The Best Grass for Low Maintenance in Atlanta

Installing a new lawn can be a lot of fun when it comes to the decision making process on which type of grass you want. It’s also enjoyable to see how good it looks after the installation is complete. For some homeowners, finding a type of turfgrass that requires the least amount of maintenance possible is the most important factor. Various turfgrasses perform in different ways depending on the location and climate they live in. This is why it is important to research how much maintenance goes into a turfgrass. Sod University talks about some of the low maintenance turfgrass selections in the Atlanta markets. If shade is a big issue for your Atlanta home lawn, be sure to read The Best Grass for Shade in Atlanta.

What sort of maintenance goes into grass?

Zoysia grasses, St. Augustines, bermudagrasses, centipede grasses, fescues and bluegrasses all require different types of maintenance. Additionally, there are multiple different cultivars of zoysias, St. Augustines, bermudagrasses, etc. The one thing they have in common is the indisputable fact that all natural turfgrasses require some sort of maintenance—whether it’s watering, mowing, fertilization, weed control, insect control or disease control.

When it comes to selecting a low maintenance turfgrass, homeowners should be specific with what sort of maintenance they really don’t want to perform very often. For example, some homeowners may really dislike mowing on a weekly basis, whereas others want a turfgrass that requires less water and saves money. Narrowing down to which specific maintenance tasks you don’t enjoy will often help with the decision making process.

Which grass is best for low maintenance?

There are several turfgrasses listed below that are really known for their low maintenance properties in the Atlanta market. The answer to this question, however, greatly depends on what you are looking for. As previously stated, narrowing down what specific maintenance you don’t want to perform as often will help you make a better decision. Every turfgrass is different from one another and have a variety of different characteristics to offer. It is also important to note that certain grass varieties perform better in other areas, so finding a low maintenance grass in Atlanta may differ from a low maintenance grass in Florida.

The Best Zoysia Grass for Low Maintenance in Atlanta

Geo® Zoysia is a really beautiful fine-bladed zoysia grass with a deep green color that really makes a home lawn stand out. Geo is easily one of the most aesthetically appealing turfgrass varieties you find in both commercial and residential landscapes. Finer-bladed zoysias are a little more shade tolerant, but Geo’s shade tolerance is comparable to most other zoysias. Additionally, Geo is wear tolerant and thrives in a variety of soil and climate conditions. It also features a reduced thatch build-up compared to other finer bladed zoysias. Geo Zoysia:

• Has a very good wear tolerance,
• Doesn’t require you to fill in spots during recovery,
• Is very shade tolerant and doesn’t require as much sunlight as other zoysias,
• Is very drought tolerant and allows you to shut off water for a short amount of time,
• Bounces back from periods of drought quickly,
• Has a very dense canopy allowing it to outcompete weeds so that you don’t have to control them as often,
• Does well in Atlanta’s climate and is pretty popular in metro Atlanta.

To learn more about the kind of maintenance Geo Zoysia requires, visit our Geo Zoysia Homeowner Maintenance Guide.

EMPIRE® Zoysia is a turfgrass that checks all the boxes. This grass is easy to take care of and continues to maintain great color. EMPIRE has a very dense canopy. Its canopy strongly competes against weeds and allows for less chemical herbicides to be applied. EMPIRE is also a chinch bug resistant turfgrass.

You may need to mow every 7–10 days during the active growing season at a height of 1–2 inches. It also allows the water supply to be shut off in severe periods of drought without permanently harming the turfgrass. EMPIRE’s natural dormancy mechanism allows it to go off color and preserve itself in times of drought, but its color will come right back. This turfgrass also recovers from damage quickly, so when damaged areas appear, weeds generally won’t start to grow in the bare spots. EMPIRE’s biggest low maintenance characteristics are its insect and weed resistance. EMPIRE:

• Has a denser canopy that makes it more competitive against weeds than St. Augustines,
• Is chinch bug resistant and fends off other insects well,
• Bounces back from periods of drought fast,
• Is very wear tolerant,
• Has a rapid damage recovery,
• Thrives in tropical and intense climates like Florida.

To learn more about the maintenance EMPIRE requires, visit our EMPIRE Homeowner Maintenance Guide.

The Best Bermudagrass for Low Maintenance in Atlanta

Celebration® Bermudagrass is a finer-bladed cultivar of bermudagrass with a blue-green color and  high curb appeal. Celebration has finished best in numerous university studies for its wear tolerance, recovery, drought tolerance and bermudagrass shade tolerance. Celebration has an aggressive growing habit that will quickly recover from damage so that you don’t have to fill in any bare spots. Its dense canopy allows it to easily outcompete weeds so that you won’t have to spend as much money controlling or preventing weeds as you might with another turfgrass variety. Additionally, Celebration is super drought hardy and holds its color really well during periods of drought. You can shut off your water for an extended period of time without having to worry about Celebration enduring too much drought stress or turning off-color. In general, Celebration is also great at recovering from stress caused by insects or disease. Celebration:

• Recovers from damage quickly so you don’t have to spend time or money filing in any bare spots,
• Chokes out weeds with a dense canopy,
• Endures periods of drought really well without immediately going off-color,
• Saves money spent on water,
• Recovers from other stressors like insect damage and disease damage fairly quickly.

To learn more about the kind of maintenance Celebration Bermudagrass requires, visit our Celebration Bermudagrass Homeowner Maintenance Guide.