Q&A :

Selecting Warm Season Turfgrasses for Home Lawns in Texas!

Are you going to install a new lawn this year?  Have you decided which turfgrass variety you are going to use?  Selecting the proper lawn grass is extremely important in order to avoid problems in the future on your site.  In Texas, the warm season grass species that are most often used include St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass (common or hybrid), zoysiagrass (coarse or fine leaf textured), buffalograss, centipedegrass and seashore paspalum. 

It is important to understand that each turfgrass species, as well as varieties within species, have weaknesses.  For example, all the lawn grasses will do well in full sun, but only a select few perform well in the shade

(i.e. St. Augustinegrass-excellent shade tolerance;  zoysiagrass-moderate shade tolerance).  Others have a higher level of drought tolerance (i.e. buffalograss) while others have excellent salt tolerance (i.e. seashore paspalum).  Maintenance practices such as mowing height, mowing frequency, fertilization, and irrigation can differ among the turfgrasses as well.  It is up to you to do your homework and select the correct lawn grass for your site.  Making the proper selection will pay dividends for you in the end!! 

For more information on warm season turfgrasses for Texas, go to the Aggie-Turf web site at http://aggie-turf.tamu.edu and click on “Answers 4 You”, then “Selection”. 

Lawn Fertilization for Spring! 

Spring is in the air!!  Warmer temperatures means that the soil will soon warm to a level that our warm season turfgrasses (i.e. St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, buffalograss, zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, and seashore paspalum) will begin to grow.  This also means that one needs to plan their nutrient management program for the year.  Taking a soil sample is a good first step in this process.  It will provide useful information pertaining to the level of nutrients in your soil and can assist you in developing your yearlong environmentally sensitive approach to nutrient management. 

In the spring, it is recommended to apply your first fertilizer application after your lawn has begun to grow.  You may want to wait until after you have mowed your lawn 2 to 3 times.  Applying fertilizer too early can cause undue stress to your turf if a late freeze occurs.  Also, apply fertilizer in measured amounts to your lawn.  This means you need to know the surface area (square feet) of your site and how much of a nutrient your particular turfgrass requires in a given application and in a given year.  Remember, not all turfgrasses require the same level of fertility (i.e. nitrogen) in a yearlong program.

Affiliations