If somebody asked you what type of grass you have, what would you say?
“Um, green?”
You can do better than that, right?
How to identify your grass type? You’ll need to get up close and personal with your lawn. This could be fun.
Let’s take a look.
How to Identify What Type of Grass I Have?
Grass identification can be tricky. Sometimes, it comes down to a very small detail that differentiates one type from another.
But since we live here in cold and snowy Idaho, there’s an easy first step to start narrowing it down.
Types of Grass in Idaho: Warm Season or Cool-Season?
There are warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses.
Warm-season grasses endure the hot weather of southern climates. Cool-season grasses grow quickly in the cool weather of fall and spring before going dormant in the summer heat.
Idaho's cooler climate means that your grass is cool-season. So that narrows it down.
This type of grass is winter hardy but still holds up well in the summer heat.
Next Up: Kentucky Bluegrass Anyone?
How to identify your grass type? There’s a good chance you have Kentucky bluegrass, an Idaho favorite.
Kentucky bluegrass is durable with a beautiful rich green color. It’s slow to germinate but has good drought tolerance and once established, can easily repair itself from damage.
How do you know if this is your grass?
How to Identify Your Grass Type: Is It Kentucky Bluegrass?
Kentucky bluegrass can be identified most easily by looking for the "boat" shape. It has a pointy tip, and the blade will be folded kind of like a boat.
It will also have a rib running down the middle of the blade. It almost looks like a crease. It can also produce a purplish-blue seed head.
Or Is It Perennial Rye?
Popular types of grass in Idaho include perennial ryegrass, another cool-season grass. It’s known for its quick germination and lush, long-lasting color. Because it germinates quickly, it’s perfect for new lawns.
Perennial ryegrass can look similar to Kentucky bluegrass. The difference? It has several veins running down the middle of the blade instead of that crease-like rib.
Another cool thing about ryegrass — it blends well with other grasses and adds disease and insect resistance to bluegrass mixes.
So, you might have a blend of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye. (We told you this can be tricky.)
How to Identify Your Grass Type: What If It’s a Blend?
Hmmm. Pull a few blades of grass and see what the differences are. Look for the characteristics listed above, and see if you can find something that's different.
If you see grass blades that are thin and don’t have the rich green color of the surrounding grass, you might have some fescue mixed in. This is most likely if your lawn is shady. Fescue does better in shade than Kentucky bluegrass.
Starting a New Lawn? A Blend is Best
When you want the best grass for Idaho, go for a mix of 80 percent Kentucky bluegrass and 20 percent perennial ryegrass.
There’s a lot of beauty in blends. Unlike a single-variety grass seed, blends give you the benefits of more than one variety or species.
Blends are also more likely to withstand diseases than single-species lawns, because of their genetic diversity.
Using a blend reduces the chance of one grass type being wiped out by an insect or disease problem.
Different grass types in Idaho also have different traits. One type may do better in drought conditions and the other may be more disease resistant.
How to Identify Your Grass Type in Idaho? Ask Lawn Buddies
Questions about your grass? We’d love to help.
Knowing what type of grass you have is just the beginning. No matter what type you have, give it everything it needs to grow healthy and strong.
Choose an Idaho Falls or Boise professional lawn care service that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan.
Fertilizing, weed control, grub control. Done.
We’ve got your back.
Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started.
Fill out the form on this page.
Call us at (208) 656-9131.
Or read more about our services.
