The 5 Best Types of Grass for Lawns In Indiana | Green Scene (2024)

FAQs

The 5 Best Types of Grass for Lawns In Indiana | Green Scene? ›

Grasses used in Indiana are typically cool season grasses. Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, and perennial ryegrass are the most common with turf type fescue being used at the more southern portion of Indiana. Some people are using warm season grasses such as zoysia grass in Southern Indiana as well.

Grasses used in Indiana are typically cool season grasses. Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, and perennial ryegrass are the most common with turf type fescue being used at the more southern portion of Indiana. Some people are using warm season grasses such as zoysia grass in Southern Indiana as well.

The 5 Low Maintenance Grass Types

Fine fescues, including Slender Creeping Red Fescue, Strong Creeping Red Fescue, Chewings Fescue, Hard Fescue, and Sheep Fescue, are the key to achieving a low-maintenance lawn. These five fescue varieties are highly suitable for low-maintenance lawns due to their various advantages.

Warm season grasses, often called native prairie grasses, set seed in late-summer and early-fall. Therefore, warm season grasses, such as big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass, side oats grama, and switchgrass, are most vigorous during the hot summer months when cool season grasses have already reached maturity.

Augustinegrass, California buffalograss, and Kikuyugrass. You can also use tall fescue if you prefer grass that can stay green throughout the year.

Have you ever wondered what brand of grass seed professionals use? The answer is Jonathan Green Black Beauty®!

Bermudagrass is ideal for hot and dry areas because once established, it tolerates both conditions very well (though it will need some water to stay green in arid environments). A finely textured turfgrass that grows best when maintained at 1-2 inches in height, bermudagrass requires full sun for best growth.

Can bermuda grass grow in Indiana? ›

Although bermudagrass might not be appropriate for every field, it will provide cover on overused summer and fall-use fields. Using bermudagrass in southern Indiana and southern Illinois can improve safety, playability and aesthetics of athletic fields.

When you just sprinkle grass seed on an existing lawn, it ends up just sitting atop of the soil and a lot of it may never germinate. Then homeowners end up asking the question, why can't I get my grass to grow? In reality, the best practice is to have lawn aeration performed followed by overseeding the lawn.

Fine fescue is the most popular low-maintenance cool-season grass. Hard fescue and fine fescue mixes require very little maintenance. You'll only have to mow your lawn once or twice a year. Fescues are hardy and they'll naturally crowd out weeds, so you don't have to worry about fertilizer, herbicide, or pesticide.

Will grass seed grow if you just throw it on the ground? Definitely yes! Hand-sowing is the simplest method if you only need to cover a few spots. Take a handful of seeds and spread them over the dead patch, or better yet, involve your kids and introduce them to some basic gardening chores.

Early fall — from about mid-August to early-October — is the best time to plant grass seed in Indiana. If you try planting grass in the spring after the thaw, it may work, but conditions aren't as favorable. The ground is chillier, and spring downpours can oversaturate the soil and disrupt the grass growth.

Perennial Ryegrass

Perennial ryegrass is the most durable variety of grass, so it is the most popular grass for golf courses in northern climates. This is a kind of grass with tough blades and a strong root system. As well, it withstands heavy foot traffic, is fast-growing, and is drought-resistant.

Fine Fescue is one of the most low maintenance varieties of grass to grow in the midwest, with decent drought tolerance, adaptability to sun or shade, as well as to differences in soil pH levels. It can even be established in areas with relatively poor soil quality.