All living things have survival instincts; even grass requires them to withstand adverse weather conditions. The browning of grass throughout the winter is a survival strategy to conserve water and nutrients. As a result, it is not accurate that brown, patchy, and straw-like lawns during the cold season indicate dead grass; rather, they are in a state of slumber.
Dormancy assists the grass in coping with the lack of moisture and sunlight during the winter. Yet, not all grass species can survive the winter, leaving you to question what kind of grass turns brown in the winter.
Warm and cold seasoned grasses are the two types of lawn grasses. Warm-season grasses go dormant in the winter. There are various varieties of warm-season grasses. Read on to learn more about each category.
Contents
What kind of grass turns brown in the winter
1. Zoysia grass
This variety of warm-season grass is popular for its heat and drought tolerance and its invasive nature. It grows by rhizomes and stolons. Full sun is best for Zoysiagrass, but partial shade is fine. Despite its slow growth, zoysia grass is resistant to foot traffic; however, if it wears out as a result of heavy foot traffic, it will take a long time to recover.
If you want to avoid mowing, this grass is the perfect option because it requires no upkeep. Unlike Bermudagrass, which needs to be mowed often, Zoysiagrass only needs to be mowed once a week throughout the growing season. Furthermore, due to its dense growth, the grass crowds out weeds.
Once grown, Zoysiagrass grows into a gorgeous cushiony turf that is spiky to the touch. This warm-season grass has a modest tolerance to winter, but if the season is prolonged, this heat-loving grass takes a long time to green up.
2. St. Augustine
This grass is well familiar to residents of southern California. St. Augustine prefers sandy and salty environments, making it more popular around the Gulf coast. It grows poorly in cool climates but tolerates shade better than other warm-season grasses; however, it gets thin in the intense shade.
St. Augustine thrives in full sun and forms a deep, fairly dense turf, making weed control on your lawn a breeze. However, when it comes to mowing, this coursed foliage will need to be trimmed on a regular basis.
See also: Is there a natural way to get rid of nutsedge in St Augustine grass?
3. Centipede
This grass has drawn many homeowners who want a low-maintenance lawn since it requires less fertilization and mowing than other warm-season grasses. The centipede grass has a strong heat tolerance, prefers sandy soil, and grows into a thick light green tuft when exposed to direct sunlight.
The centipede grows short and takes longer to establish itself, but it spreads fast by stolons once established. Because of its thin roots, it will require regular watering during the dry season. In contrast to St. Augustine, Centipede grass does not turn brown soon throughout the winter.
4. Bahia
Bahia grass is hailed for its ability to thrive where most warmed season grasses falter. Bahia grows slowly, allowing you to enjoy your lawn while ensuring that it is deeply rooted. However, its naturally open growth habit will make weeding a headache.
Most homeowners don’t like it as a turfgrass due to its unsightly seedhead. Nevertheless, this warm-season grass will stay greener longer than the rest of the warm season grass during winter. It also bounces back quickly once the season subsides.
Bahia prefers the full sun but also withstands a slight shade. If you consider survival and low maintenance rather than anesthetics, then the Bahiagrass is perfect for you. There is no warm seasoned grass that can match the strength of this grass. A grass that goes the distance.
5. Bermuda
This hard-working grass has been dubbed many names: devil grass, wiregrass, couch grass, and dogtooth grass. Bermuda grass is well adapted statewide due to its resilience, making this type of warm-seasoned grass the most common type of grass in golf courses, parks, sports fields, and even alongside the road. Under the full exposure to the sun, Bermuda forms a dense tuft.
Bermuda does well in hot weather and will go dormant during the winter season but will soon turn green under favorable conditions than other warm-season grasses due to its rapid development.
Nonetheless, Bermuda tolerates foot traffic well, but it will need to be mowed frequently, or else its rhizomes and stolons will overwhelm your garden.
Bermuda is a terrific warm-season grass that will look great on your lawn as long as you are prepared to mow it.
See also: Best grass seed for poor drainage areas
FAQs About Grass Browning in Winter
What is warm-season grass?
Warm seasoned grass is a grass that becomes brown throughout the winter and greens up again as the temperature warms up. Bermuda, zoysia, centipede, Bahia, and other grasses go dormant in the winter.
See also: How does zorro zoysia differ from zeon zoysia?
What warm season grass is the most durable during winter?
Bahia grass is praised for its capacity to survive where most warm-season grasses fail. This warm-season grass will stay greener longer than the rest of the warm-season grass during winter. It also recovers swiftly once the season is over.
What type of grass is best for winter?
Ryegrass is the ideal grass to utilize in the winter. Ryegrasses are classified as either annual or perennial. They differ slightly, yet both perform well in the sun and the shade.
Kentucky bluegrass vs perennial ryegrass
Everyone appreciates the sight of lush, velvety grass. Browning grass can be caused by many circumstances, but don’t be alarmed if it occurs during the winter; it’s merely a coping mechanism. Dormancy is an expected part of the grass’s life cycle. When the weather is pleasant, your turf should turn green.
Many homeowners desire a lush, green lawn that thrives all year. No one wants brown grass as it is unattractive. Fortunately, this piece has taught you everything you need to know about turfgrass.
Most importantly, what kind of grass turns brown in the winter, especially if you live in extremely cold climates. You now realize that the type of grass you have turning yellow in the winter is normal.
