The Best Grass Types for Northern Ohio

Kentucky Bluegrass

• With more than 100 cultivars to choose from, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) is by far the most commonly grown turf grass in northern Ohio. This deep-green, fine-textured grass easily handles Ohio’s extreme temperatures. It tolerates heavy foot traffic and recovers well from injury. Although the grass thrives in full sun in moist, well-drained soil, it can handle light shade. During extended hot, dry spells, the grass may become dormant and lose its color. It can also be slow to germinate.

Perennial Ryegrass

• Perennial ryegrass, like Kentucky bluegrass, is a fine-textured, bright-green grass that develops into a high-quality lawn. However, it is seldom seeded alone and is often mixed with Kentucky bluegrass. The grass germinates and establishes quickly, forming a dense mat. Although its cold tolerance and disease resistance are somewhat less than for Kentucky bluegrass, they are still acceptable. The grass requires well-drained, medium to highly fertile soil and requires watering during most Ohio summers.

Tall Fescue

• Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a low-maintenance grass with deep roots that remains green throughout most Ohio summers without watering. It germinates and establishes quickly and, when mature, easily handles foot traffic. It does have a coarser texture than other Ohio grasses -- giving it the least pleasing look of the turf grasses. When selecting a seed, remember to choose "turf-type" varieties, because they are more resistant to disease and insects. In northern Ohio or in areas of shade, reseeding is often necessary to prevent the grass from thinning out.

Fine Fescue

• With proper care, fine fescues (Festuca species) create an attractive fine-textured, dark-green lawn. In Ohio, fine fescues are seldom seeded alone and are almost never intended to be the main species for a lawn. They are used in seed mixtures for low maintenance or shady lawn applications. The grass does best with minimal maintenance, because excessive fertilizing or frequent watering causes a decline in quality and density. It is the most drought- and shade-tolerant of the cool-season grasses.

Considerations

• Although sometimes found in Ohio lawns, these four turf grasses should be avoided: zoysia grass (Zoysia species), annual bluegrass (Poa annua), annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and bentgrass (Agrostis). The warm-season zoysia grass is just not compatible with Ohio's cool-season grasses. It also has an unpleasant look in early fall when it becomes dormant and turns brown. The shallow root system of annual bluegrass makes it undesirable because the grass dies out during hot, dry periods. Annual ryegrass survives only one growing season or less; and although bentgrass creates a high-quality turf, it is very time-consuming and expensive to maintain.