, but you will get about 10% of the edge of a new blade.  It’s simply more cost effective to buy a new blade.  If you have a shed with a grinder and don’t mind doing the work then sharpening yourself may be a good option.

Ornamental Grasses
If you ever see a plant named Miscanthus you are looking at an ornamental grass.  Miscanthus is the scientific name for grasses.  Some of the most popular ornamental grasses are Zebra Grass, bamboo, Purple Fountain Grass, Karl Foerster, Plume Grass, Reed Grass, and Blue Fescue.