When it comes to you deciding on either Warm Season vs Cool Season Grass here are a couple items to think about.

On the east coast of the United States, the overall climate can be broken into three general zones: a southern zone, a northern zone, and a transition zone in between. The southern zone is namely any state from South Carolina down, and these states experience relatively mild, brief winters with prolonged, hot summers. The northern zone stretches along latitudes above Delaware and experiences longer, harsh winters with brief and variable summers. The transition zone includes the states between Maryland and North Carolina, centering with Virginia. Transition states get the best, but more importantly worst, of both zones; climate conditions and weather can swing wildly from scorching summers to frigid winters. Not only is this a difficulty for residents of transition states like Virginia, but it makes the selection and maintenance of a transition zone grass for an ornamental lawn difficult and imperfect.

In southern zone states, warm season grass is highly preferred due to its ability to withstand the high and prolonged heat of summer. Warm season grasses include bermuda grass, zoysia grass, centipede, and St. Augustine, among others. Warm season turf is at its happiest when temperatures are above 75F and require little shade and less water to stay healthy during the summer. When temperatures drop for the winter, a warm season lawn will go into full dormancy, turning a light brown and ceasing its growing cycle. For lawns in the southern zone, this dormancy can last from approximately November through March, but as far south as Florida may not even see a dormant state due to its constant warm temperatures. During the growing season, warm season lawns are mowed at a low setting, rarely above two inches from the ground. Because warm season turf is able to spread laterally, overseeding is rarely necessary; instead, most warm season lawns are established through plugs or sod. This makes their installation more expensive up front, but lower in cost to maintain once the lawn is matured.

In northern zone states, cool season grass is the lawn of choice thanks to its hardiness throughout winter. Cool season grasses include fescue grass, bluegrass, and ryegrass, each of which has at least a couple of distinct varieties (for example, fine fescue vs. tall fescue). Cool season turf becomes stressed and struggles when temperatures get beyond 80F or 90F, which means that they require more shade and watering during the summer to prevent summer browning and dormancy. During the winter, cool season grasses slow greatly in growth and go into a dormant state, but they stay relatively green during this time, unlike warm season grasses. During the growing season, cool season lawns are usually mowed higher than warm season, with cuts kept as tall as four to five inches. While some cool season turfgrasses have the ability to spread laterally to an extent, for the most part, especially with tall fescue, they require annual overseeding to maintain a thick and healthy population in a lawn.

Transition zone grass in states like Virginia becomes tricky because these areas do not perfectly meet the ideal conditions for either cool or warm season turf. Where warm season grasses are concerned, transition zone states experience prolonged and sometimes harsh winter temperatures. This leads to periods of warm season dormancy often lasting from October through April, leaving them brown for more than half of the year. As a result, cool season turf is the predominantly popular option for transition zone grass due to its tolerance of cold winters. However, most summers become a struggle for transition zone grass of the cool season variety, and lawns have to be carefully watered and fertilized to maintain their health. In Virginia, most homeowners grow tall fescue as their transition zone grass, with a low number of properties growing bermuda or zoysia.

It’s valuable for a homeowner to understand both the climate in which they live as well as the nature of the type of grass they are growing in their lawn. A key asset in making sure a transition zone grass such as a fescue lawn is kept healthy in a state like Virginia is a local turf management company that specializes in a customized fertilization program that provides different nutrients during the year based on what the lawn needs at that point. Remember: a healthy lawn is a happy lawn, and a happy lawn is Picture Perfect!

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