Knowing your Lawn - The Grass Guide  Grass Anatomy Only a select group of 50 species are suitable for lawn use. All grasses share the same basic structure. The crown is the "brain" of the plant. If we cut the crown, the grass will die. The crown is also in charge of sucking up water through the roots to fuel photosynthesis. This process gives the plant energy to stimulate new growth. Stems and nodes hold each grass blade (academically, known as the leaf). When we cut the grass, only the leaf should fall off (1/3 of the stem); otherwise, the plant will become stressed. (The diagram to the right courtesy of Kelvinsong ) Lawn Reproduction Grasses differ in how they grow and spread. If the grass blades become long enough, all species can generate through seed germination. Routine mowing prevents this from happening. Instead, the grass can reproduce in three ways: Rhizomatous grasses create new growth at the end of underground stems, called rhizomes. Stoloniferous grasses produce new plants at nodes along the stolons. Clumping grasses don't send out stolons; they grow new stems called tillers, directly out of the crown. Homeowners like these grasses. These grasses tend to fill in more quickly, making for a lusher lawn. Cool Season Grasses Since we only service Northeast Ohio, we have included a chart for cool-season and transitional grasses. Cool-season grasses grow best in colder climates where the temperature is between 60 F and 75 F and require a steady supply of water to grow best. These are average spring and fall temperatures in Ohio, and thus cool-season grasses will need to be cut more at these times.  |
