What Affects the Growth of Grass?

Temperature

• Temperature is an important factor in growing grass plants just as it is with other plants. Some species are native to tropical temperatures and will die off over the winter while others -- like the perennial ryegrass -- keep on growing. The Bermuda grass tends to grow very lush during the warm seasons but then dries out and looks like a brown carpet during the winter. Knowing the growing requirements of the grass seed will help you determine if you should grow it in your yard.

Moisture

• Lawns love moisture, unless there is excess. You can water some grass lawns every day and they will continue to grow and thrive as long as the drainage is good in the soil below. Many grass types will not tolerate periods of drought and will die back, making room for more hardy types like crabgrass. It is better to water once a week with a deep soaking instead of sprinkling the lawn daily with a little bit of water.

pH

• Most grasses thrive in sunny soils with a balanced pH around 7. If you reclaimed forest land to use as lawn, the soil might be more acid than the grass plants like. Adding lime will eventually bring the pH up to the right level, but it will take a few years to change the soil.

Light

• No lawn grass will grow in complete shade, but there are some fescues that will tolerate partially shady areas, such as under lawn trees. If you trim the lower tree branches, there is usually enough light to grow a healthy lawn if you mix shade tolerant seed in with your lawn seed mixture for under the tree. The only time full sun bothers grasses is when the soil is dry and the heat of the sun evaporates any moisture left in the grass.