Warm Weather Grasses
Grasses most successful in the moist South:
Bermudagrasses (Cynodon sp), especially hybrid.
Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum).
Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides).
St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum).
Zoysia grass (Zoysia japonica, Z. matrella).
St. Augustine and Zoysia are the most shade tolerant.
In the arid Southwest:
Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides)
Creating A Healthy Lawn
Healthy Lawns Have Healthy Soil
Even after the constant round of mowing, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and seeding, American homeowners are not pleased with their lawns. This is because taking care of the soil under the grass is rarely part of this routine. Unless the soil that the grass plants grow in is aerated and is rich in organic material, they will never grow deep roots and be as healthy as they should be.
Truly healthy soil contains 3% to 5% organic matter. But most lawn soils contain less than 1% organic matter because the normal sources--grass clippings and leaves--are usually collected and removed from the lawn. Furthermore, homeowners rarely topdress the soil with organic material. The best lawn care practices are those that improve the soil and help grass plants develop strong roots so they need less care.
