Best High Traffic Grass (2024)

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One of the best memories I have as a kid is practicing cartwheels and playing tag with my friends and siblings on the lawn. I never did learn how to turn a cartwheel (I nailed somersaults, though), but the fact that we had a nice, soft, thick lawn meant that I could run and play to my heart’s content.

If you’ve got a backyard area that needs to stand up to kids playing and pets roughhousing, the type of grass you choose will be make-it-or-break-it. The last thing you want is a nasty-looking lawn with bare patches because it didn’t stand up to high traffic. And although grass that receives high traffic will typically need some extra love and attention to keep looking great, starting with the right type of grass is half the battle. One of these tough turfs is sure to be the right choice for you.

Best High Traffic Grass (1)

Kentucky bluegrass: One of the most cold hardy of the cool-season lawn grasses, Kentucky bluegrass has excellent winter-hardiness and impressive durability. It’s a self-spreading sod-type grass that offers a lush and dense appearance. While it prefers full sun, it will tolerate some light shade, and it will go dormant during high heat or extended drought. Establish it from seed in the fall, give it deep and thorough watering, and mow at 2 – 2 1/2 “ high.

Perennial Ryegrass: Perennial Ryegrass is another cool-season grass, thriving where winters are cool and summers are warm. Seed it in the fall and prepare to be impressed with how quickly it sprouts and grows — although once established, it spreads slower than Kentucky bluegrass. It prefers full sun but will tolerate light shade, and requires relatively high amounts of water and fertilizer to look and perform its best. Keep it mowed at a 1 ½ – 2 1/2 “ height.

**Product not available in AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT.For a comparable product in these statesclick here.

Bermudagrass: This warm-season grass has exceptional heat and drought tolerance, and takes heavy use in relative stride (making it idea for athletic fields and golf courses). Bermudagrass has an extensive root system which allows it to be quite durable and resistant to stress, but also makes it a bit of a pest in garden areas where you don’t want grass. Give it full sun and good drainage — and because of its aggressive growth, regular fertilization, once to twice a week mowing at 1 – 2 ½” high, and regular irrigation.

Zoysia: Zoysia grass is another warm-season grass that takes tons of abuse like heat, drought, and heavy foot traffic. And while it prefers full sun, it will tolerate light shade much better than Bermudagrass will. It forms a thick, dense lawn with light-to-medium green blades. Plant it in spring by either seed or by sod pieces, give it deep and infrequent watering, and keep it mowed at 1 -1 1/2 “ height.

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  1. Zoysia has all the qualities I want but they can’t ship to Washington!! What now???

    Reply

    • Hi Sue! Sorry to hear you aren’t able to get your hands on Zoysia. If you are looking for a warm season grass, Bermuda Grass is a good alternative. Seashore Paspalum is another grass that is comparable to Zoysia. If you live in Washington state, Fescue seems to be a popular choice for that area that does well. Hope this helps!

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  2. I have 7 very active German Shepard’s who have shredded my lawn. I intend on moving them to a fenced in unaffected area of my lawn but I need a grass to repair the muddy dirt area I have now. I live in Ohio and the affected area is a mixture of sun and shade. Please help. Thank you

    Reply

    • Hi Teresa! Thank you for the comment. In Ohio, Kentucky Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass do well. There are some other varieties but they require a bit more care. Looking at sun, shade, and use of your lawn are all important factors but soil composition is also a consideration. Kentucky bluegrass requires moist, well-draining soil to develop. It will not do well in extremely acid or alkaline soils or in heavy shade. Perennial ryegrass has similar needs to the Kentucky bluegrass but is less tolerant to cold and is not as disease resistant. Fine fescue is another one planted in Ohio it is typically seeded with another cool-season grass The fine fescues need well-drained slightly dry soils but need minimum management. You can read about the other two kinds of grass here: https://www.kellogggarden.com/blog/lawn-care/best-grass-to-grow-in-shade/ Here is information on how to test your soil if you need to: https://www.kellogggarden.com/blog/soil/how-and-when-to-test-your-soil/

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  3. I want to choose a kind of grass on a cold season. Through your sharing, I recognize that Kentucky bluegrass is a suitable grass for my garden. Thanks and keep it up!

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  4. I live in southeast TN and it’s very hot and humid in the summers and mostly cool in the winters (avg low 45ish winters). The winter rye does well from October to about May but froM May to October our grass doesn’t do well. I’ve tried to plant Bermudagrass but it’s not taking over as fast as i would have hoped and fescue requires so much watering with our hot and humid climate in the summer months that I’m trying figure out the best seed to use?

    Reply

    • Hi Mark, a great summer grass is zoysia. Zoysia is a warm season, high quality, low maintenance grass. It’s slow-growing and dense which crowds out weeds and diseases but can make it a bit more expensive. You can learn more about grasses for full sun yards here,
      https://www.kellogggarden.com/blog/lawn-care/best-grass-for-full-sun-yards/.

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Best High Traffic Grass (2024)

FAQs

What is the best grass for heavy foot traffic? ›

JaMur Zoysia grass and TifTuf Bermuda grass are ideal for a high-traffic property. They grow lush and soft under bare feet and quickly recover from damage. Zeon Zoysia grass is another great option, especially if parts of your lawn are shaded.

What is the best grass for heavy dog traffic? ›

Fescue. Fescue is often the preferred lawn grass of homeowners with large dogs. Because of its highly absorbent nature, Fescue does a superior job of handling the elimination needs of large dogs, which also makes it an excellent choice for households with multiple dogs.

What is the toughest type of grass? ›

Kikuyu Turf breeds, such as Kenda Kikuyu, are some of the hardest wearing grasses on the market and can withstand heavy wear and tear. Kikuyu grass can quickly repair itself from the worst possible damage.

What is the best grass for car traffic? ›

Tall fescue grass is a great option for high-traffic lawns. It has coarse blades with deep roots and is adaptable to changing temperatures and water availability. Although tall fescue grass is a cool-season grass type, it is also very drought-resistant.

What is the best grass for heavy grazing? ›

Overall Recommendations for Effective Grazing

However, mixtures still serve an important role in pasture management. Orchardgrass and tall fescue produce high yields, Kentucky bluegrass is persistent under horse grazing, and perennial ryegrass and timothy provide forage that is highly preferred by horses.

How to get grass to grow in high traffic areas? ›

Use a grass seed mix labeled Durable or Play Mix indicating it is designed for high traffic areas. Keep the soil surface moist until grass begins to grow. Cover with mulch to help keep the soil moist and reduce watering frequency. Gradually reduce watering frequency as the grass begins to grow.

What is the toughest pasture grass? ›

Tall fescues are high yielding and the most persistent of all grass forages, tall fescues are drought tolerant, heat resistant, and insect tolerant. Tall fescue is not as palatable as other forages and it is necessary to plant varieties that will not cause fescue toxicosis.

What is the most aggressive spreading grass? ›

Bermudagrass and Zoysia grass are both aggressive growers that spread by stolons and rhizomes (above- and below-ground stems). This double growing action allows these grasses to recover quickly and repair themselves when wear or other damage occurs.

What is the best artificial grass for heavy traffic? ›

U Blade-80 - Great for heavy traffic

This has an engineered U Blade, which is designed to withstand higher traffic and remain standing upright under significant pressure. In terms of safety, we at Watersavers Turf work hard to supply you with the best possible synthetic grass. Total Weight 107 oz.

What is the best feeling grass on feet? ›

Fine fescues, as the name suggests, have fine-bladed leaves and are among the softest and most lush grasses for bare feet.

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