Types Of Florida Grass

By Kurt On January 8, 2009 Under Types Of Florida Grass

Types Of Florida Landscape Grass And Lawns

There are different variations of types of Florida landscape grass and lawns. What type that can be installed depends upon the types of Florida grass that are best suited for the location. A grass type can grow good in some area’s but not good in others. Here listed are the most common types of grass.

Most Common Types Of Florida Grass

Saint Augustine: (ST. Augustine)

A popular and the most commonly planted turfgrass in Florida. It is also used in Texas and other areas of the southern United States. Known to be native to the Mediterranean coast and Gulf of Mexico.

It has adapted to warm humid conditions and sub tropical area’s of the world. St Augustine grass types can grow in many types of soils offering a dense thick green lush look. Establishment from St. Augustine sod is quick and easy. If renovation is needed St. Augustine plugs can replace bare areas as runners from their root system will fill in a location. St. Augustine types of Florida grass are susceptible to the insect chinch bugs but can be eliminated with pesticides. St. Augustine lawns can bounce back with proper chinch bug control and treatment. St. Augustine grass should be mowed at height of 2.5-3 inches. Mowing should be done every 7 days during spring and summer, every 14 days during winter.

St. Augustine grass does require proper, mowing, watering and fertilization . With proper St. Augustine grass maintenance you will have a successful vigorous green looking lawn.

St. Augustine Types Of Grass

Floratam:

Floratam St. Augustine types of Florida grass is easy to establish from sod or plugs. A widely used residential and commercial types of lawn grass. Most commonly used for home lawns of all types of  St. Augustine grass. It has vigorous growth in warm weather during spring and summer. Growth does slow down during late fall and winter months. It has a period of dormancy during winter in north Florida. Frost and cold wind in winter can turn the blades purple to brown, but will return to green when new growth appears. It does require full sun to perform at it’s best, for it does not do well in shade.

Palmetto:

Densely spreading variety that has an aggressive growth habit. It has short leaf blades with a rich green color. Palmetto does well in full sun or partial shade. It has a good tolerance for cold weather. It can sometimes have problems with disease, especially during the humid, damp summer months.

Del-Mar:

Del-Mar is dark green in color, grows well in full sun, and has the best shade tolerance of all varieties of St. Augustine grass. It has good cold tolerance and maintains excellent winter color. Del-Mar is susceptible to chinch bugs, sod webworms, and brown patch disease. It has slow lateral runner growth, so grow-in from plugging or recovery from any damage may take longer.

Seville:

Seville St. Augustine variety is a semi-dwarf, fine leaved lawn grass. It has a low dense compact growth habit, which makes it prone to thatch and shallow rooting. Seville has a dark emerald green color. It can be established quickly from sod, and plugs are fast spreading. It is also susceptible to chinch bug and webworm damage. Seville grows well in full sun and has fair shade tolerance. It is sensitive to cold weather.

Bahia Grass:

Bahia Grass, from Brazil, began being used in United States in 1914 as a pasture grass and mostly used in the southern states where sandy soils exist. Through the years new types of lawn grass are being used for residential and commercial lawns.

Bahia is a drought tolerant…Good for infertile sandy soil… grass type. Does not form much thatch, does not need excessive fertilization, and can be grown by seed or sod. However, Bahia Grass can turn yellow from lack of the nutrient Iron.

Weed control can only be done when, adequate soil moisture is present, air temperature is between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and the lawn is not experiencing any stress. Only certain types of chemicals for weed control can be applied to Bahia Grass, so it is important to read the label on any herbicide or “weed-feed” before applying it. Do Not Use any weed chemical that does not list it’s usage on Bahia Grass. Applying the wrong type of herbicide and applied incorrectly, will result in severe damage to a Bahia lawn or eventually killing it.

Bahia is not good for coastal seaside locations for it is not tolerant of salt water. It also does not tolerate excessive amounts of foot or vehicle traffic. Bahia Grass does not do well in shade, it requires full sun. Bahia Grass should be mowed at a height of 3-4 inches during active growth.

Bahia Grass can be difficult to mow when wet compared to other types of grass. It requires weekly mowing during summer months. 

Bahia Types Of Grass

Common:

Common type of Bahia grass is light in color, course in texture, with an open and sparse growth habit. It is very susceptible to cold temperatures. Normally it is not recommended for usage as a home lawn.

Argentine:

Argentine type of Bahia Grass is dense, thick, dark green in color, and is good for lawn use in many situations. It is cold tolerant and has the highest, insect and disease resistance of all types of Bahia grass. Argentine is the best choice for residential lawns out of all the different types of Bahia Grass. 

Pensacola:

Pensacola Bahia Grass tolerates both hot or cold temperatures. It has excellent drought tolerance due to it’s extensive root system. It has longer and narrower leaf blades than Argentine. Because of it’s abundance of seed heads it is more suitable for roadside plantings, less desirable for home lawn usage.

Paraguay:

Paraguay also known as “Texas Bahia Grass”, has short, tough, hairy leaves that have a grayish tint. It is not cold tolerant and can have problems with dollar spot disease. It does not perform as well as Argentine or Pensacola.

Centipede Grass:

The most common types of Florida grass used for homes in the panhandle of Florida. It is well adapted to the climate and soil conditions of northern Florida, and other north central regions of the state. Nematode damage has limited the usage of it in south Florida’s sandy soil. Because of it’s small region of usage, not many types have been developed. Contact the local county extension service in your area for varieties of cultivars available.

Established Centipede Grass is a low maintenance turf grass, and has less fertility requirements. It does not respond well to excessive amounts of nitrogen. Centipede Grass is naturally lighter in color than other lawn grasses, and yellowing problems can occur during early spring, when daytime temperatures are warm and nighttime temperatures are still cool. As the soil becomes warmer, temporary yellowing will begin to end.

Do not over fertilize it with nitrogen to turn it darker green. This causes it to be less cold tolerant and have excessive maintenance problems. Problems from over fertilization such as diseases can occur during springtime, causing dead patches if left untreated. Treatment with a liquid fungicide on diseased areas will be needed to stop dead patches from happening.

Centipede Grass can be established by seed, sod, or plugs. Sodding establishes a lawn more quickly and makes it less susceptible to various stresses. For seeding use a good quality Centipede Grass seed, with a purity of 90% or better and a minimum of 85% germination. The best time to sod or seed is from April to July to allow a full growing season for establishment, to avoid cold damage during the winter.

Centipede Grass that is actively growing needs to be mowed every 7-14 days at a height of 1.5 to 2.5 inches to keep it attractive and healthy. It is a slow growing turf grass that grows close to the ground and is medium in texture. Centipede Grass has fair shade tolerance and requires full sun to stay healthy and vigorous.

Seashore Paspalcum:

Seashore Paspalcum types of Florida grass is becoming more popular in coastal regions. It is planted as a home lawn and for usage on golf courses. It can be watered by using poor quality water and is extremely salt tolerant, which makes it an excellent type of grass for growing along seawalls.

Seashore Paspalcum grows best during the summer months in warmer climates. It performs at it’s best when established by planting sod. It can maintain a consistent dark green color, with less fertilizer treatments than other types of turf. It can receive heavy amounts of rainfall, which makes it great for tropical areas such as South Florida and the Keys.

Seashore Paspalcum does need to have thatching done every year for it to grow at it’s best. It needs to be mowed at a level of 2-inches on a weekly basis. Weed control needs to be done by only using chemicals that are labeled for it.

Zoysia Grass:

Several varieties of Zoysia grass are used for residential and commercial landscapes, plus athletic fields and golf courses. Zoysia grass has adapted to different types of soils, and has good shade tolerance. It can withstand salt, and handles heavy foot traffic. Once established it is a dense turf, that can resist most weeds, and requires less mowing than other types of turf due to it’s slower growth rate. It can be mowed by using a rotary mower, but a reel mower provides the best cut. Zoysia grass mowed with a rotary mower should be done at a height of 2-3 inches.

New lawns with Zoysia grass may take longer to establish than other types of Florida grass, sometimes up to two growing seasons. Zoysia grass usually requires higher and more frequent fertilization than other types of turf, especially when the soil is low in potassium. It has a low drought tolerance due to it’s shallow root system, and will recover slow from drought damage. Zoysia grass can be prone to Nematodes and several types of diseases.

When properly maintained, Zoysia grass makes an excellent turf for home lawns. It is recommend to have a professional lawn care company maintain it for best results.

Zoysia Types Of Lawn Grass

Meyer:

Meyer has long been the standard Zoysia grass that is used. It has a deep green color, medium leaf texture, and spreads quicker than other varieties of Zoysia. It has less shade tolerance than some of the other varieties. It is a good cold- tolerant Zoysia grass. Meyer makes an excellent turf after being established.

EL Toro:

EL Toro Zoysia grass resembles Meyer but has a faster rate of establishment, improved cool-season color, tolerates cold better, and has less thatch buildup. It has increased shade tolerance and a better resistance to rust disease than Meyer. EL Toro also greens-up quicker during early spring.

Empire:

Empire Zoysia grass is dark green in color with a wide leaf blade, and has an open growth habit. It establishes good, has aggressive growth once established, and performs well in sandy or clay soil types. Because of it’s broader leaf and open growth habit, it can be mowed by using a standard rotary mower offering a good cut and appearance. Empire Zoysia is good for home lawns.

Empress:

Empress Zoysia grass unlike Empire, is used for it’s fine-bladed texture and tight growth habit. It also has a nice green color. Empress is best suited where a fine, small-leaved, soft-textured turf is desired. It is widely used for both home lawns and golf courses.

These are most common types of Florida grass. They can be found in other areas of southern states. Each has it’s own characteristics and adaptability. These lawn tips will help in making the choice for what types of lawn grass is best for you.

Kurt Kmetz