skip to main content

Georgia Gardener

Question about lawn grass in S. Ga.

18 years ago

Can y'all grow centipede in S. Ga? I hope so! Whether or not I have a lawn at my new place after I move depends on this. I refuse to try to do any of the stuff they grow down here. :(

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

HoneyGum_SugarBush
18 years ago
They have it in North Ga so I'm sure it will do fine down there. It is a warm season grass.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
18 years ago
I assure you that they grow the same kinds of grasses where you are now, in S. Georgia. Exactly the same. Any of the warm season grasses will do just fine, depending upon the lawn grower, of course ;-) I would assume that a large percentage of the lawns in your present area ARE Centipede. It's very common all over the deep South.
Related Discussions
Grass for Very Shady lawn in NE GA
Q
Comments (6)
The only real option, if you want a dense stand of turf, considering all the wear/traffic is to cut down some trees and use bermudagrass. Bermudagrass is most aggressive and wear/traffic tolerant turfgrass. You will also have to maintain the bermuda at a high level. This means core aerification a couple of times during the growing season and keeping the fertility relatively high. The other turfgrasses mentioned, St. Augustine will not hold up to concentrated traffic, fine fescue will never hold up to the traffic, zoysia is a slow grower and probably won't be able to recover fast enough. Tall fescue maybe an option it will most likely look terrible by the end of the summer, but if you can keep the boys off the lawn for three weeks in the early fall. You can reseed the worn areas and anything that gets taken out by disease and have your yard looking good by the end of the fall. Just read your last post jdawg, the reason why fescue is not ideal is the amount of traffic your yard is getting. Tall fescue is a cool season bunch type grass. That means when you lose some grass from traffic or disease the tall fescue is not going to fill in the area, and over time that leads to bare ground.
...See More
Question on Asian lawn grass. Pls see PIC
Q
Comments (4)
My neighbor planted Korean grass along the side of his backyard, on a sloped hill. There is a wooden fence between our yards. The grass is spreading relentlessly into my yard. Any ideas on the best way to control it? I thought of putting edging along the fence that separates us but I am not sure if the root system would go right beneath the edging. Suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks!
...See More
Concerned about lawn prep for slit seeding - Many questions!
Q
Comments (9)
A quick way to sift is what I did. I got a milk crate. I dumped a few shovel fulls into the crate and then shook it back and forth. It took a while, but I think was worth it. The pieces that stayed in had no ill effect on the overseeding. A few weeks back someone asked about the top dressing and a slit seeder. It seemed that some felt that topdressing first would result in the slit seeder dropping the seed into the topdressing and not the soil beneath - which would not be idea. I am not sure what the answer is. However, here is what I did (though my lawn is a fraction of the size of yours): 1) I dethatched. 2) I did the slit seeder in two different directions. 3) Then I literally threw the topdressing down on the lawn, I flung it at an angle so it actually covered pretty evenly. Then I did the same thing with peat moss. HOWEVER, seeing how light and fluffy compost is, I bet you could run the slit seeder right over it and turn out ok IF you only do a really light covering of it, like 1/4 inch. And here is something completely untested, but if you are concerned that the seed will just sit atop the compost, consider using your spreader and spreading a really light (1/3 the recommended seeding amount) coverage of seed prior to applying the topdressing. Then you can at least rest assured that SOME seeds are making at least some contact with the native soil. Then topdress and run your slit seeder .
...See More
Question about installing new sod over old grass in Georgia
Q
Comments (12)
Since you're in Cumming Ga, I thought you might want to check out one of the better landscaping companies in the State, who just happens to be right down the road from you. I'm not affiliated, but just wanted to pass them on as they do excellent work. As for your soil, it is typical of GA soil in that it has a very low exchange capacity. This means that it won't hold nutrients very well, which can be offset by using slow-release fertilizers, or by improving the soil with the addition of compost. My soil supplier is on the south side of Atlanta, but I'm sure SEL could recommend someone local if you're doing the work yourself. Also, it's been a closely held belief for years that Centipede doesn't perform well in a pH above 6 (I shared this opinion for 15 years). Texas A&M shed some new light on this a few years back with a mass-cultivar study in which they grew every cultivar of Centipede at a pH of 8.0. The trick was that they supplemented with chelated iron, otherwise the grass would have lost all color. The study proved that the issue was that iron tends to be less exchangeable as the pH increases, this leads to chlorosis (iron loss), which Centipede is very sensitive to. However the root systems in the higher pH levels grew much deeper. The lessen there was that with a pH that's just slightly acidic, like yours, you can actually have a more drought tolerant stand, but you will need to supplement with iron during the growing season (part of a normal centipede program anyway). The ideal pH recommended by most extension agents (Texas A&M included) is still 5 to 6, but again that is based on iron uptake. Here is a link that might be useful: South Eastern Landscape Contractors
...See More
PRO
Nell Jean
18 years ago
Centipede not only grows, it creeps all over. The good news is, it doesn't require lots of fertilizer.

Nell
HoneyGum_SugarBush
18 years ago
Actually, Rhizo there are two main grasses used in peninsular Florida, especially the area bruggirl is. And those grasses are:
Bahiagrass
St. Augustinegrass.

Bahia is the worse grass in the world. It looks like centipede but can grow two feet in the summer down there. It has these horrible seedheads that pop up too and it's an invasive weed. St. Augustine spreads by above ground runners and although I don't care for the texture of it, it is used on about 50% of the lawns there and is considered a premium turf for some strange reason.

On rare ocasions you might come across carpetgrass and zoysia or bermuda in golf course or commercial applications.

Bahia is used by some of our highway departments here in Georgia to control erosion. It's usually mixed in with another invasive weed, tall fescue. I guess they didn't learn anything from the whole kudzu and cogon thing, what can I tell you.

St. Augustine is quite rare to find in someone's yard up here but I noticed they do sell it in some places.

Anyway, I don't know why anyone would aspire to owning a centipede lawn. They really aren't attractive lawns in my opinion although their fertilization and mowing requirements are somewhat less than Bermudagrass which is the Georgia equivalent to Florida's Bahia. There are some native grasses that can be used if that's your desire and there are alternative ground covers if you don't want to mow.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
18 years ago
Exactly the same kinds of grasses that she will find in S. Georgia. The warm season species. If she's lucky, she'll move into a property that is all ONE kind of grass, not a seeded mixture of whatever is cheapest. Bahia (the worst) and common bermuda vie for the ugliest, don't you think?

Some private homeowners are trying their hand at the hyrid bermuda cultivars, but many find the care of these grasses daunting. Centipede is extremely popular and if it's treated like a nice grass, it can turn out pretty darned attractive!
HoneyGum_SugarBush
18 years ago
Yes, it's funny because I just got through posting about the high fertilization requirements of bermuda in the lawn care forum. I don't think any of them are great choices. I love my lawn but I still am not in love with the idea of fertilizing the daylights out of it which I wind up doing every month and mowing it 3 times a week. Yes, 3 times a week.

I noticed that it seems the minute you cross over from FL into GA, Bahia might still be used along the highways but not as popular for residential yards. I think common Bermuda is far more attractive and easier to manage than Bahia because it doesn't grow two feet a week, so it uses less resources for someone who doesn't like to mow. Not to say that it's great... It's not.

Less grass, more trees. That's the answer.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
18 years ago
I'll jump on THAT bandwagon with you!!!!

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Great Grasses for a New Lawn

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Learn about maintenance, wear tolerance, ideal climate and more for these top turf choices to pick the right one for you

EXTERIORS Curb Appeal Feeling a Little Off? Some Questions to Consider

By Becky Harris

Color, scale, proportion, trim ... 14 things to think about if your exterior is bugging you

GARDENING GUIDES No-Regret Plants: 5 Questions Smart Shoppers Ask

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Quit wasting money and time at the garden center. This checklist will ensure that the plants you're eyeing will stick around in your yard

MOST POPULAR Meet a Lawn Alternative That Works Wonders

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Carex can replace turfgrass in any spot, is low maintenance and adjusts easily. Add its good looks and you’ve got a ground cover winner

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 15 Great Ideas for a Lawn-Free Yard

By Laura Gaskill

End the turf war for good with hardscaping, native grasses and ground covers that save water and are easier to maintain

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 7 Low-Maintenance Lawn Alternatives

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Turf isn't the only ground cover in town. Get a lush no-grass lawn with clover, moss and other easy-care plants

SELLING YOUR HOUSE 15 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Real Estate Agent

By Laura Gaskill

Here’s what you should find out before selecting an agent to sell your home

GARDENING GUIDES How to Plant a New Lawn From Seed

By J. Peterson Garden Design

Choose from more grass varieties and save money over sod by starting your lawn from seed

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 7 Questions to Ask Before Laying Stepping Stones

By Joanna Tovia

These broken-up pathways invite you to put a spring in your step — while adding functionality to the garden

SAVING WATER Houzz Call: Are You Letting Go of Your Lawn?

By Annie Thornton

Many facing a drought are swapping turf for less thirsty plantings. If you’re one of them, we’d like to hear about it

Sponsored

Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers

49 Reviews

Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!