Amazing Grass!

BLADE

Soaks up the sun, helping the plant grow.

Grass. It’s green. It’s outside. What else is there to say? Um … a lot! Grass is one of the hardest working plants around. You’re not going to believe everything grass does to make your yard a great hangout!

SHEATH

Protects the stem.

Parts of a Grass Plant

OXYGEN PRODUCER

Take a deep breath and enjoy the clean, pure oxygen your grass is constantly producing. Breathe in … breathe out … breathe in …

From a distance, your lawn looks like a sea of green. But when you get down on your hands and knees, you’ll see that grass plants are pretty interesting.

CROWN

Where new leaves and roots originate.

ROOTS

Anchor the grass to the soil and provide nutrients and water.

POLLUTION FIGHTER

Think of the roots of your grass like little superheroes, fighting to keep Earth clean. The thick root system works hard to trap pollutants as water filters through the soil.

SOIL SAVER

Soil can be a real escape artist when a hard rain hits, but grass roots knit themselves together (just like that cozy sweater your grandma made for you) so that soil has nowhere to go.

HEAT & NOISE REDUCER

Ever notice how the sidewalk can be burning hot, but your grass is just right? That’s because grass keeps you cooler in hot weather. It also soaks up noise, so go ahead and use your outside voice.

SAFE SURFACE

Falling on grass might hurt a little, but not as much as falling on concrete! Grass gives you a way softer landing, especially when your big brother surprises you with a sneak attack.

A Closer Look There are many different types of grass in the United States — and they come from all over the world. The kind of grass in your lawn depends on things like your climate and how much sun your yard gets. Can you tell what kind of grass is in your yard by looking at the pictures below?

St. Augustinegrass A dense and thirsty grass that grows best in hot southern states like Florida. You will notice wide blades creeping along, growing from thick stem-like vines.

Did you know grass can be used as a whistle? Give it a try!

Choose a wide, flat blade of grass that’s about as long as your first finger.

Kentucky Bluegrass

It's not really blue, but it's perfect for yards, parks and soccer fields because it can fill in worn areas. The tip of this grass is shaped like the end of a canoe.

Hold it between both thumbs.

Bermuda

Actually from Africa, this grass needs tons of sun to survive. Bermudagrass hugs along the ground and has short, thin leaves.

Centipedegrass

A slow-growing grass with stems that look like a centipede ... sort of. This grass grows close to the ground and has little hairs along the edges of each leaf.

Zoysia

Thick, prickly grass from Asia that is used a lot on golf courses. Zoysiagrass lives in the mid-United States where summers are hot and winters are not too cold.

What kind of grass does your yard have? ____________________________________

Tall Fescue

A tough grass with deep roots that help it survive drought. Blades feel rough and are almost as wide as your pinky finger.

Bring the grass up to your mouth and blow to make a whistling sound.

Listen to Your Lawn! You know that grass can’t really talk, but that doesn’t mean it’s not trying to tell you something. Grass will wilt when it’s thirsty, and turn an ugly brownish color when it’s really thirsty. If your grass could talk, this is what you might hear it say ...

“Just a little off the top, please.”

“Hey, I’ll eat those.” If you have to rake every time your parents mow, you might mention that leaving grass clippings on the lawn helps feed the grass. Of course, you’ll probably end up doing some other boring chore — but it’s worth a try!

“Feed me — I’m hungry!” Your belly reminds you to eat three times a day (at least!). Your lawn isn’t that hungry, but it does need regular feedings. If your parents fertilize from spring through fall, your lawn will be stronger and have deeper roots that use water wisely.

Laws of the Lawn

You might think a shorter lawn would need less care. But what you’ll really get is a sick lawn that can’t survive hot, dry weather. If your folks keep your grass 3" tall, the roots will grow deeper to protect your lawn.

“Rain is so refreshing.” Rain isn’t just for mud-pies and puddle stomping. Your lawn needs rain for good health. You may have to use a sprinkler during super-dry weather, but always check the forecast first. As much as possible, rely on rain to water your lawn.

• Leave the mowing and fertilizing to your parents. • Always wear shoes when doing yard work. • Don’t throw dirt clods at your sister.

Water you talking about? Water is found pretty much everywhere. It’s in your body, in the air — even in the ground. The water you use comes mostly from rivers, but don’t worry — some nice people clean it before it gets to your house. Using water wisely helps protect the Earth, so try to conserve water whenever you can.

Some Easy Ways to Save Water • Turn off lawn sprinklers when it’s raining! • Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth. • Take super-short showers.

Recycle Your Rainwater Recycling helps keep the Earth clean. You can recycle about 70 percent of your trash. That’s a lot — think juice containers, junk mail and more. You can also recycle rainwater to give your thirsty flowers a drink.

Put a large bucket in an open area of your yard.

Let the bucket fill with rainwater. This could take some time if you live in a dry area.

Add a few drops of dish soap each week to keep mosquitoes away.

• Sweep grass clippings off your driveway instead of hosing them off. • Instead of filling a kiddie pool at home, visit the public pool and swim with friends! To save even more water, grab a bar of soap and take your shower in the sprinkler. Or let your dad hose you down while he’s washing the car! Just kidding! When your flowers need a drink, submerge a watering can in the rainwater to fill it up!

Precipitation

Clouds get so heavy with condensation that they can’t hold the liquid, so it rains.

Condensation Vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds.

Evaporation The sun heats water and turns it into vapor, which then floats into the air.

Collection Oceans, lakes and rivers catch the rain, or it soaks into the Earth and becomes groundwater.

the

Water Cycle

The re’s reall y

no be g

inning or end to

The water you drink today is as old as the Earth. Really!

Our planet has a limited amount of water that just keeps going around and around. It’s the water cycle! So the water you get out of your faucet could be the very same water a dinosaur once used millions of years ago. And you thought your parents were old!

the water ing … cycle ­— it just keeps going and going and go

Answers

1 H S O I L N E 6 O X Y G E N 8 B C O 10 E M A 12 F I 13R E F L I E S I L 14T E V L I E I N R O G S N 18S E 2

S H O 7 E R 9 N S E R V E A 11C U M I Y N T N C L 16 F E R T I L I 17 B N E D L I N G R M U D 19 L A D Y B U G 3

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