| For lawns of the Northern Piedmont and areas in and west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the cool-season species, Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue, will produce the best year-around turf on home lawns. Other cool-season turfgrasses used for special purposes are fine leaf fescues (creeping red fescue, hard fescue, chewings fescue, and sheep fescue) and perennial ryegrass. Fine fescues have the best shade tolerance of all the cool-season grasses and arc often included in a mixture with various Kentucky bluegrass varieties. Meyer zoysiagrass, a warm-season species, can be used in light shade. Southern Piedmont/ Eastern Virginia In the Southern Piedmont and Eastern Virginia, tall fescue is the most commonly used lawngrass. Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass (warm-season grasses) are also adapted. If using bermudagrass, select a winter-hardy cultivar, especially if you live in northern Virginia or in an area with a higher elevation. |
