Why Does Some Grass Appear Greener Than Others?

“The grass is always greener.” You’ve heard that old saying applied metaphorically to life circumstances. But we’re speaking literally about lawns. Why does some grass appear greener than others? 

For homeowners, it’s upsetting to look out at your yard and see patches of various shades of green. What you really want is a uniform carpet of lush green grass, but often you get patches of lighter and darker greens. Why is that?

There are a number of factors that affect the color of your lawn: 

1. The type of grass or grass species 

2. Weather conditions

3. Irrigation and water supply

4. Soil health 

5. Lawn pests and fungi

There are so many different species of grass, and each species has a different color. For example, in Ohio, the main species of turfgrass are 

• Kentucky Bluegrass

• Fine Fescue

• Tall Fescue

• Perennial Rye 

Each species grows at different rates and features blades of different shapes and colors. It’s possible that your lawn consists of a variety of grass species, which could be causing your lawn to have different shades of green.   

But the differing shades of grass could also be due to the weather conditions and your irrigation practices. It’s no surprise that if you’re lacking rain and your lawn isn’t getting enough water, it will begin to wilt, turning lighter and lighter until it turns brown and dies. So if some parts of your lawn are lighter, make sure every part of your lawn is getting equal amounts of water regularly.  

Perhaps the main cause of varying shades of grass is the Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium (NPK) ratio of your soil. Of these components, nitrogen is the element responsible for the levels of chlorophyll and, as a result, the shade of green. Grass that is lacking in nitrogen will be lighter than grass that has enough nitrogen. 

The best way to determine if your lawn needs nitrogen is to perform a soil test in different areas of your yard. Make sure to include samples from areas where there are lighter and darker areas of grass. The results of the soil test will tell you what elements your lawn needs. Then you can find a fertilizer with the right ratios for your lawn. 

NOTE: Fertilizing is important, but you don’t want to overdo it. Too much fertilizer can fry your lawn. 

If you’ve ruled out different species of grass, irrigation, and fertilization, the last factor to check for is fungi. That’s right, the presence of fungi in your lawn can cause the grass to appear darker. The growth of fungi can be caused by organic matter laying under your lawn, like rotting wood. Fungi can affect the amount of water the roots of your grass are able to access, which can actually kill that section of grass. Fortunately, there are products on the market designed to kill this kind of fungus and save your lawn.

Sometimes the best thing to do is contact us. We are equipped to check the overall health of your lawn and soil, and can often apply treatments that will give you, or get you closer to, that uniform dark green lawn of your dreams.