Did you know that not all grass is the same? There are actually two different types of grass, warm season and cool season. Cool season grasses will continue to grow and retain their colour throughout the cooler months. Whereas warm season varieties slow down in growth and lose some colour when the cooler temperatures hit.
Warm season are known as C4 grasses and cool season grasses are known as C3 grasses. The C3 & C4 reference refers to carbon, and the number represents how many carbon atoms within each compound. This is where they receive the characteristics synonymous with each type.
Warm season grasses
Warm season varieties include Couch, Kikuyu, Buffalo, and Zoysia grasses. These are the most common varieties found across Australia as they are suited to the hot Australian summers and relatively warm winters.
Cool season grasses
Cool season varieties include Fescue, Ryegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, and Bent grass. These grasses grow in far South areas of Australia where temperatures can get quite low.
Warm season and cool season colouring
Warm season grasses can hold their colour well throughout the warmer months. When the temperatures start to cool, they will lose some of their green colour. This occurs as the grass is unable to absorb enough sunlight to produce chlorophyll. However, this discolouration does not mean that the lawn is dying but is simply sitting dormant. Once the temperatures begin to warm up the grass will be able to produce chlorophyll again and return in colour.
This is the opposite for cool season grasses. Cool season varieties love the cold weather, but when the temperatures begin to warm back up, they will wilt and lack the vigour that they had throughout winter. There are some cool areas of Australia where these grasses can thrive, but this is not the case the majority of Australia.
A solution to this discolouration of warm season grasses in winter is to apply a pigment product like ColourGuard Plus. ColourGuard Plus will improve the colour of your lawn instantly. It is easy to use, works on all lawn types, and can be used year-round.
Watering
Most warm season varieties once established will be able to thrive on mostly rainfall with additional watering’s when required. On the other hand, cool season varieties will need a substantial amount of water to survive compared to warm season varieties.
Oversowing with a cool season variety
Oversowing with a cool season variety is increasing in popularity for those with couch lawns. This is commonly done with rye grass so the lawn can continue to look nice and green throughout the cooler months. Once the rye grass has germinated the lawn will only need minimal additional watering’s. This practice of overseeding couch turf is a popular practice for sporting fields over the cooler months. This keeps the playing field greener over the cooler months when the couch grass enters dormancy. When the warmer temperatures start to settle back in, a selective herbicide is then used to remove the rye grass.
What turf variety is best suited for you?
For far south regions of Australia, you can instal a cool season variety as the climate is a lot cooler than the rest of Australia. However, when choosing the best variety for your location there are a few other factors to consider. These are wear, shade tolerance, and maintenance required. If you are in a far south region and are wanting to use a warm season variety, have a look at TifTuf Hybrid Bermuda. TifTuf can retain its colour better than other warm season grasses throughout the cooler months. This grass is also able to withstand high wear and has a superior drought tolerance! These qualities make TifTuf a great choice if you are wanting to choose a warm season variety without a dramatic colour loss in winter.
For more specific information on choosing the best turf variety to suit your climate and family, have a chat with your local turf supplier. You can find who they are and their contact details here.
You can check more helpful lawn care blogs and advice here.
FAQs
Grass is a very common plant consisting of large numbers of thin, spiky, green leaves that cover the surface of the ground. Small things stirred in the grass around the tent. Synonyms: turf, lawn More Synonyms of grass.
What is unique about grasses? ›
All grasses produce seeds that are monocotyledonous, which means that each seed produces only one leaf sprout. Additionally, most grasses are herbaceous, so they don't produce woody stems, and they die back to the ground at the end of the growing season. Grasses are invaluable assets to our planet and its inhabitants.
What grass doesn't need much sunlight? ›
For cool-season areas, grass that grows in shade would be Ryegrass and Fine and Tall Fescues, as they offer the most shade tolerance. They require four hours of sun minimum to survive. Warm-season grasses that grow in some shade include Zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass.
What makes up grass? ›
It is a completely naturally occurring substance, therefore 100% organic. It is made up of basic elements, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. As it goes through the process of photosynthesis, it also contains chlorophyll and cellulose. The two main components of grass are water and lignin.
Why is the grass green answer? ›
Why Grass Is Green? Like many plants, grass produces a pigment called chlorophyll. This bright pigment absorbs blue and red light, reflecting green light back to your eyes. And that's not even chlorophyll's most important job!
What is the full form of grass? ›
Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (commonly termed GRASS GIS) is a geographic information system (GIS) software suite used for geospatial data management and analysis, image processing, producing graphics and maps, spatial and temporal modeling, and visualizing.
Why is grass so special? ›
Grass takes up carbon dioxide and releases oxygen like all living plants. It doesn't only removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but it also traps dust to keep it out of both the air and your lungs. Grass is responsible for trapping 12 million tons of dust each year that would otherwise contaminate the air.
What is grass for kids? ›
Grasses are a family of plants with leaves that usually look like blades. Most of them also have hollow stems and many branching roots. The green grass found in yards, the grasses growing on open land, grains, and bamboos all belong to the grass family.
Is grass a plant, yes or no? ›
Grasses are herbaceous (er-bay-shus) plants. Herbaceous means that they have tender green stems, rather than woody stems like those of trees and shrubs. WHERE DO GRASSES LIVE? Grass grows on every continent—including Antarctica—and there about 1,000 different grasses in North America.
What grass doesn't grow fast? ›
With a small investment, you can convert your existing turf into fine fescue. These grasses are green and lush, but naturally slow-growing, so you mow only four to five times a year. And if you don't mind a slightly shaggy look—many find it attractive—you only need to fire up the mower one or two times each season.
You can grow a pretty swath of lawn in a shady spot, as long as you pick the right grass and take care of it properly. Most turf grasses need at least four hours of direct sun to survive, but specialized shade-tolerant grass blends thrive in four hours of dappled sun or partial shade.
Does grass need a lot of sun? ›
Different types of turf grass need different amounts of sunlight for optimal growth, but all need require a minimum amount of light to grow. Most turf grass management guidelines agree that lawns should receive at least six hours of sunlight each day, tolerating about 20% filter from trees.
What is real grass made of? ›
Real grass is grass that has been grown with the planting of grass seeds or sod. Sod is a rug-like roll of grass and a soil layer, held together by netting or cut grassroots that is spread out and grows into your lawn. Artificial grass is a surface of synthetic grass blades made to look like natural grass.
What does grass need to grow? ›
The four major factors that determine turf grass growth are sunlight, moisture, carbon dioxide and soil temperature. Other growth influencers include the: Amount of nutrients available in your soil.
What are 4 characteristics of grass? ›
They are usually upright, cylindrical, with alternating leaves, anchored to the soil by roots. Grasses have leaves (blades that narrow into a sheath), a stem (culm), a collar region (where leaves attach to the stem), roots, tillers, and during the reproductive stage an inflorescence or seedhead develops.
How do you describe grass? ›
They are usually upright, cylindrical, with alternating leaves, anchored to the soil by roots. Grasses have leaves (blades that narrow into a sheath), a stem (culm), a collar region (where leaves attach to the stem), roots, tillers, and during the reproductive stage an inflorescence or seedhead develops.
Why is the grass green paragraph? ›
Grass is green because of the presence of chlorophyll throughout the leaves and stems. Chlorophyll is a pigment that allows plants to capture energy from the Sun in order to power the process of photosynthesis.
What is the definition of long grass? ›
to delay dealing with something, especially because you want people to forget about it: It is disgraceful that the Treasury had kicked the task force's report into the long grass. We are not prepared to see this issue kicked into the long grass. Delaying and wasting time.
What is grass and why is it important? ›
Grass, the world's most important crop
This plant also has important ecological functions: it protects against soil erosion, it absorbs water, it purifies the air we breathe and so on. Every variety of grass has its own special properties. The grass family, or Graminae, has about 8,000 varieties.
