
When taken into full consideration, all of the factors below will steer you towards making the right choice for your requirements of a new lawn variety. Ignoring them may lead to years of poor lawn health regardless of dedication to quality lawn care practices, lack of use of the space, regret, and possibly a lot of expense if you later need to replace the lawn with a new type of lawn variety.
The maze of lawn choices really isn't that difficult, it just requires a little research, and putting all of our preferences or biases aside from the start of the decision making process. Choosing the environmental aspects such as sun and shade conditions first, the use of the lawn second, and personal preference last.
Do you live near the beach? This may restrict the type of lawn turf that can survive and thrive at your desired location, some varieties can live with the salt, and others can't.
Is your lawn going to be in full sun? Some turf varieties absolutely love a full day of sun, yet the same lawn varieties may drop dead with just a small amount of shade.
What levels of shade will your lawn live with, and will young trees or bushes grow over the next few years to shade your lawn, what about that new pergola you're thinking about?
Shade tolerance is very important, every lawn requires a minimum amount of hours of direct sunlight per day for it's proper lawn care and survival, while some lawn types will tolerate some shade, other lawn varieties just simply will not tolerate it.
Will your lawn have cars driven on it, or will it be a heavy play area or other high use area? If so, then a more aggressive lawn variety that quickly repairs itself and withstands greater wear may the right choice.
The aggressiveness of a lawn is an important factor.
The aggressive lawn will be cheaper to purchase because it grows quicker on the farm. It repairs itself faster from damage, so this may be a consideration if your lawn will become a high traffic area.
On the opposite side, an aggressive lawn type will need to be mowed more often, and need to be vertimowed more often. It also invades surrounding areas like garden beds much easier, thus creating more maintenance and lawn care work for the lawn owner than other less aggressive lawn varieties.
Do you have a preference for a thick bladed leaf, or a preference for a thin leaf?
Understanding these most important primary considerations now leads onto choosing a lawn variety, follow these considerations and choose your lawn with confidence. The Lawn Varieties section lists many lawn types along with their requirements and tolerance for all of these lawn care and management factors.
Highly respected Australian turf and plant breeder Todd Layt shares expert lawn care advice with homeowners on The Lawn Guide.