Yellow grass during winter

Hi, I’m a relatively new homeowner in the Northeast (Boston area). My grass looks nice and green during the summer, but in late fall and winter, it turns a very bright yellow—much more so than other lawns in my area, which tend to stay a mix of green and yellow or remain mostly green.

It seems like there’s a different type of grass mixed in, as it has a vine-like structure when I pull it up.

Any advice on what might be causing this and how to address it?

Dez said:

Isn’t it a bit unusual to have Bermuda in Boston?

Weston said:

Dez said:

Isn’t it a bit unusual to have Bermuda in Boston?

Dez said:

Weston said:
Dez said:

Isn’t it a bit unusual to have Bermuda in Boston?

That makes sense to me. The previous owner cut corners in many areas, and we keep finding odd things like this.

@Shawn
Bermuda isn’t a bad choice. It’s one of the tougher grass types. You really can’t ruin it without chemicals. Even then, it usually comes back.

@Shawn
Not sure you can say this is Bermuda based on these photos. Zoysiagrass is also a possibility. But yes, it’s a warm-season grass and it’s worth mentioning that Bermuda and Zoysia are cared for differently. Once it greens up in late spring, I would try to identify it.

While cheaper versions exist, farms typically grow well-known cultivars of good quality regardless of species. In my opinion, if someone wanted to cheap out on turf, they would just use seed instead of sod, but there might be building regulations or other reasons sod was necessary. Regardless, it seems strange to have this kind this far north.

@Teagan
I’m not even sure it’s a warm-season grass. It could just as easily be bentgrass, which is likely given the region, but I can’t definitely say from the pictures.

Dez said:

Weston said:
Dez said:

Isn’t it a bit unusual to have Bermuda in Boston?

Your comment had false or dangerous information.

Dez said:

Your comment had false or dangerous information.

You have a warm-season grass. That ‘vine’ you mentioned is a stolon, which is a root that spreads above ground and occasionally takes root, growing new grass blades. This is a bit unusual for Boston, as your neighbors likely have cold-season grasses. Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, or tall fescue are good candidates for what they have. You can probably overseed with KBG or PRG and see positive results in both summer and winter. Every grass type goes dormant in extreme heat or cold, but some prefer warmer or cooler temperatures than others.

In South Coast MA, my neighbor has zoysia that turns this color in winter, while mine (fescue/bluegrass) stays greener. Zoysia performs better during summer drought but it’s a warm-season grass typical of the south. Most grass here is cool-season.

@Vance
I’ve used the same lawn care service for four years.

I really dislike my Zoysia lawns. They have all the worst traits of both Bermuda and Fescue, if you ask me. Lol

Sigh… So, the Earth is tilted on its axis in relation to its orbit around the sun…

Lucky you, mine turns white for 6 months every year.

Dez said:

This isn’t a helpful comment. We were all new to this once.

Hayden said:

Dez said:

This isn’t a helpful comment. We were all new to this once.

I’m sorry. I apologize.

Dez said:

Please be nice.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments. I had a feeling it was a different kind of grass, but the specifics are good to know!

Thanks again, except for a couple of people who seemed a bit harsh. I was clearly comparing it to other homes nearby, not asking why it turns more yellow in winter. I guess some people just like feeling smart.

@Shawn
It’s just dormant. It will look great in the spring after soaking up the winter moisture.

Dez said:
@Shawn

Please be nice.