What Time of Day Does Grass Grow?

Average Temperature

• Average temperature throughout the day can trigger or halt the growth of grass. If, say, a particular type of grass requires a minimum average daytime temperature of 60 degrees F, that will carry enough heat over into the nighttime hours and the grass will continue growing. As soon as temperatures fall below this minimum average, growth will halt altogether, during both the day and the night. The reason temperature is such a principle factor is because once it drops too low, proteins necessary to the life of grass begin to change their structure.

Extreme Temperature Lows

• In illustrating grass growth, an average daytime temperature of 60 degrees F carries over enough heat into the night for the grass to keep growing. This means that during the night temperatures could drop below 60 degrees and the grass will keep growing. This is true so long as nighttime temperatures (or daytime temperatures) do not drop below 30 degrees F. Exceptions to this exist, and some grasses will stop growing at even higher levels than 30 degrees F. This level, however, is generally accurate for most grasses. When it gets this cold, the visible part of any grass is going to die, although roots will typically go on living beneath the soil.

Bermudagrass

• The minimum average daily temperature necessary for growth of grass is not universal; it varies from one grass species to another. This is why different types of grasses thrive in different climates. Bermudagrass is an especially common type of grass, growing mainly in North America, South America, Africa, Australia, and India. Bermudagrass in particular grows throughout the day as long as temperatures are at an average of 70 degrees F. It can actually begin to die out and stop growing after temperatures drop to an average of only 50 degrees F.

Kentucky Bluegrass

• Another common type of grass is Kentucky bluegrass, which grows in Europe, Asia, and some areas of the United States. Average temperature levels necessary for growth are typically around 60 degrees F. Lows that lead to a decline in the time grass grows and its eventual death are around 30 degrees F. While most grasses can handle higher temperatures and continue to grow, Kentucky bluegrass often begins to dry out when temperatures exceed 80 degrees F. The roots are unable to transport vital water and nutrients to the blades of grass, and it stops growing and begins to die.