Grasses for South Carolina

March 2, 2011

12:00 AM

Photos courtesy of Turfgrass Producers International

Sometimes the quest for the perfect lawn requires a homeowner to rip out what’s there and start from scratch. Whether you’re re-seeding an old yard, or just want to know how to better manage the turf you already have, here’s what you need to know about common grasses in South Carolina.

There are two broad categories of grasses in our state: cool-season, cool-climate grasses and warm-season, warm-climate grasses.

Cool-season grasses, like tall fescue and perennial rye grass (that later best used to over-seed dormant warm-season lawns), grow well during the cool months when temperatures are below 60 to 75 degrees. Warm-season grasses, like bermuda grass, centipede grass, St. Augustine (aka “Charleston grass”) and zoysia grass, thrive in hot weather and look their best when the temperatures are 80 to 95 degrees.

The big difference between cool- and warm-season grasses is how they respond to hot, dry periods. Warm-season turf grass species and cultivars have the ability to survive prolonged dry periods, but they’re not going to look pretty doing it. Under severe drought conditions with no supplemental irrigation, these turf grasses go dormant and turn brown, but they also have deep root systems and will green up again when favorable moisture conditions return.

Cool-season grasses like tall fescue simply aren’t as tough. They go dormant quickly during moderate summer drought periods, but can recover quickly with rain or irrigation. However, any dry spell longer than three weeks will likely kill your yard, or at least big parts of it. If you can’t keep your fescue well-watered through the summer, you’ll need to reseed in the fall.

Here are some other considerations for the most common turf grasses found in South Carolina lawns.

COOL SEASON GRASSES

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) can be grown in the Foothills and Piedmont regions of our state. Kentucky 31 is one of the pasture-type tall fescues that are being replaced by new and more attractive cultivars referred to as “turf-type” tall fescues. These refined turf-types have a slightly finer leaf blade. They’re darker green in color, thicker and tolerate shade better than Kentucky 31. Established tall fescue lawns tend to thin out and become “clumpy” after summer dry spells and may need periodic reseeding in the fall.

Perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne) and annual rye grass (Loliummultiflorum) are used to over-seed dormant warm-season lawns. These grasses will provide a green cover during the time when the warm-season grasses turn brown. Perennial rye grass is unreliable as a permanent lawn because of its susceptibility to diseases in hot weather.

WARM-SEASON GRASSES

Common bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) grows rapidly from seed to form a lawn in less than a year. It’s extremely drought-tolerant, rejoices in hot weather, handles wear-and-tear well, and tolerates salt spray so it can be grown on the coast. However, it’s got a few drawbacks. It does poorly in shade, even light shade. It’s also very aggressive. Bermuda grass spreads by both above- and below-ground runners that makes weeding flower and shrub beds an endless battle (hence the common nicknames of “wiregrass” or “devilgrass”). Hybrid bermuda grasses like Tifway (Tifton 419) and Tifway II have finer leaves and a dark green color. They also require more frequent fertilizing and mowing to keep them in shape. Midiron and Vamont are coarse-leaved, cold tolerant cultivars. Riviera and Princess 77 are two fine-leaved Bermuda grasses that can be established from seed. Tifgreen (Tifton 328), Tifgreen II, and Tifdwarf are finer-bladed grasses that are used on golf courses, football fields and other recreational areas.

Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) is widely grown in South Carolina and is especially suitable for people who want a dense, decent-looking lawn that requires little mowing and fertilizing. Centipede has a light- green color and grows slowly. It can be grown in full sun to part shade. Because centipede grass only produces above-ground runners called stolons, it can be easily controlled near flower beds and walkways. It has no tolerance for neglect or mismanagement.

Zoysia grass (Zoysia spp.) forms a very dense, attractive lawn in full sun and partial shade. In the winter it turns a beautiful beige. Zoysia grasses grow very slowly compared to other grasses. This is a disadvantage when it comes to establishment, which can take up to two years when starting from plugs. Also, it recovers slowly from injury. Zoysiagrass forms thatch readily (thatch is a spongy accumulation of dead, decaying plant matter on the soil surface), especially when it’s mowed too high or infrequently, or when it’s heavily fertilized. Mowing the tough, wiry leaves requires a sharp mower blade. Two popular zoysia grass cultivars are Meyer, the zoysia grass often advertised in newspapers and magazines as the “super” grass, and Emerald. Meyer has good cold tolerance and spreads more rapidly than most other zoysias, but it also has a coarse texture. Emerald has a darker green color and is more shade tolerant. Other zoysia grass varieties suited for home lawns include El Toro, Empire, and Palisades. Compadre and Zenith are seeded zoysia grasses that have a similar texture to Meyer.

St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) or “Charleston grass” is widely grown along the coast because of it tolerance to salt spray and its ability to grow in shade. This fast-growing grass has large flat stems and broad coarse leaves. It has an attractive blue-green color and forms a fairly dense turf. It spreads along the ground with above-ground stems called stolons. Although it’s an aggressive grower, it can be easily confined to the lawn. St. Augustine grass has a few problems. It can become thatchy when it’s heavily fertilized or watered frequently. Some cultivars are susceptible to cold damage. A major insect pest of St. Augustine grass is chinchbugs, whose feeding causes the leaves to wilt and turn brown. However, chinch bug resistant cultivars are available. Palmetto and Raleigh are two cold-tolerant cultivars that can be successfully grown in the Piedmont.