Environmental Requirements for NC

Lawn Grasses

Environmental Requirements Temperature & Altitude-Climatic

Zone Cool-season Warm-season

vs.

Environmental Requirements

Type of Soil

Environmental Requirements Use Tolerance or Wear

Excellent Bermudagrass

Very Good Kentucky Bluegrass Tall Fescue

Environmental Requirements

Use Tolerance or Wear Good

Zoysiagrass Bahiagrass

Fair Some mixtures

Poor Centipedegrass St. Augustinegrass

Environmental Requirements

Lime & Fertilizer Follow soil sample recommendations.

Environmental Requirements

Watering As needed depending on weather &

water conservation laws.

Environmental Requirements Mowing

Height varies from about 1” for…. Bermudagrass Centipedegrass Zoysiagrass

Environmental Requirements

Mowing Height varies from about 3” for….

Tall Fescue

Environmental Requirements Mowing

General rule for mowing frequency is that less than half the total leaf surface is removed.

Example: If recommended mowing height is 2”,

grass should be mowed when it is less 4” tall so that less than half will be removed.

Environmental Requirements

Pest Control for…. Weeds Insects Diseases Moles

Environmental Requirements

Light Requirements Different grasses are adapted to

different amounts of sun or shade. Examples:

Shade Partial Shade Full Sun

Methods Used to Start a Lawn

Methods to Start a Lawn

The four methods to starting a lawn are…. Seeding Sodding Plugging Sprigging &

Stolonizing

Seeding

Most common & least expensive way to start a lawn.

Methods are…. Hand Seeding Hand Spreader Cultipacker Hydroseeder

Hand & Mechanical Seeding

HAND SEEDING HAND SPREADER

Machinery Powered Seeding Methods

Cultipacker Hydroseeder

Applies seed, water, fertilizer & mulch at the same time.

CULTIPACKER

Hydroseeder

Sodding

Using established turf (grass & roots) that is cut in thin layers and removed from the growing area in strips.

Sodding

Is taken to new lawn & rolled out and fitted together.

More expensive than other methods, but…. Provides instant lawn. Works on slopes where seeds will wash

away.

Plugging

Using small plugs or blocks of sod to plant in holes about 1 foot apart.

Very time consuming, but…. Is used for many

warm season grasses that are poor seed producers.

Sprigging & Stolonizing

Uses plant runners, cuttings, or stolons without soil attached to start new lawns.

Sprigging is slow if done by hand.

Sprigging & Stolonizing

Can be done by broadcasting plant parts and rolled or disked into the soil. Usually used on larger areas such as golf

courses.