How Fast Does Grass Grow? The Facts!
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Homeowners who take pride in the appearance of their home will most likely have a fantastic lush lawn, the envy of all their neighbor's, this will lead to length conversations about how long did it take for your grass to grow. This varies by grass species as well as many other factors. If you want to join your neighbor's in having a lush yard you will want to read on to find the best type of grass to suit your home.
Grass seeds can germinate at different rates, it depends on a variety of factors such as the species of grass sown, weather conditions, time of year and amount of moisture in the soil. Typically, germination will take between five and 10 days. Once germinated, most grass species will continue to grow at a rate of about 2/3cm per week.
Keeping a lush, well-kept lawn has its appeal to homeowners for many reasons. Lawn although more work than having hard surfaces like concrete or stones has many environmental benefits, lawns help to prevent flooding and erosion during heavy rain, as well as keeping the ground and therefore your house cooler on hot summer days. A well kept lawn can also make your property more appealing thereby increasing its value.
Grass Tip: Known widely as the One Third Rule, For a healthy lawn your grass should only be brought down with each mowing – as the name suggests – by one third of the leaf height at any one time, this will help maintain your lawn in peak condition.
Table of contents
Difference Between Sod and Turf?
You will have one of two options when establishing a new lawn – there is the fast way or the slow way. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Sod, or the fast way, is professionally grown grass seed that has been watered and fertilized to create a lush grass, once ready it is lifted from the soil and rolled into set length. With sod professional installation is recommended, the area that you wish to cover needs to be prepared and levelled before the sod can be rolled out carefully, rolls are laid in an offset pattern to minimize weeds and improve the appearance of your lawn. Grass seed is a much easier option for the home owner, after preparing the area that you with to plant the seed can be sown by hand spreading yourself. From a cost perspective seed is a more cost-effective option than sod.
Cost difference aside, other considerations to take into account when choosing sod vs. seed should include your landscape, and what region you live in. If your yard is sloping or is subject to erosion then Sod is an ideal choice over seed as seed can be washed away or struggle to grow in these conditions. Grass seed, on the other hand, allows you to choose from many more varieties, many of them may be better suited to your requirements then the typical limited species grasses grown for sod which are typically not very shade tolerant.
When to Plant Your Grass
Ideally the best time of year to plant your seed is just before the grass’s peak growing season. Having the best possible weather conditions will give your grass a kick-start in life, allowing it to quickly establish itself and be ready for use as soon as possible.
Grasses can be either cool-season or warm-season, and their peak growing periods reflect the climate they prefer.
Warm season grasses, will do best if planted in late spring as they love the warmer weather. This gives them a chance to establish themselves before the weather becomes too hot, allowing them to enjoy and capitalize on the hotter weather over summer.
Cool season grasses, on the other hand, prefer the cooler weather. They will do best if planted in late summer/early autumn when the soil is nice and warm for them to germinate, this will allow your grass to establish itself to enjoy the entire autumn/winter cool period.
Regardless of whether you are going to sow your seed or lay sod you will need to get your backyard ready, this will essentially mean that you will need to prepare the soil. This may be as simple as tilling and levelling out the area so that your lawn has a flat area to grow, you should also test the quality of your soil for its PH, Using a PH test kit (PH kits are available at any good nursery) you’re aiming for a neutral PH of 7, this will ensure your seed will germinate and thrive. If your test shows acidic soil (5.5 and below) can be raise the level with an application of lime or dolomite, If on the other hand your test shows alkaline soils (8 and above) these can be are a little more difficult to correct but it is possible by adding sulphur or a sulphate such as iron sulphate or sulphate of ammonia.
A starter fertilizer is also a great addition to your soil to get it to its most nutritious and give you grass its best chance to grow.
If you want to use a watering system to keep your grass well watered it will be ideally installed before you sow your seed especially.
Sowing Grass Seed
Generally there are two methods when it comes to sowing seed, these are either to use a mechanical spreader or sow by hand. If you choose to use a spreader you will get the most even coverage, this is great if you have a large area to sow, but if you have a smaller area then hand sowing may be just as effective, and if you don’t own one you will not need to hire any equipment.
When using a spreader, ensure it is set to the appropriate spreading rate for your chosen seed (measure in grams per square metre), start by placing a small amount of seed in the spreader and test it out on a small area. Once you are happy start sowing by moving up and down over your area in a north south direction, once you have covered all of you soil you should sow the area again but this time at right angles to you first pass, moving in an east /west direction. This ensures a nice, even dispersion of your seed.
If you are sowing by hand you may require the help of a scale so you can recognize how much seed you require for a certain area. If your require 20g of seed to cover one square meter, measure out 20g and place it in your hand, then use this as a base of how much to spread per square metre.
Once your area is sown with seed you need to ensure the seeds are in good contact with the soil, spreading a light layer of organic matter may be required to protect the freshly sown seeds from bird life or intense storms. You will need to lightly roll (or walk over) the whole area, a roller will give you a more even appearance and can be hired if you do not own one. This also stops the seeds being blown away by a stiff breeze.
Caring for Your Seed
The most important step in the entire process, when sowing your seed, is to first water the whole area. You need to properly soak the soil, being careful not to create puddles or disturbing the seeds. You need to make sure the water has penetrated down to 15-20cm below the surface. This means you need to spray the area with a mist or soft diffused stream rather than a full stream, 2-3 shifts may be needed to get the soil wet enough while not creating those dreaded puddles.
To give your new lawn the best chance, you’ll need to ensure the soil stays nicely moist until the point of germination (usually a couple of weeks later). The color of the soil can be a good visual guide to your soil moisture level, if your soil is two thirds lighter than when you’ve freshly watered it, it’s time to water again.
Protecting and Caring for Your Lawn
Once your lawn is established there are a few things that you can do to maintain it and allow it to thrive.
- Remove any weeds, either by hand pulling or by chemical means. Your lawn will be at its best when it does not have to compete with weeds for food.
- De-thatch your lawn, over time thatch will build up in your lawn, using a rake to remove this build-up allows your grass to grow better.
- Aerate the lawn, allowing oxygen to get to the roots of your grass is important for growth, as you soil compacts over time the oxygen supply can become diminished. You can use a spiked roller or a garden fork to aerate your soil.
- Apply grass seed to bare spots, filling in any patched with seed will minimize weeds and keep your lawn looking in top condition.
- Mow grass appropriately, see the 1/3 rule.
- Water and feed grass, making sure your lawn gets the appropriate water and feed is a must for the success of your lawn, feeding can be done in either granular form or by liquid spray on feed.
Types of Grass
To determine how long it takes for grass to grow you will need to understand the traits of various types of grass. Some grasses have fast germination rates but are slow growing while other types may take longer to germinate but will spread quickly. Germination is the amount of time it takes for grass seed to sprout after it has been sowed. Grass germination can be effected by the type of grass seed, soil and weather conditions. Each species of grass seed requires a specific temperature to germinate. For the majority of grasses the best time for sowing will generally be in the spring when temperatures are mild.
Grass seeds are generally categorized into two types – warm temperature grasses and cooler temperature grass. The growth and health of your lawn will depend upon the region where you live and the range of temperatures you experience. Many homeowners like to sow both a warm and cool type of seed to ensure a lush green lawn all year-round.
Grasses are characterized as either creeping or bunch types. Creeping grasses spread through runners that travel either above or below the ground. Creeping grasses can become invasive if you have flower beds. You can minimize this creep with either a border or creating a boundary to keep out grass from invading into areas you don’t want it in. Bunch grasses spread by the center of the plant or its crown. Bunch grasses are more susceptible to damage from mowing if cut too close to the crown. Damaged grass may take a long time to recover and will not grow as desired. You can minimize damaging your lawns consisting of bunch grasses by cutting you grass on a higher setting.
Warm Grasses
Warm temperature grass species thrive in climates where temperatures reach 75-90 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months. These grass types provide a thick, dense cover and are ideal for southern regions or areas that receive plenty of direct sunlight. During the cooler months when the soil temperature reaches below 64-degrees most warm-season grass species will go dormant.
Zoysia Grass / ZoysiaGrass (Zoysie japonica)
This species is a tough warm-season grass that is versatile and easy to maintain. The ideal time to plant Zoysia grass is in the spring once there is no longer any threat of frost.
Pros
- Stands up well to heavy traffic areas
- Resistant to most common diseases
- Excellent grass type to combat soil erosion
- Deep root system that conserves water
- Tolerate periods of drought pretty well
- Great at repelling weeds
Cons
- Slow-growing grass.
- Average germination of 14 to 21 days
- Generally grown only from sod or plugs
- Needs ample time to establish a good solid root system
Centipede Grass
Of all the warm grasses this grass has one of the slowest growth rates, but once it is well established it requires minimal fertilizing and is low maintenance.
Pros
- Uniform growth, grows into a thick sod with a shallow root system
- Grows well in South-eastern regions with high annual rainfall
- Grows well in acidic or sandy soils
- In mild climates it will remain green throughout the winter months
- Doesn’t really have a dormancy period
- Average germination rate of 14 days
Cons
- Tolerates limited traffic and shade
- Proper irrigation is required when it is stressed during the summer months
- Not very tolerant to long periods of drought
Bermuda Grass
Bermuda grass thrives in temperatures reaching 75-99 degrees but is dormant during the winter months it is characterized as having relatively short blades that appear to have rough edges which are gray-green in color. Recommended cutting height for Bermuda grass is 1 inch to 1 ½ inches to maintain healthy growth.
Pros
- Fastest growing warm-season grass
- Can be grown from seed
- Average germination rate of 15 days
- Has a deep root system making it highly tolerable to periods of drought
- Can also tolerate heavy traffic
- Thrives in areas which have direct sunlight and good drainage.
- Will remain green throughout the winter in frost free areas.
Cons
Saint Augustine Grass
This type of lawn grass is characterized as having a compact and dense growth habit with leaves that are blue-green in color. Recommended cutting height for St. Augustine grass should be cut to 3 to 4 inches for optimal growth.
Pros
- Tolerates various soil types
- Likes warm climates with high temperatures between 80 to 100 degrees.
- Will tolerant levels of salt making it a very suitable for coastal regions
- More tolerant to shaded areas than other types of warm grasses
- St. Augustine grass is one of the most popular grass types in the southern states.
Cons
Kikuyu Grass
Kikuyu grass is classified as having leaves that are light green in color and have a coarse texture, it’s sometimes mistaken for St. Augustine grass. Recommended cutting height for Kikuyu grass should be between 1 and 3 inches. Under ideal conditions it can grow as much as an inch per day.
Pros
- Great for regions that are prone to periods of drought
- Can tolerate nearly any watering conditions from prolonged dry periods to near-flooding.
- Tolerates foot traffic really well
- Thrives in direct sunlight.
- Very easy to maintain and grows quickly
- Germination period is between 10 to 14 days
Cons
- Will often require lawn mowing every week in summer
- Can be highly invasive to surrounding garden beds
- Requires regular maintenance to remove thatch build-up
Cool Grasses
Your best bet to establish a beautiful lawn is to sow cool season grass early in the spring. Cool grasses achieve the majority of their growing starting in spring through to late fall. The optimum temperature for these grasses is between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Most cool season grasses will go dormant during the hot summer months when the grass will turn a greenish yellow until spring. These grasses are generally sold as seed.
Bentgrass
There are numerous species of Bentgrass, for home lawns Penncross Creeping Bentgrass is considered to be the best choice. This grass type is a very popular choice of golf courses.
Pros
- Adapts well to cool, humid environments.
- Thrives in direct sunlight
Cons
Kentucky Bluegrass
This creeping grass is dark green in color and characterized by its ability to spread rapidly. It has a slower germination rate than other cool season grasses, ranging from 14 to 30 days.
Pros
- Very common choice among homeowners in the Northern U.S.
- It has the hardiest tolerance to cold temperatures.
- Commonly mixed in with other types of lawns to fill in bare spots.
- It can tolerate mild to moderate traffic.
- Drought tolerant with the ability to recover quickly from damage.
Cons
- Has a shallow root system.
- Water Hungry, without plenty of rainfall, your lawn will require a proper irrigation system.
- Likely to go dormant faster than many other types of grass.
Fine Fescue
Fine Fescue grasses, as the name suggests, is characterized by its fine, narrow blades and gray-green in color. It is commonly used in grass seed mixes with other Fescues to adapt to sunny locations. Seed has a germination rate of 7 to 14 days from planted.
Pros
- Known as shade grass for its ability to thrive in shaded areas.
- Highly tolerant of drought conditions.
- Requires little fertilizer to maintain a good looking lawn.
- Low-maintenance lawn grass.
- Known for having an attractive dune-effect when left un mowed.
Cons
Perennial Ryegrass
This grass seed is commonly used across different regions throughout the U.S. Perennial Ryegrass offers one of the fastest germination rates under ideal conditions, typically around 8 days.
Pros
- Fast growth rate.
- Hardiness for bald spots and areas of high traffic.
- Grass is a bunch-type, meaning it is non-spreading.
- Cold-tolerance.
- Commonly used to over seed dormant lawns in Southern regions.
- Will generally maintain its green color throughout the winter.
Cons
- Can start to struggle during the warmer months.
- Get particularly thirsty through spring and summer.
- Heavy watering over these spring and summer is advised to keep your lawn looking healthy.
Rough Bluegrass
Is not the most ideal grass type for lawns as it is a spreading, aggressive grass-like weed, it has leaf blades that are a light-yellow green with a reddish hue when dry conditions persist. It blooms in June, producing seeds that further its spread.
Pros
- Known for spreading quickly in shaded areas during cooler weather.
- Grows well under cool temperatures
- Adapts well to areas with poor drainage.
Cons
- Considered high maintenance, requiring a lot of watering.
- When used in lawns with other grass types it tends to stand out in patches.
- Does not adapt well to heat, turn brown in temperatures above 80-degrees Fahrenheit.
- Dies back in summer heat, leaving bare spots where your grass once grew.
Tall Fescue
This species of fescue is a bunch-type grass having fine texture leaves that are dark green in color. If you are planning to plant your lawn in the vicinity of livestock this is probably not the grass for you as it can become infected with an internal fungus, an endophyte (Acremonium coenophialum), which produces an alkaloid (ergovaline) that is toxic to dairy cows, beef cows, horses, sheep, goats, birds, grasshoppers, ants and even nematodes.
Pros
- Can tolerate periods of drought.
- Adapts well to withstand heat.
- Tolerates medium to high traffic spots.
- Its deep root system helps to recover quickly from damage.
- Low maintenance grass that is easy to establish.
- Can go up to a month in between mowing.
Cons
Understanding Grass Growth?
Weather conditions play the biggest role in determining the rate at which grass will grow. Planting at the right time allows you to maximize the four major factors that will determine your grass growth, they are sunlight, moisture, carbon dioxide and the soil temperature. Other growth influencer's include the amount of nutrients available in your soil, the kind of soil in your yard and its pH level.
After establishing your lawn for it to continue to thrive and grow year after year you will need to provide the right nutrition. Depending on your soil’s composition it may have sufficient nutrients to maintain a healthy lawn. If you need to supply nutrients you can do so with the use of organic materials such as composting leaves and grass clippings. If you fail to supply proper nutrients for your lawn it could become susceptible to pests, diseases, grass thinning, erosion, and other potential problems. By keeping on top of all of your lawns needs and making sure it has sufficient water and regular mowing you will guarantee that it has its best chance to thrive, but remember regardless of the type of grass you opt for there are some factors that can’t be helped, environmental factors can hinder the rate of grass growth so plan accordingly.
More Resources
We hope you found our article helpful, if you would like to read some more of our articles then we think these below may be interesting for you.
- Your Leaf Blower Won’t Start - How do You Fix It?
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Additional References :
- Study : Lawn Grasses : International Journal of Horticulture, 2017, Vol.7
- Carolina Lawns: A Guide to Maintaining Quality Turf in the Landscape