Understanding Your Lawn

Grass is basically tough. It can take an amazing amount of abuse and neglect and still come back strong. This is all because of the way grass grows. Understanding grasses, how they grow and what they need makes it easier to maintain a beautiful lawn.

Most plants would die quickly if subjected to weekly mowing, because most plants grow from the ends of the stems to the top of the plant. Grasses, however, have their growing points at the base of their leaves, close to the ground. This is called the crown. A grass plant can lose most of its leaves, as when you mow it. It can lose its roots, which happens when grass it harvested for sod. As long as the crown is intact the plant will live on, because the crown can generate new roots and leaves.

Types of Grasses

Grasses are divided into 2 types - cool-season and warm-season. Here in north Texas we typically find warm-season grasses, although technically we are in a transition zone, so some cool-season grasses will thrive with proper care. Sadly, our summers are too hot for cool-season grasses and our winters are too cold for warm-season grasses. Both types will grow but neither does especially well.

We live in the Southern part of the transition zone where warm-season but cold-tolerant grasses do best. This includes some varieties of bermuda, tall fescue, St. Augustine, and zoysiagrass.

The type of grass you have determines the maintenance program you should employ to give you the best-looking, healthiest lawn.

The Benefits of a Lawn

Apart from looking good and being nice to walk on your lawn adds other benefits you might not have thought about. A nice lawn adds curb appeal and value to your home. Grass helps you with heat and noise, too. The concrete of your sidewalk and driveway may be well over 100 degrees F during the summertime (and a lot more here in Texas) but grass remains at a balmy 75 degrees. This cooling effect helps your air conditioner work less. Grass also absorbs noise, keeping your environment much more pleasant. And it makes a great playing surface for kids and adults.

Grass keeps your soil from running off into your neighbors yard, trapping moisture and helping eliminate dust and mud. Grass also is a great oxygen producer - a 5000 square foot lawn produces enough oxygen to provide for 8 people for an entire day.

With all of the great benefits a lawn provides why wouldn't you want to make yours the best it can be? We can help with that - follow the tips on this blog to make your lawn thick and beautiful or contact GrassFX and let us do the work for you.

GrassFX Lawn Care serves NE and Western Tarrant County, offering reasonably priced full-service lawn care. We offer mowing, edging, trimming and cleanup as part of our regular mowing service. We also have seasonal and yearly packages for complete lawn maintenance, including fertilizing, weed control, ant control, aeration, dethatching, hedge trimming, minor tree trimming, seeding, tilling and more. Discounts for weekly and bi-weekly mowings.

GrassFX is committed to the environment and uses organic methods to beautify your lawn. For more information on organic lawn care.

Call Gary at 817-939-5249 for more information, quotes, or to make an appointment.