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Grasses used in Arkansas consist of warm season and cool season grasses. Arkansas lies in what turf professionals call the transition zone. What this means is that summer in Arkansas is too hot for cool-season grasses to perform well and winters are often cold enough to injure or kill warm-season grasses. Unfortunately, maintaining lawn grasses in the transition zone is more difficult than in many other parts of the United States. Zoysiagrass and bermudagrass are grown in all parts of the state. Arkansas rarely has winter damage to zoysiagrass, but cold weather injury to bermudagrass is not unusual.
Centipedegrass grass is also used in Arkansas in the central and southern areas. It looks like St. Augustine, but the leaves are smaller and the color paler green. It is a slow-growing grass that establishes well from seed. This grass is well suited to sandy, acid soils. It is moderately shade tolerant, requires less mowing than bermudagrass or St. Augustinegrass, tolerates cold better than St. Augustinegrass, and has poor wear tolerance. In addition to the low mowing requirement, centipedegrass requires no lime and minimal amounts of nitrogen.
Tall fescue is the most heat and drought tolerant of the cool-season or northern grasses. Two reasons for the increased popularity of tall fescue is good shade tolerance and excellent winter survival. Tall fescue will stay green all winter. It does best in north Arkansas but can be grown in the central part of the state. This grass looks and grows best during the fall and spring. Tall fescue is the most shade tolerant grasses recommended for Arkansas and can be used for a shade grass in any part of the state.
Below is the USDA Zone Map for Arkansas so you can determine which zone you reside in. Below that are our picks for your state which will do best in your area. Next on this page are tables which list various grasses and their characteristics so you can compare before you decide on your purchase. Click on the product name (ie. Midnight) for more information about that grass and to make your purchase.
| USDA Zone Map For Arkansas | |
|---|---|
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| Best Grasses For Arkansas | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Name | Species | Category | Applications |
| La Prima | Bermuda Grass | Warm Season | Lawns - Full Sun |
| Yukon | Bermuda Grass | Warm Season | Lawns - Full Sun |
| Zenith | Zoysia Grass | Warm Season | Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun |
| Compadre | Zoysia Grass | Warm Season | Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun |
| Centipede | Centipede Grass | Warm Season | Lawns - Mostly Sunny to Full Sun |
| Combat Extreme | Fescue - Turf Type | Cool Season | Lawns - Partial Sun Lawns - Full Sun Zone 7a |
| Champion Ryegrass | Rye Grass | Cool Season | Lawns - Winter Overseed Sports Fields - Winter Overseed |
| Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool Season Grasses |
Leaf Texture |
Establish Rate |
Nitrogen Use |
Water Use |
Drought Tolerance |
Salinity Tolerance |
Shade Tolerance |
|
| Bentgrass - Creeping | Fine | Moderate to Fast |
Low to Moderate |
High | Poor to Moderate |
High | Poor to Moderate |
|
| Bentgrass - Colonial | Fine | Moderate to Fast |
Low | Moderate | Poor to Moderate |
Moderate | Moderate | |
| Bluegrass - Kentucky | Moderate to Fine |
Slow | Moderate to High |
Moderate to High |
Good | Moderate | Poor | |
| Bluegrass - Rough | Moderate to Fine |
Slow | Moderate to High |
Moderate to High |
Poor | Moderate | Excellent | |
| Fescue - Chewings | Fine | Moderate | Moderate to Low |
Moderate | Good to Excellent |
Low | Excellent | |
| Fescue - Hard | Fine | Slow to Moderate |
Low to Very Low |
Moderate | Excellent | Low to Moderate |
Excellent | |
| Fescue - Creeping | Fine | Moderate | Low to Moderate |
Moderate | Good | Low | Excellent | |
| Fescue - Turf Type | Moderate to Coarse |
Moderate | Moderate to High |
Low to Moderate |
Excellent | Low | Good to Excellent |
|
| Ryegrass - Perennial | Fine to Moderate |
Very Fast | Moderate to High |
Moderate to High |
Good | Poor to Moderate |
Poor to Moderate |
|
| Warm Season Grasses |
Leaf Texture |
Establish Rate |
Nitrogen Use |
Water Use |
Drought Tolerance |
Salinity Tolerance |
Shade Tolerance |
|
| Bahiagrass | Coarse toVery Coarse |
Slow to Moderate |
Low | Low | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate to Good |
|
| Bermudagrass | Fine to Moderate |
Moderate to Fast |
Moderate | Moderate to High |
Excellent | Very Good | Poor | |
| Blue Grama | Fine to Moderate |
Slow to Moderate |
Low | Low | Excellent | Moderate | Very Poor | |
| Buffalograss | Moderate to Coarse |
Slow to Moderate |
Low | Low | Excellent | Moderate | Very Poor | |
| Carpetgrass | Coarse | Moderate to Fast |
Low | High | Low | Low | Excellent | |
| Centipedegrass | Moderate to Coarse |
Slow | Low | Low | Good | Moderate | Moderate to Good |
|
| Seashore Paspalum | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Excellent | Excellent | Good | |
| Zoysiagrass | Fine to Medium |
Slow to Moderate |
Moderate | Moderate | Excellent | Good | Moderate to Good |
|
| Compare Various Grasses For Their Characteristics - Continued | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool Season Grasses |
Fertility Needs |
Wear Resistance |
Mowing Height |
Cold Tolerance |
Acid Soil Tolerance |
Thatching Tendency |
Heat Tolerance |
|
| Bentgrass - Creeping | High | Low | Low | Low | Medium to High |
High | High | |
| Bentgrass - Colonial | High | Low | Low | Low | Medium to High |
High | High | |
| Bluegrass - Kentucky | Medium | Medium to High |
Medium | High | Medium | Medium | Medium | |
| Bluegrass - Rough | Medium | Medium | Medium | High | Medium | Medium | Medium | |
| Fescue - Chewings | Low | Low | Medium | Medium to High |
Medium to High |
Low to Medium |
Low to Medium |
|
| Fescue - Hard | Low | Low | Medium | Medium to High |
Medium to High |
Low to Medium |
Low to Medium |
|
| Fescue - Creeping | Low | Low | Medium | High | Medium to High |
Low to Medium |
Low to Medium |
|
| Fescue - Turf Type | Low to Medium |
Medium to High |
Medium to High |
Medium | High | Low | High | |
| Ryegrass - Perennial | Medium | High | Low to Medium |
Medium | Medium | Low | Medium to High |
|
| Warm Season Grasses |
Fertility Needs |
Wear Resistance |
Mowing Height |
Cold Tolerance |
Acid Soil Tolerance |
Thatching Tendency |
Heat Tolerance |
|
| Bahiagrass | Low | Medium to High |
High | Low | Low | Medium to High |
High | |
| Bermudagrass | Medium | High | Low to Medium |
Low to Medium |
Medium | Medium | High | |
| Blue Grama | Low | Low | High | High | Low | Low | High | |
| Buffalograss | Low | Low | High | High | Low | Low | High | |
| Carpetgrass | Low | Medium to High |
Low | Medium to High |
Medium to High |
High | Low | |
| Centipedegrass | Low | Low | Medium to High |
Medium to High |
High | Medium | High | |
| Seashore Paspalum | Medium to High |
Medium to High |
Low | Medium | Low | Medium to High |
High | |
| Zoysiagrass | Low to Medium |
Medium to High |
Low to Medium |
High | Low to Medium |
Medium to High |
High | |
To calculate the amount of seed you will need for your project, click one of the links below for the type of grass seed you are interested in. A dialog window will appear listing your selected coverage and providing options for calculating your seed.
If you already know the square feet, length/width or acreage of your yard or lot, you can use the 'Quick Calculator'. If you need to add multiple lots and/or subtract areas that will not require seed, you may use the 'Advanced Calculator.'
The dialog window can be moved by clicking and dragging the top 'title bar'. You may click different types of seed to recalculate without re-entering your data.
| Cool Season Grasses: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of Grass: | Name of Grass: | Square Feet Covered |
| Bentgrass, Colonial | Highland | 500 to 1000 |
| Bentgrass, Creeping | Nu Penn or Penncross | 500 to 1000 |
| Bluegrass, Creeping | True Putt | 350 to 500 |
| Bluegrass, Kentucky | Midnight or World Cup | 350 to 500 |
| Bluegrass, Rough | Maximum | 350 to 500 |
| Envirolawn | Envirolawn | 750 |
| Fescue, Fine | Hard, Creeping, Sheeps or Legacy | 150 to 200 |
| Fescue, Turf Type Tall | Combat Extreme | 100 to 125 |
| Mixtures, Turf Type Fescue & Kentucky Bluegrass | Combat Blue | 175 to 200 |
| Mixtures, Ryegrass & Fine Fescue | Garland | 125 to 175 |
| Mixtures, Ryegrass, Bluegrass, & Fine Fescue | Showtime | 175 to 250 |
| Mixtures, Rough Bluegrass & Supina Bluegrass | Poa Supina | 350 to 500 |
| Ryegrass, Perennial | Outsidepride Blend | 100 to 140 |
| Warm Season Grasses: | ||
| Type of Grass: | Name of Grass: | Square Feet Covered |
| Bahia | Pensacola | 175 to 200 |
| Bermuda | Laprima, Princess, or Riviera | 350 to 500 |
| Blue Grama | Bad River | 350 to 500 |
| Buffalo | Cody or Supreme | 350 to 500 |
| Carpet | Carpet | 200 to 250 |
| Centipede | Coated | 1000 to 2000 |
| Seashore Paspalum | Seashore Paspalum | 1000 |
| Zoysia | Companion or Zenith | 500 to 1000 |
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