An area of short grass found in an area like parks or around a home is called lawn grass. It is important to mow water and fertilize it regularly for it to look lush and fresh. The choices of lawn grass you make should depend on various factors like maintenance requirement, cost, area, weather, availability of water, etc. Each lawn grass species is available in a lot of varieties. These variations may have slight changes in color, texture, or other such factors. Let us look at a few available types of lawn grasses and the areas where they can best thrive in

Methods of Raising Lawn Grass

• Seeding – Mostly used to grow cool-season lawn. Regular watering till the seed grow into grass
• Dibbling-Transplanting grass with roots and little stem
• Plastering- Stems which are 4-5 cm long are mixed in manure and spread over are
• Turfing- Pieces of prepared lawn is cut into square or rectangular shapes and fixed into the area
• Artificial lawn making

Types of Lawn Grasses

Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda Grass)

• These are grey-green.
• They usually grow around 2-15 cm.
• They are usually grown in warm climates all over the world.
• They are usually raised by seeding or turfing method
• This grass is called durva in India and has Ayurveda medicinal value. Its medicinal qualities help in a lot of ailments like controlling sugar, boosting immunity, oral problems, constipation, PCOS, solves menstrual problems, etc.
• It is fast-growing and grows fast when damaged. Hence, it is mostly found in sport fields
•  Extreme heat conditions make many other grasses wither but Cynodon dactylon stands strong even in drought
• As it grows fast and dense, in some places it becomes difficult to eradicate or maintain them
• They require timely mowing and well maintenance to avoid dense growth.

Stenotaphrum secundatum(St. Augustine grass)

• These are dark green.
• They are usually grown in warm climates all over the world mainly tropical and subtropical regions
• If you have a shady area where you want to plant lawn grass, St Augustine grass is the best idea. It grows best in moderate shady areas
• As it can tolerate saline conditions, it is grown near the coasts too
• However, the grass won’t grow well in areas where there is going to be a lot of traffic or walking around
• If planted in cold areas, it will turn brown in harsh cold weathers and will stay that way till spring
• It is also susceptible to quick pest infestation and needs regular maintenance for that

Poa pratensis(Kentucky Bluegrass)

• This lawn grass has a soft texture and is dark green/blue
• It is suitable for acidic soils on higher elevations
• The soft texture of the grass helps people walk easily over it without cutting over rough surfaces
• It is not shade or drought tolerant
• It is the most ideal cool-season grasses that help in erosion control
• They are easy to plant and manage

Pennisetum clandestinum(Kikiyu Grass)

• This lawn grass has a rough texture and is light green
• It is suitable for acidic soils on higher elevations and does not grow well in shady regions
• It requires less water and is suitable for drought conditions
• The grass is wear-resistant and durable which makes it an ideal choice for sports fields, pastures, golf courts, etc
• In warm summer, it needs to be mowed once a week due to its aggressive growth.
• The grass doesn’t grow well in saline condition and is resistant to pests and other infestation

Zoysia japonica(Japan Grass)

• This lawn grass has a coarse texture and is a short perennial grass
• It is suitable for poor sandy soil and in open sunny areas.
• The grass is drought tolerant and can grow well in shades also
• However, this grass is not favorable when it comes to high traffic
• The grass doesn’t thrive well in areas which are constantly wet or damp
• This variety of grass can be used in golf courses, teeing grounds. It is also used for home lawns and parks or schools.
• The germination of this grass takes a long time. It can be easily attacked by white grubs.

Z.Matrella (Manila Grass)

• This lawn grass has a medium texture.
• It is a mat-forming perennial grass variety
• The grass grows well in sandy areas unlike most other grasses
• Low elevation growth is an important characteristic of this grass
• The grass is called as ornamental grass and is used in golf courts and turfs
• The grass prefers tropical and subtropical environment and needs regular rainfall for excellent growth
• The grass is shade, drought and saline areas tolerable
• The seeds have slow germinations rates and require mechanical hulling for helping it germinate

Z. tenuifolia (Korean grass/ Velvet grass/ Carpet grass)

• This lawn grass has a fine texture, soft feel. It is suitable for open sunny areas and temperate climates
• As they can tolerate a wide change in temperature and sunlight, the grass is grown mostly on lawns
• These grasses help stop erosions that occur in high sloppy regions.
• They are used as weed repellants and can resist diseases or pest infestations easily
• The grass has the property to tolerate high traffic areas and heavy surface movement
•  It usually does not require a lot of fertilization but has high water requirements
• The growth rate of this grass is not very high reducing the number of times it needs to be mowed for maintenance
• A reel blade mower is an ideal mower choice to maintain this type of lawn grass
• The grass is native to Japan and Korea.

Poa compressa (Canada Bluegrass)

• It is a rhizomatous perennial grass species  and can be easily reproduced by seeds or rhizomes
• The grass grows well in soil with less fertility and drainage
• It can tolerate drought and salinity in some cases but is not at all susceptible to shady regions
• It usually grows on dry banks, poor and thin grasslands
• There is flowering from May to June and sunlight is needed for germination
• It can grow well on mountains and rocky regions
• If not properly managed, the plant is weedy. It can grow into neighboring vegetative areas and harm crops or other plants in the area. Hence, the grass requires proper maintenance
• Traditionally it was used as pastures due to its nature of abundant growth and spread. Nowadays it is used on low maintenance landscapes on infertile sites as turfs or pastures.
• It helps in environmental erosions control too

Paspalum Vaginatum (Seashore Paspalum)

• It is a perennial grass usually growing in wet and saline regions and has a medium texture
• The grass helps a lot as forage or turfs on golf courses. The grass is also grown to help control erosion
• The grass is long-living and grows very fast
• It is considered also as weeds in places of rice plantations.
• It is usually planted by the seeding or turfing methods mostly in the rainy season

Festuca arundinacea / Lolium arundinaceum (Tall Fescue)

• It is a tough cool-season grass
• The dark green color of its wide blades are maintained even in the cold environment
• It is also called bunchgrass due to its clumping growth habit
• Bare spots in turfs can easily occur and hence it needs to be reseeded sometimes
• It does not have any flowering properties and can grow up to 4-12 inches tall
• It survives well in low water regions and hence is the best choice in places with less water
• They are prone to fungal diseases like brown patch
• It can live in hot temperatures with water but cannot thrive in extreme drought-like conditions
• This is a natural choice for play areas in cold regions.

Lawns are developed for aesthetic pleasures and also for commercial purposes like on sports grounds. Lawns help contain pollutions from traffic and can also help in controlling soil erosion. The turfgrass is a high-profit business and lawns have become a major element for landscape attractions. Along with grass, other wildflowers or seaweeds can also be planted. Maintenance of these lawns are extremely important to preserve their beauty. Different grasses have different mowing periods and growth rates. It is important to study these conditions before you choose your lawn grass and lawnmower. Also, the economical aspect is of prime concern when you choose the method by which you want these grasses to be planted in your lawns or areas of interest