Grass Types for Your Lawn in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo, New York experiences vast temperature ranges annually, having an average low temperature around -10 degrees Fahrenheit. These vast temperature changes can cause massive problems for growing grasses. Even for someone new to the area, it does not take long to notice the drastic effects that the region’s seasonal changes have on plants, gardens, and lawns in the city and its suburbs.

Seasonal browning and wilting can turn into enough of a cause for some lawn owners to give up entirely on trying to get a perfectly green and healthy yard. But by carefully choosing your grass seed mixture for cooler climates, you can avoid all the stress associated with a dead lawn, and skip right to having a healthy soft green yard of your own in less than a few months. Simply take note of the amount of daily sunlight your lawn receives, and use this grass growing guide to take your lawn to new and beautiful heights. Here are four grass types for your lawn in Buffalo.

1. Fine Fescue

While everyone wants a lawn that receives plenty of daily sunlight, unfortunately for many homes, this simply cannot be the case. Many times, sections of a lawn may only receive 4-8 hours of daily sunlight. For a lawn such as this in Buffalo, fine fescue grasses may be the best solution for those shaded areas covering your yard. Fine fescues consist of some of the finest leafed grasses available to lawns, and their shade tolerance is almost unbeatable.

This category of grass includes creeping red fescue, chewings fescue, hard fescue, and sheep fescue grass. When choosing a seed mixture for scattering, ensure the mixture is 100% fine fescues for the best results. Fine fescue seeds grow in in about 21-50 days, one of the fastest growing rates outranking many bluegrasses, and require the lowest amount of fertilizing and care. It is highly recommended that these seeds are planted in the fall, however springtime months will also work.

Lawn mowing height: 1/4 to 1/2 inch

2. Tall Fescue

For homes in the Buffalo area that receive more sunlight than average, meaning anywhere from 6 to 8 hours of direct daily sunlight, a tall fescue blend may be a better, more beautiful option as well. Tall fescues are well known for their ability to adapt to cooler climates, and many tall fescues actually have a good shade tolerance as well, when compared with bluegrasses.

Varieties of tall fescues include darker green colors, with narrower blades, and cold, heat, drought and shade tolerances. Tall fescues require relatively low maintenance, so for a lawn that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily, these may be the best option. Try planting a 100% tall fescue blend between the months of September to November for best growing results, taking only 21 to 30 days to establish seedlings.

Lawn mowing height: 1/4 to 1/2 inch

3. Kentucky Bluegrass

For those who take more pride in hands on maintenance of their lawns, Kentucky bluegrasses may be the perfect option. These grasses create lush, dark green lawns that are durable to wear and tear. However, Kentucky bluegrasses are notorious for having poor shade tolerance, so ensure your lawn receives at the very least 6 to 8 hours of daily sunlight. These grasses also take a long time to grow in, taking anywhere from 30 to 90 days to grow into seedlings.

For best results, try planting a mixture of 65% Kentucky bluegrass, 15% perennial rye grasses, and 20% fine fescues. Just as with the fescue grasses, plant this mixture between September and November. As a warning however, this grass mixture will require more work than other grasses, requiring more fertilizer and watering than just plain fescues in the area, but the hard work is absolutely worth the beauty.

Lawn mowing height: 1/4 to 1/2 inch

4. Perennial Ryegrass

The last grass type recommended for the USDA hardiness zone 6a is the category of perennial ryegrasses. These grasses many times are used for overseeding, as they have the fastest growth rate out of the other cooler climate grass options, growing into seedlings in 14 to 21 days. Perennial rye grasses have surprisingly high tolerances for wear and tear, but can only withstand small amounts of shade, so make sure your lawn receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.

Lawn mowing height: 1/4 to 1/2 inch

Need help choosing the right grass type? Visit our Buffalo lawn care page to get in touch with a professional! In addition to Buffalo, we provide lawn care services to New York cities including Rochester, Albany, and Syracuse.

Feature image source: Zillow Buffalo, NY