Lawn Grass Seed – Lawn Grass Seed – Lawn Seed – How to …

Lawn Grass Seed: Florida The lawn is an integral part of the landscape and provides many important benefits in our increasingly urbanized environment. A lawn not only increases the land's aesthetic and economic value, it also creates a recreational surface, controls erosion, filters pollutants, and supplies oxygen.

Florida grasses vary widely in their adaptive abilities, so choose your turfgrass wisely. Table 1 provides information to assist in your selection. The following questions may serve as guidelines.

1. What Lawn Do You Want? Lawns require different levels of maintenance. Do you want a lawn that is highly manicured and carefully tended? Or are you looking for an average lawn that will require a moderate work input? Perhaps you're looking for something more naturalized, with less grass and more plantings of other types.

Most turfgrass will respond to a range of maintenance levels, but there is an optimum level for each grass. A zoysiagrass or St. Augustinegrass lawn will not perform well without supplemental irrigation during dry spells. Argentine Bahiagrassis able to survive without supplemental irrigation, and with proper establishment may form a dense, lush, dark green lawn, as some of the other grass species will not. With current Florida water restrictions increasing Argentine Bahiagrass is becoming more popular as a low maintenance, drought resistant easily established replacment for St. Augustine lawns.

Maintenance levels are closely related to cost and time. High-maintenance turf costs the most and takes the most time to maintain. Whether you do the work yourself or pay to have it done, you should realistically assess your ability to maintain your lawn before choosing a grass.

2. What Are Your Site's Limitations?

Irrigation: Water quantity and quality are a factor. Do you have an irrigation system? Will you rely on a hose and sprinkler? On rainfall? What is the pH of your water? Do you have elevated salt levels? Are you using fresh (potable) water, or reclaimed waste water?

Mowing: Are you prepared to mow? Most Florida lawn grass varieties should be mowed weekly or bi-monthly at 3-4 inches. Some premium varieties may require mowing heights of 2-3 inches.

Soil type, pH, drainage, and other soil characteristics: It is important to soil test before planting a lawn. The information that you need includes soil pH, soil nutrient availability, and amount of compaction, which can affect drainage. It is also important to know your soil type. Sandy soils tend to dry out faster than clay based soils. Argentine Bahiagrass is known to develop soil density and moisture retention with its extensive root structure and strong sod base.

Shade: The amount of shade the turf will receive can limit the selection of suitable grasses. In general, shady areas need to receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day for any of the warm-season grasses to grow well.

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