Grass

Grass Bermuda | Centipede | Fescue | Zoysia

Bermuda

The blades are a grey-green color and are short, usually 4-15 cm long with rough edges. The erect stems can grow 1-30 cm (rarely to 90 cm) tall. The stems are slightly flattened, often tinged purple in color. The seed heads are produced in a cluster of 3-7 spikes (rarely 2) together at the top of the stem, each spike 3-6 cm long. It has a deep root system; in drought situations with penetrable soil, the root system can grow to over 2 m deep, though most of the root mass is less than 60 cm under the surface. The grass creeps along the ground and root wherever a node touches the ground, forming a dense mat. Bermuda reproduces through seeds, through runners and rhizomes. Growth begins at temperatures above 15°C (59°F) with optimum growth between 24°C to 37°C (75-99°F); in winter the grass becomes dormant and turns brown. Growth is promoted by full sun & retarded by full shade close to tree trunks.

Uses

Bermuda Grass is widely cultivated in warm climates all over the world between about 30° south and 30° north latitude, and that get between 625-1,750 mm (25-69 inches) of rainfall a year (or less, if irrigation is available). It is also found in the U.S. mostly in the southern half of the country and in warm climates. It is fast growing and tough, making it popular and useful for sports fields, as when damaged it will recover quickly. It is a highly desirable turf grass in warm temperate climates, particularly for those regions where its heat and drought tolerance enable it to survive where few other grasses do. It has a relatively coarse-bladed form with numerous blend selected for different turf requirements. It is also highly aggressive, crowding out most other grasses and invading other habitats, and has become an invasive species in some areas. This invasive nature leads some gardeners to give it the name of "devil grass".

Centipede Grass

Prime virtue is its ability to survive and even thrive in acidic, poor soils. Because temperatures below 5°F kill centipede grass, only gardeners in the southeastern United States (and parts of Hawaii) grow it. A warm season grass, it turns brown in hot and dry weather, and is quick to enter dormancy in fall.

The Fescues

The fescues are cool season grasses that are adapted to the transition zone and into Canada. The fescue species are easily seeded and include the sub species of tall bunching grasses named tall fescue and fine shorter fescues.

All of the fescues share the same variety characteristics with the three dominant ones being shade tolerance, staying green all year, and having very good drought resistance. Fine Fescues are more cold and shade tolerant than Tall Fescue, but both are used though-out much of the Central to Northern USA states.

The majority of cool season grasses (besides the Fescues) are not shade tolerant nor do many perform well in the lower areas of the transitions zone where the season is too hot for the cool grasses and in the area of the transition zone that is too cold in the winter for the warm season grasses.

Fescues fill a large gap in the grass field created by the climate differences that are not fully defined by zone. Fine Fescues are readily used in mixtures with the Kentucky bluegrass varieties for summer northern lawns and with the warm season grasses in winter lawns. Both Fine and Tall Fescues can remain green all year long in the cooler climates. They usually will become dormant in the areas too hot during the summer or too cold in winter and will show a paler green color at these times. Fescues are also used in overseeding warm and cool grass lawns.

Fescues differ in texture from the "coarse " to the very fine in the leaf structure. The fescues are divided into sub-species of shorter fine grasses and tall grasses; each having individual characteristics and specified use.

Tall fescues make early, fast growing "average" lawns and can provide a lawn of low maintenance. Tall fescue is the coarser of the lawn fescues, with a dense turf when maintained, forms a clumping growth at the base of the grass plant, drought resistant ( as cool season grasses are categorized) and is shade tolerant.

Older varieties of Tall fescue are planted as pure stands in pastures. These same seeds when planted in a fine fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawn, result in the different characteristics (clumping / tall), in the pasture types being considered a weed. Newer varieties of the older Tall fescue are grasses that can endure heavy traffic have been developed for higher disease resistance, insect resistance, better blade structure, and lower mowing capabilities, better color, etc.. These varieties are available in seed form are numerous.. Tall fescue while being once considered only a forage grass; can now perform as a good average "utility" turf lawn when used primarily as the dominate species and in better lawns when chosen by variety for the better lawns.

Tall fescue lawns can easily be over seeded when the lawn is thin and start to get the bunching, clumping uneven appearance. This can be the result of extreme heat during the summer, disease or insect damage or other factors. The Tall Fescue is then over seeded in the fall to get the lawn into shape before the next hot summer weather sets in. This is a good time to add newer and better varieties (especially in older stands) to the lawn. Several varieties for improved lawn performance can be over seeded yearly. The variety or varieties should be chosen by the adaptive characteristics for the region in which you are planting

Fine Fescue Fine fescues category has narrow deep green blades. This fescue can be grown in single stands and prefer the more shadier and cooler areas than most other cool season grasses. Fine fescue is often added to Tall Fescue, Bluegrass and Perennial Ryegrass mixtures and improves these mixture by increasing shade tolerance. It also has fairly drought resistant qualities.

Fine fescue can establish in the lawn quickly while the slower growing bluegrass is forming. This fescue variety is a non aggressive easily maintained grass and over seeds quite well in the areas of adaptation. Besides being a lawn cover it is quite beautiful when left un-mown in a meadow or for a roadside growth and erosion sites on slopes or hill sides. Fine fescues one of the most widely used grasses in mixtures and to over seed cool grass lawns.

Zoysia Grass

Perennial turfgrass that spreads by stolens above ground and rhizomes below ground. Winter hardy throughout Georgia. Very slow in establishing. The colors of zoysia grass are very deep green. One variety is called “Emerald.” Relatively free of insects and is a narrow blade akin to Bermuda. Good resistance to drought. We also carry "Meyers" and "Ja'mur". These varieties are characterized by a broader leaf.