How Common Mississippi Grass Species Can Affect Your Lawn Care Plan

If you want to get the most possible value out of your lawn care, it’s essential to understand that “not all grass types are the same.”

You probably already understand that there are different types of grass in Mississippi, but you may not realize that they also respond differently to lawn care treatments.

Knowing the type of grass you have and its specific needs will be critical to achieving the best lawn care results.

Jump to Section

• What Is the Most Common Grass in Mississippi?
• How Do Common Turf Species in Mississippi Respond to Lawn Care?
• What Is the Best Grass for North Mississippi Lawns?
• How Do I Identify the Kind of Grass I Have?
• Is My Lawn Care Company Customizing My Plan to Fit My Type of Grass?
• Choosing Lawn Care in North Mississippi

Certain grass types simply respond better to different products than others. This is something that many homeowners (and unfortunately, even some lawn care “pros”) don’t fully understand. But it can have a significant impact.

In this article, we’ll talk about how common Mississippi grass species can affect your lawn care plan.

What Is the Most Common Grass in Mississippi?

The most common grass types in Mississippi include Bermuda grass and Zoysia grass. However, some homeowners also use Centipede grass, St. Augustine grass, and occasionally, certain fescues, particularly on properties with a lot of shade (typically due to tall trees).

Fescues can perform better in shady areas, but they are not generally considered the optimal grass type for our region.

These different grass species in Mississippi can respond differently to lawn care products and services, so it’s essential to understand what’s growing in your lawn and what its needs will be.

How Do Common Turf Species in Mississippi Respond to Lawn Care?

Different types of grass have distinct needs. Particular species of grass tend to be more resistant to certain herbicides than others. That means if your lawn care provider is not paying attention to your grass type and just treating your lawn with the same products they’ve used on every other property, it could impact your results.

Additionally, from a nutritional standpoint, overfertilizing fescues can lead to disease issues. This is a common problem that we do see on fescue lawns.

From a nutrient standpoint, Centipede grass and St. Augustine grass also don’t like too much nitrogen, so you do need to pay attention to the type of fertilizer being used on these grasses or else you could harm them.

Bermudagrass can handle the most nitrogen, with Zoysia close behind.

What Is the Best Grass for North Mississippi Lawns?

Our preferred sod types in Mississippi are Bermuda grass and Zoysia. They are both warm-season grasses that are pretty tolerant of our local conditions.

We care for many lawns, so we have seen a wide range of grass types, and these are the two that we feel overall do the best. However, if you have another type of grass, we can determine what will work best for your lawn and its specific needs.

In general, we find that people who have grasses that are not well-adapted to our area often end up disappointed. Our hot summers and mild winters can mean that many cool-season grasses will not perform well here.

We also have heavy clay soils in North Mississippi, which many grass types would struggle with. Some warm-season grasses, such as Bahiagrass and Carpetgrass, struggle with this soil type.

It’s crucial to have reasonable expectations for your grass type.

If you have somehow ended up with a grass species that is always going to underperform in our region, it’s essential to understand this. No amount of lawn care treatments can fix this issue.

It’s valuable to work with a lawn care company that is transparent with you and helps set realistic expectations.

How Do I Identify the Kind of Grass I Have?

Identifying grass types typically involves examining characteristics such as blade shape, growth pattern, and color.

However, this can be challenging without the guidance of an expert. This is why it can be valuable to work with a lawn care professional who can identify the type of grass growing in your lawn.

Most homeowners “inherit a lawn” when they buy a home and don’t have a lot of say in what type of Mississippi sod was installed.

But if you are replacing a lawn or building a home, we do recommend making a choice that is suitable for your property. Typically, this will be Bermuda grass or Zoysia for a lawn that is expected to yield optimal success.

Is My Lawn Care Company Customizing My Plan to Fit My Type of Grass?

A reputable lawn care company should consider the types of grass in Mississippi when creating lawn care plans. As we’ve mentioned, certain grass types respond better to certain herbicides and fertilizers than others.

You want to ensure that you’re getting the best results and that you’re not creating any unnecessary problems due to the products used.

Unfortunately, some lawn care companies use blanket products on every lawn without making adjustments. This is easier and cheaper for them, but it may result in subpar outcomes.

You want to ensure that you choose a lawn care company that prioritizes your results and customizes its lawn care plans for optimal success.

Choosing Lawn Care in North Mississippi

So, how do you go about choosing a lawn care provider in North Mississippi, knowing that you want to find one who cares about your turf's success? How do you find a company that you can feel confident will do the right thing for your lawn, including switching up products based on your grass type?

The key is to do your research ahead of time.

These days, you can learn a lot about a company just from looking at its website. A website should provide a strong sense of what the company is all about. If you’re looking for a local service (vs. a larger national chain), you can also find out what type of company you’re getting.

The About Us page is an excellent starting point for your research and learning more about the company you may be hiring to care for your lawn.

When you’re on the website, look at what kind of resources the company offers in terms of education and advice. Helpful tools, such as blog articles and videos, demonstrate the companyis commitment to educating you about your lawn. This is a sign that they want to see you succeed and form a partnership in caring for your lawn.

Online reviews are another way to research before hiring a lawn service. Third-party review sites like Google Reviews give you an inside look into how other people would rate the company that you’re considering.

Look for companies that have a rating of 4.5 stars or higher, with a larger number of reviewers. Maintaining a high rating becomes increasingly challenging as the number of reviews increases.

Putting in this effort ahead of time will help ensure that you’re happy with the results.

We’d love for you to consider Lawn & Pest Solutions for your lawn care needs. We care deeply about our clients and want to see them achieve their desired results. That means educating them about their grass type and what is needed to achieve the lawn they desire.

Ready to learn why Lawn & Pest Solutions could be your choice for lawn care services in Memphis and North Mississippi? We’re excited to learn more about you and help you have the best lawn on the block. Get started today with a free quote. Together, we can prepare a customized plan that is perfect for you and your lawn.