Types Of Sod In The Midwest

There are many varieties of sod and it may seem overwhelming to choose one for your property of business in the Midwest. All sod types have unique characteristics that are perfect for some climates and properties but not ideal for others. Read on to learn more about the most popular types of sod in the Midwest.

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Kentucky Bluegrass 

Kentucky bluegrass is extremely tolerant of the cold temperatures that are common in the Midwest, making it America’s most common cool season grass. Its blades are soft and easier on mowers. Kentucky bluegrass regrows very quickly when damaged, making it great for high-traffic areas like commercial properties or sports fields.

Though Kentucky bluegrass can withstand Midwest winters and regrow after a drought, it does require a lot of water compared to other sod varieties like fescues. Its shallow roots require more fertilization and frequent mowing, so it can be labor-intensive to maintain. 

Tall Fescue Sod

Like Kentucky Bluegrass, Tall Fescue is a transitional cool-season grass, but it also handles high temperatures and short periods of drought extremely well. It spreads quickly and is fairly low maintenance and can handle a fair amount of foot traffic. Tall fescue sod does not require much fertilizer or irrigation to remain lush and green

Though tall fescue can handle short-term drought better than Kentucky Bluegrass, it doesn’t recover as well once it’s damaged. Repairing Tall Fescue almost always means reseeding. It is a fairly high-maintenance grass that needs frequent mowing, and it’s important to be mindful of oversaturation, as too much water makes it susceptible to damage and diseases.

Fine Fescue Varieties

If you’re looking for a low-maintenance grass, fine fescues may be more your speed. This cool season grass is tolerant of shade and doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer, irrigation, or mowing to stay healthy.  Fine fescues generally don’t do well in very wet climates.

The fine fescues look very similar to one another, but different varieties produce varying results. They are often combined together to thrive in a specific environment:

• Strong creeping red fescue: medium green rhizome grass with good to excellent shade tolerance
• Slender creeping red fescue: light/ medium green rhizome grass with good to excellent shade tolerance
• Sheep fescue: powdery blue-green bunching grass with fair shade tolerance and very low maintenance needs
• Hard fescue:dark gray-green to blue-green bunching grass with good shade tolerance and very low maintenance needs
• Chewings fescue: medium green bunching grass with excellent shade tolerance

Warm-Season Sod

Though warm-season sod is not as common in the Midwest because of prolonged times of cold temperatures, there are some varieties that may do well in certain regions and microclimates. 

Zoysia grass is most common in the southern part of the United States, but it tends to be more tolerant of the cold than other warm season grasses. Homeowners in the transition climate zone find that Zoysia grass is a good solution to areas where there are both cold and warm weather patterns. Zoysia grass remains green longer into the Fall and early Winter than most warm season grasses and it greens up again in early Spring. It does go dormant during extended drought, but recovers fairly quickly.

Bermuda grass is extremely popular in America’s warmest areas like Texas and Florida. Bermuda grass is extremely drought-tolerant, which is very advantageous in many parts of the Midwest. It also withstands a fair amount of foot traffic without needing a lot of maintenance in the summer months. 

In the winter it goes dormant and looks dead, but this is actually just a strategy for Bermuda grass to conserve energy so it can thrive when temperatures rise again. It is actually quite tolerant of the cold, especially for a warm season grass, but many Midwest homeowners don’t like the idea of a brown lawn for so much of the year.

Professional Fescue Sod Installation In The Midwest

If you’d love an instant lush lawn that can withstand the ins and outs of a Midwest climate, fescue sod is a great choice. Contact our Sioux City Iowa sod farm today to get a free quote on professional sod installation for your Midwest home or business.