Just because it's easier, let's assume that you have no grass at all or that your grass is mostly dead and you need to start from square one. There are many, many people out there who have had their homes built and now are faced with a patch of dirt where grass should be.
If you're like me, however, you may already have a lawn, but there are many, many dead patches all around the yard that need worked on. Well, we can work on that as well!
All you need to start with is a little grass seed and a little know how!
There are literally hundreds of grass seeds to choose from when you are trying to figure out what you want your yard to look like. Believe it or not, all of these various grasses can make your lawn look a different way.
What we're trying to say is that grass isn't just grass. There are different colors of green, different ways the grass lays, different ways the grass grows. Depending on what you're looking for, choosing the right grass for your lifestyle and preference can make all the difference in having a lawn you can be proud of.
The first thing you need to do before choosing a grass seed is to prepare the land. If you have a bare patch of land, all that entails is to till up the area until you have a fine powder of dirt. Then till that area again until the powder is even more powdery. Then you can be assured you have a great place for your grass to grow!
What do you do, though, if you have patches that need to be filled in? Actually, you need to do much the same thing. Till up each piece of land until you have a very fine powder to work with.
In either situation, once you have the land tilled up, you'll need to add in a little bit of fertilizer to make the ground more receptive to the seed it will be receiving. We'll address specific fertilizers a little bit later, but you need to find one that will help you achieve your desired results.
Alright, you've got the ground prepared. Now what do you put in it?
You can't just go to your local home improvement store and tell the clerk you need some grass seed. Sorry, but the process is much more involved than that!
How will you know which grass seed you need? Here are just a few varieties. How would you make the choice?
And that's just a few of the varieties out there. Would you know which one you'd want to adorn your yard? Well, certainly not without a little information!
As we said before, there are literally hundreds of different varieties out there. How do you know which one is right for you? Well, we can't choose your grass seed, but we can tell you the attributes of different varieties, and then you can choose for yourself!
First, though, consider what you're looking for when it comes to your lawn and how to care for it. Are you wondering which grass is best for you? Here are a few considerations:
Maintenance required: some grass species require more care than other, high maintenance grasses. Climate conditions: most grasses have a preference for specific climates such as humid, coastal, dry, and cool.
Temperature tolerance: each grass performs better or worse depending on the average temperature range during the growing season.
Drought resistance: some grass species are better suited quickly recover after going dormant during extended drought conditions. Shade adaptation: grass species are classified by how much or how little sunlight they need to maintain their health and vigor.
Wear resistance: this is a measurement of how well a grass species can recover from foot traffic. Not every grass is good for every climate. Some species are good for shade, others are good for cold climates and still others perform better in extremely hot areas. The following is a list of the best readily available grasses for specific adaptations.
