What is the best grass to grow in Georgia?

Q: What is the easiest grass to grow in Georgia?

Zoysia Grass Its an excellent choice for the Georgia climate because although it thrives in warm, sunny weather, it can also tolerate the occasional cold spell better than many warm-season kinds of grass. Zoysia grass will also tolerate light shade and drought.

Table of Contents Show

Best Lawn Grass Seeds For Georgia
Blackjack Bermudagrass
Combat Extreme Southern
What is the easiest grass to grow in Georgia?
What grass stays green year round in Georgia?
When should I plant grass seed in Georgia?
What is the most common type of grass in Georgia?

Best Lawn Grass Seeds For Georgia

Grasses used in Georgia can be divided in to two groups: warm season grasses and cool season grasses. Perhaps the most important factor in developing and maintaining an attractive and problem-free lawn is to choose a grass that is adapted to your area and has the qualities you desire. Georgia has widely differing geographical areas and local climates. A grass that will do well in the southern part of the state may not survive winter in the mountain area. Conversely, cool-season species are not suited to the hot, humid summer of the Coastal Plain area. First, let's distinguish between cool-season and warm-season species.

Cool-season grasses:
Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea). Perhaps the most popular grass in the mountain and upper piedmont areas of Georgia is tall fescue. This is a perennial bunch-type grass that grows rapidly and requires frequent mowing in the spring and fall. Tall fescue needs more water than the warm-season grasses to stay green during the summer. It is quickly established from seed and grows well in full sun as well as moderate shade. Tall fescue will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, but like most turfgrasses grows best with a soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Lawns planted in tall fescue tend to thin out and become "clumpy" thus requiring reseeding every three or more years.

Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Kentucky bluegrass has a medium leaf texture and a bright, pleasing color. There are many varieties which grow well in and north of the upper piedmont areas of Georgia. Kentucky bluegrass can become semi-dormant during hot weather, and grows best in a fertile soil with a pH of 6 to 7. While it does best in partial shade, it will grow in open sun if adequate moisture is present.

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne). Ryegrass is suited for temporary cool-season turfgrasses throughout Georgia. They can be used as a temporary winter cover on new lawns that have not been permanently established. Ryegrasses are also used for overseeding, that is, to provide a green cover on a warm-season grass during the winter. However, overseeding may damage the warm-season grass unless managed correctly in the spring because the ryegrass competes for moisture, sunlight and nutrients.

Warm-season grasses:
Bermudagrasses (Cynodon Spp). All bermudas thrive in hot weather but perform poorly in shade. Bermudas spread so rapidly by both above-and-below-ground runners that they are difficult to control around flower beds, walks and borders. If fertilized adequately, they require frequent mowing. The bermudagrasses are adapted to the entire state and tolerate a wide soil pH.

Click Name To View Grass Seed Choice	Type	Applications
Bermuda Grass - Oasis	Warm Season	Lawns - Full Sun - Fast Growing
Bermuda Grass - Blackjack	Warm Season	Lawns - Full Sun - Fast Growing
Bermuda Grass - Yukon	Warm Season	Lawns - Golf Course - Fast Growing Full Sun - High End - Best Cold Tolerance
Bermuda Grass - Arden 15	Warm Season	Lawns - Golf Course - Fast Growing Full Sun - High End
Centipede Grass	Warm Season	Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun - Low Maintenance
Seashore Paspalum - Seaspray	Warm Season	Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun - Best Salt Tolerance
Fescue/Hybrid Bluegrass Mix - Combat Extreme South	Cool Season	Lawns - Wear Tolerant - Extra Heat Tolerance Shade Only in USDA Zones 9 - 10
Fescue Blend - Combat Extreme Transition	Cool Season	Lawns - Wear Tolerant - Shade Only in USDA Zones 9 - 10
Kentucky Bluegrass - Bluegrass Supreme	Cool Season	Lawns - Golf Gourses - Full Sun Only North Georgia In Light Shade
Kentucky Bluegrass - Midnight	Cool Season	Lawns - Golf Courses - Full Sun Only North Georgia In Light Shade
OSP Ryegrass	Cool Season	Lawns - Golf Courses - Southern Winter Overseed

Blackjack Bermudagrass

Popular Bermudagrass

This vigorous, fine-bladed cultivar adds color and density to any warm-season blend. Blackjack lawn seed produces a sun-loving turf that performs throughout the hottest summer months. Bermudagrass is the species most adapted to and most frequently used throughtout the state. Many new and improved seeded varieties have been developed and released during the last 10 years.

Cost Effective
Warm Season
Deep green color

Combat Extreme Southern

Extra Heat Tolerance

Combat Southern is a 3-way mixture of turf type fescue and Hybrid Bluegrass which is heat and drought tolerant enough to be used in USDA Zones 8 - 10 (partial shade recommend for USDA Zone 9 and 10). This mixture is approximately 90% turf type fescue grass seed and 10% hybrid bluegrass seed by weight. By seed count, this makes almost a 50/50 blend of fescue and hybrid drought tolerant bluegrass.

Wear Tolerant
Cost Efficient
Lawns

Carpetgrass is recommended only for lawns on wet, low fertility, acid, (pH 4.5-5.5) sandy soils where ease of establishment and care is more important than quality. Its chief disadvantage is rapid seedhead production.

Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides). This is a low, medium textured, slow growing but aggressive grass that can produce a dense, attractive, weed-free turf. It is more shade tolerant than bermudagrass but less shade tolerant than St. Augustine and zoysiagrass. Since centipede produces only surface runners, it is easily controlled around borders of flower beds and walks. It is well adapted as far north as Atlanta and Athens.

Centipede is the ideal grass for the homeowner who wants a fairly attractive lawn that needs little care. Centipede does not require much fertilizer or mowing, and compared to other lawn grasses, is generally resistant to most insects and diseases. It will, however, respond to good management and provide a very attractive turf. Centipede can be established from either seeds or sprigs. Since it is slow growing, it takes longer than bermuda and St. Augustine to completely cover.

Centipede is subject to "decline" problems that can be prevented by proper management. This includes care not to overfertilize, prevention of thatch accumulation, irrigation during drought stress, particularly in the fall, and maintaining a mowing height of 1-1 1/2 inches. Centipede is well adapted to soils of low fertility with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0 but grows best, like most grasses, at a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5.

Below is the USDA Zone Map for Georgia so you can determine which zone you reside in. Below that are our picks for your state which will do best in your area. Next on this page are tables which list various grasses and their characteristics so you can compare before you decide on your purchase. Click on the product name (ie. La Prima) for more information about that grass and to make your purchase.

USDA Zone Map For Georgia

Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics
Cool Season Grasses	Leaf Texture	Establish Rate	Nitrogen Use	Water Use	Drought Tolerance	Salinity Tolerance	Shade Tolerance
Fescue - Hard	Fine	Slow to Moderate	Low to Very Low	Moderate	Excellent	Low to Moderate	Excellent
Fescue - Creeping	Fine	Moderate	Low to Moderate	Moderate	Good	Low	Excellent
Fescue - Turf Type	Moderate to Coarse	Moderate	Moderate to High	Low to Moderate	Excellent	Low	Good to Excellent
Ryegrass - Perennial	Fine to Moderate	Very Fast	Moderate to High	Moderate to High	Good	Poor to Moderate	Poor to Moderate
Warm Season Grasses	Leaf Texture	Establish Rate	Nitrogen Use	Water Use	Drought Tolerance	Salinity Tolerance	Shade Tolerance
Bermudagrass	Fine to Moderate	Moderate to Fast	Moderate	Moderate to High	Excellent	Very Good	Poor
Centipedegrass	Moderate to Coarse	Slow	Low	Low	Good	Moderate	Moderate to Good
Seashore Paspalum	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Excellent	Excellent	Good

Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics - Continued
Cool Season Grasses	Fertility Needs	Wear Resistance	Mowing Height	Cold Tolerance	Acid Soil Tolerance	Thatching Tendency	Heat Tolerance
Fescue - Hard	Low	Low	Medium	Medium to High	Medium to High	Low to Medium	Low to Medium
Fescue - Creeping	Low	Low	Medium	High	Medium to High	Low to Medium	Low to Medium
Fescue - Turf Type	Low to Medium	Medium to High	Medium to High	Medium	High	Low	High
Ryegrass - Perennial	Medium	High	Low to Medium	Medium	Medium	Low	Medium to High
Warm Season Grasses	Fertility Needs	Wear Resistance	Mowing Height	Cold Tolerance	Acid Soil Tolerance	Thatching Tendency	Heat Tolerance
Bermudagrass	Medium	High	Low to Medium	Low to Medium	Medium	Medium	High
Blue Grama	Low	Low	High	High	Low	Low	High
Buffalograss	Low	Low	High	High	Low	Low	High
Centipedegrass	Low	Low	Medium to High	Medium to High	High	Medium	High
Seashore Paspalum	Medium to High	Medium to High	Low	Medium	Low	Medium to High	High

What is the easiest grass to grow in Georgia?

Zoysia Grass It's an excellent choice for the Georgia climate because although it thrives in warm, sunny weather, it can also tolerate the occasional cold spell better than many warm-season kinds of grass. Zoysia grass will also tolerate light shade and drought.

What grass stays green year round in Georgia?

Tall fescue Drought resistant, shade tolerant, and adaptable to drastically changing temperatures, tall fescue is a tough cool-season grass. With the proper care, this grass can stay green year-round and thrive in yards that have both sunny and shady areas.

When should I plant grass seed in Georgia?

Seed should be planted when the soil temperatures are just right to get the most from your fescue overseeding. September and October are the recommended months for fescue overseeding in Georgia. Fescue lawns seeded before September are more vulnerable to heat stress or disease.

What is the most common type of grass in Georgia?

Common Types of Lawn Grass in Georgia A dark green, dense grass with fine to medium blades, Bermuda is the most popular warm season turf grass among Georgia homeowners. Bermuda grass holds up well to heavy foot traffic, making it ideal for families with young children and pets.