What Grass Is Best for Heavy Traffic in Full Sunlight?

Bermuda

• Bermuda grass is common in southern parts of the United States. Sod or seed this grass type in the early spring. Gardeners prefer to grow this grass on heavily used lawns, because it can survive foot traffic, is drought tolerant and can be mowed lower than other grass types. You can keep Bermuda grass between 1/2-inch to 1 inch. Although Bermuda grass offers numerous benefits for lawns, it is a heavy feeder of fertilizer, which often contributes to a thick thatch layer.

Zoysia

• Gardeners in the southern United States typically plant zoysia grass in the spring. Like Bermuda grass, this grass has a high maintenance level, according to Clemson University. However, gardeners must keep their zoysia grass slightly higher than Bermuda. Maintain a zoysia lawn at 3/4 to 2 inches in height. The lawn must receive full sunlight for zoysia grass to spread. This grass is not shade tolerant and will die out if planted in shady locations.

Tall Fescue

• Tall fescue is common in northern parts of the United States, because this grass type cannot tolerate hot summers. The grass has good wear tolerance for heavy foot traffic, reports Clemson University. Gardeners can plant tall fescue grass seeds in the fall. Avoid planting tall fescue in the spring even if the weather favors seed germination and growth, as you can lose some of your new grass from the hot summer weather. This cool season grass type will grow in shady locations if you keep it slightly higher than full sunlight areas.

Heavy Foot Traffic

• If you've already planted grass that cannot tolerate heavy foot traffic, you can take steps to reduce stress on your grass caused by the foot traffic. Rotate heavy foot traffic around your lawn so that one area doesn't receive all of the wear and can recover afterward. Furthermore, if you own pets, create dog runs in one area to prevent the entire lawn from suffering from pet injury. It is especially important when owning pets to make sure that they do not urinate all over the entire lawn, because the acidity of the urine causes brown spots.