Every gardener has to have an attractive lawn. But you may think that it would be difficult to grow and maintain a lawn in the cold climate of zone 5. However, there are some grasses that thrive in the low temperatures of zone 5. The typical climate in zone 5 is known to consist of long and extremely cold winters and short but very hot summers. In short, it has an extreme climate. Because of the long lasting winters, the grass that you find here are the cool season grasses. However, there are some places in zone 5 that lie along the coastline. These places tend to have a comparatively warmer climate. In these places you may even find some warm climate grasses growing.
The lawn mowing activity in zone 5 lawns normally starts in middle of the spring season and lasts up to the initial stages of fall. But the watering of the lawn is done in the dry and hot summer months.
If you want to plant a new lawn, then it must be done in the time between end of spring and the initial stages of fall. However, if your garden is in the coastal region, then you must start planting your lawn in the initial months of summer. This is because of the varying types of grasses in both the regions.
The biggest of threats that lawns face are the pests that thrive on the roots of the grass. The Japanese beetle is a good example. Another nuisance can be the unwanted growth of weeds. But the lawn being the toughest of all plants, has a self defending mechanism that will make it look pretty in spite of these problems if it is maintained properly. So don’t immediately jump to herbicides and pesticides. They may do more harm than good to the lawn. Also, be careful while mowing your lawn when there are weeds present. The lawn mower may end up scattering the weeds and boost their growth.
The most common lawn-grasses found in zone 5 are Bent grasses, Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrasses and Fescues.
In short, there are a lot of attractive lawns that you can grow in your garden if your garden falls in zone 5. However, you have to choose the kind of grass to be used for your lawn carefully because all grasses cannot survive in that cold a climate.
