Grass Species Selection for yard - Ask Extension
Good afternoon, I live in the Englewood, CO area. Our lawn is struggling, as it has a mix of Kentucky blue grass, clover, and random weeds throughout....
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Grass Species Selection for yard #859447
Asked February 19, 2024, 6:01 PM EST
Good afternoon, I live in the Englewood, CO area. Our lawn is struggling, as it has a mix of Kentucky blue grass, clover, and random weeds throughout. I’d like to do a restart on it this year but want to be thoughtful about our grass species selection. Here are my inputs to the question
-We have a dog, so would want it to handle urine well if possible
-It would be decently trafficked by people playing games, walking across it etc
-It is 1/3 shaded, and 1/3 sunny
So my questions- I’ve looked at DogTuff buffalo grass, but worry it won’t survive in the shade. Do you think I should avoid it for that reason? I’ve also thought about clover as a replacement lawn but am concerned it is an invasive plant in Colorado. Do you have any recommendations for us besides these two options? Is Kentucky blue my best option at this point?
Thank you so much!
-Brendan
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
I’m uncertain what a ‘restart’ is, but there is ‘total renovation’ and ‘rejuvenation’. Total renovation is more involved and replaced the entire lawn, while rejuvenation is most often done with overseeding.
There are pros and cons to every type of turfgrass. It’s finding what is best for you, what you use it for, and the maintenance and care you want to give.
Buffalo grass is a warm season grass, it will be brown until the temperatures get warm (late May) and goes dormant again at first frost (late September). It does not do well in the shade, does not do well with heavy, concentrated foot traffic, requires more irrigation if your soil is sandy, and there are limited kinds of herbicides that can be used on Buffalo grass lawns. The positives are Buffalo grass lawns require less irrigation than Kentucky Bluegrass, requires less frequent mowing, needs fertilization twice each year, and is fairly resistant to weed invasion. Because Buffalo grass is an entirely different species of lawn, you would need to either remove all of the turfgrass you currently have and replace it with Bluegrass sod, or chemically kill all of your current turf and re-seed Buffalo grass into the dead turf in late-May or June. The seed will take almost 3 weeks to germinate. I cannot find any information of the effects of dog urine on Buffalo grass lawns. The DogTuff brand is a variety of Buffalo grass, but there are mixed reviews about how good DogTuff really is. If you are used to (and favor) Kentucky Bluegrass, Buffalo grass will be difficult adjustment. Here is some information on Buffalo grass and the rejuvenating process: https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/565.pdf
https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/garden/07241.pdf
Clover lawns are becoming more popular, but probably not the best choice. It is okay with foot traffic, but it does stain pet feet, shoes, clothes. Clover is not drought tolerant, and weed control is difficult because you can’t use traditional lawn herbicides. There is not a lot of research available on clover lawns for Colorado; some clover varieties are invasive, but microclover is an option for Colorado. https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/2021/02/Should-you-move-over-to-clover_Koski_2020.pdf
Kentucky Bluegrass (KBG) is popular in Colorado for a reason. With new and improved varieties, it remains green and healthy with less water than older KBG lawns. It survives well in drought and heat, is good for foot traffic and pets. KBG greens up early and stays green well into the fall, and newer varieties are drought tolerant, shade tolerant, and disease resistant. KBG lawns can be easily improved by aerating and overseeding with newer varieties. One major improvement to KBG is a newer one called Texas bluegrass x Kentucky bluegrass hybrids (Reveille, Longhorn, Thermal Blue, Solar Green, Dura Blue, Bandera).
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/lawns/1540-drought-tolerance-kentucky-bluegrass/
The easiest and least expensive thing to do would be to rejuvenate your existing KBG lawn with the overseeding process. Find a new variety with a high drought tolerance and the shade tolerance you desire. In the spring, aerate in several directions, then overseed with the new variety. (Do not use pre-emergent herbicides at this time; it will kill the new seed).
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/lawns/1550-rejuvenating-existing-lawn/
This is a good video for overseeding a current lawn with the same species of grass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEwEGQJbDs
Some final notes:
Always buy seed from a reputable, local source. Packaging should have the % of weed seeds and should indicate zero. Avoid big box stores or buying from nurseries in bulk. Here is one local source: https://avseeds.com/
CSU has a ‘best practices’ Fact Sheet for lawn care. Never mow KBG shorter than 3”. Keep your mower blade as high as possible, and mulch your clippings back into the lawn for added nitrogen. Aerate in the spring and fall, water the appropriate amount, and fertilize according to the chart. https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/lawn-care-7-202/
A thriving and healthy lawn will choke out the majority of weeds. But if you see one, immediately remove it either by hand or with the appropriate weed control. Some weeds are annuals and some are perennials, and knowing the difference can help you properly treat them. If you are not sure what a weed is, snap a photo and send it to Ask Extension or the Master Gardener Help Desk email. As far as clover, it appears in lawns that are low in nitrogen. However, black medic is a legume weed that is commonly mistaken for clover. Here are some resources for weed control.
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/control-of-annual-grassy-weeds-in-lawns-3-101/
https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/552.pdf
https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/mf2385.pdf
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/weeds-cultural-problems/2128-white-clover-black-medic-control-lawns/
I realize this is a lot of information. I hope it is helpful.
There are pros and cons to every type of turfgrass. It’s finding what is best for you, what you use it for, and the maintenance and care you want to give.
Buffalo grass is a warm season grass, it will be brown until the temperatures get warm (late May) and goes dormant again at first frost (late September). It does not do well in the shade, does not do well with heavy, concentrated foot traffic, requires more irrigation if your soil is sandy, and there are limited kinds of herbicides that can be used on Buffalo grass lawns. The positives are Buffalo grass lawns require less irrigation than Kentucky Bluegrass, requires less frequent mowing, needs fertilization twice each year, and is fairly resistant to weed invasion. Because Buffalo grass is an entirely different species of lawn, you would need to either remove all of the turfgrass you currently have and replace it with Bluegrass sod, or chemically kill all of your current turf and re-seed Buffalo grass into the dead turf in late-May or June. The seed will take almost 3 weeks to germinate. I cannot find any information of the effects of dog urine on Buffalo grass lawns. The DogTuff brand is a variety of Buffalo grass, but there are mixed reviews about how good DogTuff really is. If you are used to (and favor) Kentucky Bluegrass, Buffalo grass will be difficult adjustment. Here is some information on Buffalo grass and the rejuvenating process: https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/565.pdf
https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/garden/07241.pdf
Clover lawns are becoming more popular, but probably not the best choice. It is okay with foot traffic, but it does stain pet feet, shoes, clothes. Clover is not drought tolerant, and weed control is difficult because you can’t use traditional lawn herbicides. There is not a lot of research available on clover lawns for Colorado; some clover varieties are invasive, but microclover is an option for Colorado. https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/2021/02/Should-you-move-over-to-clover_Koski_2020.pdf
Kentucky Bluegrass (KBG) is popular in Colorado for a reason. With new and improved varieties, it remains green and healthy with less water than older KBG lawns. It survives well in drought and heat, is good for foot traffic and pets. KBG greens up early and stays green well into the fall, and newer varieties are drought tolerant, shade tolerant, and disease resistant. KBG lawns can be easily improved by aerating and overseeding with newer varieties. One major improvement to KBG is a newer one called Texas bluegrass x Kentucky bluegrass hybrids (Reveille, Longhorn, Thermal Blue, Solar Green, Dura Blue, Bandera).
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/lawns/1540-drought-tolerance-kentucky-bluegrass/
The easiest and least expensive thing to do would be to rejuvenate your existing KBG lawn with the overseeding process. Find a new variety with a high drought tolerance and the shade tolerance you desire. In the spring, aerate in several directions, then overseed with the new variety. (Do not use pre-emergent herbicides at this time; it will kill the new seed).
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/lawns/1550-rejuvenating-existing-lawn/
This is a good video for overseeding a current lawn with the same species of grass:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEwEGQJbDs
Some final notes:
Always buy seed from a reputable, local source. Packaging should have the % of weed seeds and should indicate zero. Avoid big box stores or buying from nurseries in bulk. Here is one local source: https://avseeds.com/
CSU has a ‘best practices’ Fact Sheet for lawn care. Never mow KBG shorter than 3”. Keep your mower blade as high as possible, and mulch your clippings back into the lawn for added nitrogen. Aerate in the spring and fall, water the appropriate amount, and fertilize according to the chart. https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/lawn-care-7-202/
A thriving and healthy lawn will choke out the majority of weeds. But if you see one, immediately remove it either by hand or with the appropriate weed control. Some weeds are annuals and some are perennials, and knowing the difference can help you properly treat them. If you are not sure what a weed is, snap a photo and send it to Ask Extension or the Master Gardener Help Desk email. As far as clover, it appears in lawns that are low in nitrogen. However, black medic is a legume weed that is commonly mistaken for clover. Here are some resources for weed control.
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/control-of-annual-grassy-weeds-in-lawns-3-101/
https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/552.pdf
https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/mf2385.pdf
https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/weeds-cultural-problems/2128-white-clover-black-medic-control-lawns/
I realize this is a lot of information. I hope it is helpful.
