What is the Best Grass for Colorado Landscaping?
It’s what you like to feel between your toes, what ties your property together, and what will provide your kids with plenty of playtime – your lawn and grass. Grass is a critical feature to any great landscaping layout, but not all grass is created the same, especially in the dry air of Colorado. Colorado’s dry conditions, including arid climate and hot summers, present unique challenges for lawn maintenance and make grass selection especially important.
If you’re expanding your lawn by seeding or laying new sod, you need a strong start that works with Colorado’s altitude and moisture levels. Choosing the right grass type tailored to Colorado’s climate is essential for establishing a healthy, green lawn that can thrive despite these challenges. Let’s learn about some of the best grass for Colorado lawns, the best time to lay sod in Colorado, and even a little lesson about Colorado soil.
Best Grass for Colorado Lawns
The #1 choice for Colorado lawns. Colorado drought-tolerant blue grass is a cool-season grass, which means it thrives during the cooler periods of the year and is well-suited to Colorado’s cold winters, lack of moisture, and altitude. With local water shortages and set irrigation times, a drought-tolerant grass is essential for a healthy lawn in Colorado.
Texas hybrid grass gets its bold color from Kentucky bluegrass and its drought tolerance from Texas bluegrass. Make a hybrid from those two, and you have a great grass for Colorado lawns. By blending the strengths of these and other grass types, Texas hybrid grass is well-suited to thrive in Colorado’s unique climate.
Also known as RTF, Rhizomatous is a fancy way of saying your lawn will continually spread. No worries about bare spots with the continuous filling action of rhizomatous tall fescue (RTF.) RTF is tough for lawns with kids and can withstand heavy foot traffic, making it ideal for high-traffic areas. It is also considered low maintenance compared to other options, requiring minimal upkeep once established. RTF is a common requirement for Castle Pines HOAs because of its hardiness, but be prepared to spend quite a bit more.
Colorado seems to get dryer every year and towns continue to roll back allowed watering times. Rather than wasting water and time trying to keep other grasses green and healthy, consider xeriscape style grasses. Xeriscaping is landscaping that drastically reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water and thrives during the worst of droughts. In fact, the term ‘xeriscape’ was coined by Denver Water.
Though most picture tall grasses and cacti for a xeriscape garden, that’s far from your only choices. Alison Peck of Boulder’s Matrix Gardens encourages Colorado xeriscaping with a wide array of drought-resistant plants. “Xeriscape is not rock and cactus,” she said. “It’s an idea we’ve been fighting since day one. Rock and cactus don’t even belong here. This is a grassland. Not a desert.” Popular xeriscape grasses include sand love grass, prairie dropseed grass, buffalo grass, blue grama, crested wheatgrass, and many more.
Some xeriscape options include warm season grasses, which are well-adapted to Colorado’s hot, dry summers.
Sun and Shade Considerations for Colorado Lawns
What Kind of Soil Does Colorado Have?
Preparing Soil for Sod in Colorado
Even Colorado specific grass won’t do well on raw Colorado soil. Before laying sod, it’s recommended to supplement the soil with a heavy layer of organic-rich topsoil. You can find topsoil anywhere from your local home improvement store to professional landscaping services. Don’t be afraid to lay a thick layer, anywhere from 4-6 inches deep for a strong base for your new sod. When planning, be sure to measure your lawn area in square feet to determine the correct amount of topsoil and sod needed.
For best results, apply a starter fertilizer when preparing the soil for new sod to promote healthy root development and early growth.
Best Time to Lay Sod in Colorado
Using a Landscaper for Best Grass for Your Lawn
Every lawn has different amounts of drainage, irrigation systems, sun, and much more. What might work on your neighbor’s lawn won’t necessarily work on yours. Instead of guessing and watching patches of grass die off, meet with a professional Colorado landscaper to find the best grass for Colorado lawns like yours.
A professional can provide comprehensive lawn care advice, including maintenance, mowing, watering, and weed control. Landscapers assess factors like direct sun exposure and recommend the best turf for your yard.
A professional will walk your property and make recommendations on which grasses will work and why. Once you’ve made an educated choice you can use that same landscaper to lay the sod for you. Most landscapers guarantee sod installations – something you can’t do for yourself.
If you’re interested in xeriscaping your yard, talking with a professional will set you up for success. When it comes to xeriscaping, minimizing water needs is the “name of the game” and just because a plant or grass is sold in Colorado, doesn’t mean it’s ideal for Colorado landscaping.
Picking the Best Grass for Colorado
You have several different options for grass in Colorado, but the most popular are cool-season grasses like Colorado bluegrass, Texas hybrid grass, and others. Cool-season grasses remain green during winter and are well-suited for Colorado’s climate, while warm-season grasses, such as buffalo grass and blue grama, thrive during the summer months and go dormant in winter. If you live in Castle Pines, you might be limited to Rhizomatous Tall Fescue, so check with your Home Owners Association.
Perennial ryegrass is a versatile, cool-season option valued for its rapid germination and resilience to heavy foot traffic, making it a great choice for active lawns. Tall fescue grass is another durable, low-maintenance turfgrass that handles high-traffic areas well and adapts to various sunlight and soil conditions. However, some grass types are more disease-prone and may require extra care, especially if not kept properly watered during the summer months. Regular mowing is also important for promoting healthy growth and maintaining your lawn’s appearance.
Those who want to lower their impact on the local environment should choose a xeriscape or native grass that will thrive in Colorado’s dry climate.
For the best possible grass for both your lawn and your tastes, contact JS Enterprises for an expert opinion on what grass will work the best for your yard. With one of the above grasses and help from JS Enterprises you’ll have a beautiful lawn that can handle Colorado’s unique climate.