6 Best Grass for Northern Virginia: A Choice of Options

Best grass for Northern Virginia is a great choice that you would have for your lawn, with so many attractive options, but we are sure you will find what you are looking for in our article.

Which is the best grass seed for Virginia up in the north, and is having Bermuda grass in Virginia a good option?

Continue reading to know the answer to these and so much more.

A List of Best Grass For Northern Virginia

1. Kentucky Bluegrass

The Kentucky bluegrass is one of the most famous grasses for lawns that is grown in the United States especially in the Northern part of Virginia, although it is known that it take a long time to become a beautiful turf grass. On another note, it is high-maintenance and keeps the lawn owners constantly on their toes to feed it regularly or risk subjecting it to diseases like turf diseases of red thread, dollar spot, and rust.

It is widely used in athletic fields, pastures, lawns, and other landscapes, when you have placed it in a location where it will receive full amount of sun, this is where the grass would establish itself well. Although it has a characteristic that show that it is more suitable for the northern parts of the state as it is cold-tolerant, and it wouldn’t be harmed in the frosty weather. 

In addition, the grass would feature the most active growth in the chilly and cold seasons and cool summers. It propagates through rhizomes to form a dense sod but has a very slow germinating rate, which would take a maximum of a month’s time.

Most lawn owners prefer to grow it because it is beautiful and soft to the touch. It has the ability to repair itself, the latter is the reason why it has made to the top of the list of the most wanted grass. 

Also, it can easily recover from drought stress. The only downside of such cool-season grasses is that they cannot be grown in regions apart from the transition zone because of their low tolerance for heat and drought. Moreover, it can also have a pest infestation of crickets and beetles, but with some natural home remedies, the grass would recover when you get rid of these pests. 

2. Tall Fescue

This type fills all the boxes for the best grass seed for northern Virginia shade-tolerant grass varieties, as this grass is one of the three-hundred species of fescue grass. It has a unique two to three feet deep root system and propagates through vertical shoots or tillers, even though they have rhizomes. This root system helps it cope with the drought by utilizing the deep water in its roots.

The grass usually grows between four and twelve inches long in the form of clumps that then form a dense mat. You can easily identify it in a lawn full of mixed grass types, and this growth is upon you when you mow it. 

The reason why most people would like to invest in this grass is that it tolerates heavy foot traffic and stays green all year, but it does not have a long lifespan. You can overseed tall fescue to have a healthy lawn most of the year. This means that you can easily set up a playground for your kids, and the grass would still hold up well; you could also let your pets play over the grass, and it would be fine. 

The grass is widely grown in golf courses, lawns, baseball grounds, football and soccer fields, and practically everywhere where a dense turf is needed. Most gardeners prefer to use its dwarf varieties. 

We recommend you allow it to reach its maximum height before you mow it and keep the mower to its maximum blade height. Cut the grass in spring, so it does not get infected by fungal diseases, like snow mold, and make your lawn care efforts safe, and this way you would give it a better chance to grow and thrive.

3. Fine Fescues Grass

The grass is native to Eastern and Northwestern North America, hence this is why it would thrive in the upper region of Virginia. Most lawn owners have second thoughts about having this grass because of the needle-like texture of the leaves. It has a slow growth rate meaning you only need to mow it occasionally. As this grass is a low-maintenance one and a moderate feeder, make sure you provide it with full to partial sun, and acidic soil; hence, you see it thrive.

It is a cool season grass, has a fast growth rate, and retains its color throughout the year in most regions of Northern Virginia, and when it happens remember that this is part of its feature. Furthermore, it is drought-tolerant and can be divided into five major species, including the Creeping Red Fescue. 

On another note, this variety has the most use in seed mixes, which is how it is a cool-season grass and does not maintain vertical rigidity, although the blades would feature a pointy end. The grass is often grown with other grass because its leaves are quite fine, which does not give your lawn a fuller look. 

However, if you are a fan of open lawns, you can plant it alone too, without any mix. Lately, remember that the fine fescues are also perfect for places that are not looked after or if you need more time to mow them.

4. Perennial Ryegrass

The grass lost its popularity in the twentieth century but gained acceptance when it showed resistance against the gray leaf spot disease. Its seed germinates at a very high rate, giving you the ability to mow it within twenty-one days, which is why it is used in grass seed blends.

On the other hand, you should know that it does not have much tolerance to drought or heat, so expect patchy lawns in the hot summer months, which means that this is a clear notion of how the grass would thrive in the months of spring and fall. It grows well but works great when grown with other grass types.

The grass is low-maintenance and has an in-built resistance to pests and diseases, and for this reason, it is widely used in school playgrounds, lawns, schools, lawns, parks, golf courses, athletic fields, etc. This is the type of grass that would tolerate high-foot trafficking, and still stay vibrant and strong. 

The grass is grown as cool-season grass in many areas. It is a quick germination rate, especially in early spring; it would take about a week or two weeks to start shooting. When grown the perennial grass puts on an early green show, through its long growing season. Not only this but also consider how it has the ability to control erosion, and it also works well for both temporary and permanent lawns.

Additionally, it performs better in coastal regions with moderate temperatures. It does not tolerate drought and shows poor performance in areas that experience frequent spells of drought.

On another note, you can grow the grass as a temporary turfgrass but do not expect it to live for more than a year. Another thing to remember about it is you can lower your mowing height in the cold months. 

However, remember that you cannot have a lower mowing height in the summer because mowing too low will cause it to die as it can retain much moisture. It grows well alone and in combination with other grass types. The only downside to growing this grass is that it grows in clumps which can leave your lawn looking patchy, meaning you will have to re-seed them yourself as it does not self-seed.

5. Zoysia Grass

This grass type resembles the Kentucky grass a lot, with the features, but this grass is known to have a characteristic of fast growth rate in warm areas but turns brown during its dormant season. In addition to the latter, the grass is distinguished by its deep root system. It is one of the warm season grasses type grass that grows well in the colder regions too, but it would need full sun to thrive and establish itself well.

Moreover, it can cause problems in areas set aside for vegetable gardens or flower beds. Also, it is prone to be attacked by pests such as mole crickets or sod webworms; this is why you should aim to get rid of them as soon as possible. 

The grass changes from beautiful to dark green to brown as the months get colder. It propagates through rhizomes and stolons and takes much longer to establish than other grass types. On another note, be aware of its slow growth rate, because this grass is prone to spread aggressively and take over the other types of grass on your lawn.

You need to aerate the grass, so there are fewer chances of thatch formation. The process to thatch it is quite challenging of a task to deal with as it stops water and other essential nutrients from reaching the roots. Up to one-third of the total length of the grass is recommended for mowing, and this is the reason why it is mostly used in golf courses, lawns, and athletic fields and has a high tolerance for heavy foot traffic.

Furthermore, it is more suitable for highly maintained lawns tolerant to drought and heat. It is a low- to medium-maintenance plant with a fast growth rate and grows the most actively in hot summer months.

The grass does not need a lot of water, so do not be afraid, as it turns brown in winter and lasts till spring, it is part of its development and characteristic. Since it has an aggressive growth, keep an eye out as there are chances it will also enter the neighbor’s property.

6. Bermuda

Bermuda is the type of grass that has a fast growth rate than most of its fellow grass types, even though, this grass type also turns brown when it enters its dormant state. It maintains its color throughout the year in tropical regions. It grows rather invasively and can even spread to your maintained flower and vegetable garden beds.

It is relatively easy to care for than most grass types, which means it has a low-maintenance care guide, especially in the warmer seasons, which are spring and summer. As a result, you only need to water it one inch per week when it grows, and you can decrease the watering as the grass ages. 

It can be mowed when it reaches a height of two inches. Mowing not only makes the lawn looks neat but also makes the grass healthy, making it seem like you have put in extra effort in your lawn care. Make sure you fertilize it after six weeks of planting with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. The grass grows in clumps, but it can be solved by spreading half of the seeds horizontally and the same amount vertically.

It is mostly used in athletic fields, parks, lawns, golf courses, playgrounds, roadsides, etc. Apart from being known as an aggressive grass, it is also a trouble-causing weed when you grow it as a cool-season turf grass. It could once be grown from sod, but now it is easily grown from grass seeds.

Conclusion

Landscapes are incomplete without grasses and are a favorite worldwide.

Whatever grass you decide to grow, remember the following important points from the article above:

• The fescue grass is a good option because of its short lifespan if you habitually plant new grass types yearly.
• The perennial grass is resistant to diseases, meaning you will have a healthier lawn for a longer period.
• The Kentucky grass can repair itself. You won’t even know something happened to your lawn.

If you need to know which grass to grow with so many options available, you can try growing one and then see how it works for you. After discovering these types of grass in Virginia, which of them would you like to grow?

References

https://ag.purdue.edu/department/btny/ppdl/potw-dept-folder/2021/fine-fescue.html

https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/texas-turfgrasses/bermudagrass/

https://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/grasses-and-grasslikes/kentucky-bluegrass

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