Which Lawn Grass Types Grow Best in Greensboro
Tall fescue, Bermuda or zoysia: the grass in your yard decides when we mow it, how we water it and when it gets fed.
Not sure what you have? We identify the grass on the free estimate visit.
Cool-Season and Warm-Season Lawn Grass
Lawns here grow either "cool-season" tall fescue or "warm-season" Bermuda and zoysia, and which one you have sets the whole care calendar.
That is why the grass type is the first thing we identify on any lawn. The two families grow at opposite times of year, so they are mowed, watered and fed on different schedules.
The two families come down to this.
- "Cool-season grasses"
- Tall fescue, the common front lawn here. It grows mostly in spring and fall, slows in the summer heat, and is seeded and fed in early fall.
- "Warm-season grasses"
- Bermuda and zoysia. They grow from late spring into summer, are seeded and fed in that window, and turn brown over winter.
Which grasses suit a North Carolina yard is set out by NC State Extension, Carolina Lawns.
Tall Fescue, Bermuda and Zoysia Compared
Fescue takes more shade and stays green through winter, while Bermuda and zoysia want full sun and go brown when they are dormant.
Sun, how the yard gets used and how much upkeep you want decide which one fits, and it is the biggest choice in a new sod lawn.
Here is how the three lawn grasses compare.
| Trait | Tall fescue | Bermuda | Zoysia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass family | Cool-season | Warm-season | Warm-season |
| Sun and shade | Takes more shade | Wants full sun | Wants full sun |
| In winter | Stays green | Goes tan, "dormant" | Goes tan, dormant |
| Main growth | Spring and fall | Late spring into summer | Late spring into summer |
| Sod rooting | Slowest of the three | Fastest | Between the two |
Not sure which grass your lawn is?
We name the grass type first on every estimate visit, then build the mowing, watering and feeding around it.
Free, no-obligation estimates. We answer the phone or call back the same working day.
Mowing Height by Grass Type
Fescue is mowed at about three to four inches and Bermuda much lower, and no single cut takes more than a third of the blade.
The height and the rhythm of the visits follow the grass.
| Grass | Mowing height | How often in season |
|---|---|---|
| Tall fescue | About three to four inches | Every 1 to 2 weeks |
| Bermuda | Much lower than fescue | Every 1 to 3 weeks, by how fast it grows |
| Zoysia | Low, closer to Bermuda than fescue | Every 1 to 3 weeks, by how fast it grows |
Leaving fescue tall shades out weeds and protects the roots through a hot summer. On every grass the first cut of a season goes on at the highest mower setting.
How Grass Type Sets Lawn Feeding
Fescue is fed in fall and Bermuda in late spring, so the grass type decides when every feeding goes down.
Feed the wrong grass at the wrong time and the fertilizer pushes growth the lawn cannot use. The two calendars run like this.
-
Tall fescue
Cool-season
- Main feeding in fall, when the grass is growing hardest.
- Heavy nitrogen held back through summer.
- "Overseeding", reseeding thin spots, done in early fall.
-
Bermuda and zoysia
Warm-season
- Fed in late spring, about two weeks after the lawn greens up.
- Seeded and fed from late spring into summer.
- Left alone while the grass is tan and dormant over winter.
Bermuda's month-by-month timing is in the NC State Extension, Bermudagrass Lawn Maintenance Calendar.
lawn fertilizingIs Brown Winter Bermuda Dead?
Brown Bermuda in winter may look dead, but it is usually dormant and greens up again in spring.
Warm-season turf goes tan when the cold comes and stays that way until late spring. A tan lawn that is still dense underfoot is resting; give it until it greens up before deciding a patch needs work.
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Get your lawn cared for on its own calendar
Call for a free estimate. We identify your grass, then quote the whole job before we start, with no surprise charges after.
Open Monday to Saturday. Calls outside those hours go to voicemail and we return them the next working morning.
- Free, no-obligation estimates
- We show up when we say we will
- We clean up when the work is done