What is your pay-out for TLC?

By Linda Wilson and Paula Coley, Norfolk Master Gardeners

And the Winner Is--Warm Season Grasses for Tidewater!

Poll the masses, and include some turf experts at research universities, and you will get the full range of opinions as to what grasses are best adapted for use in our region. Particular circumstances such as heavy shade aside, the majority will come down on the side ofthe heat-tolerant zoysia, Bermuda, St. Augustine and centipedegrass. The lovely tall fescue andother cool season grasses generally require higher levels of irrigation before browning up, and , ofcourse, we are all committed to more beautiful turf with less water.

Browning up? The warm weather grasses will reward you with that as soon as brisk temperatures arrive in late fall. Overseeding with annual rye is the answer for many, while others enjoy the pale bleached wheat color contrasted with the deep green of evergreenshrubs and conifers.

The time is now! If you are considering taking a moribund warm season grass lawn to the next level and have one that just needs patching, June is the last month for seeding. However, not all warm season grasses can be established from seed. Many of the highest cultivars of bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, and St. Augstine grass must be established from sprigs and/or sod. The good news is that perfectly serviceable bermudagrass can be grown from seed if the seed is unhulled. Other warm season grasses such as zoysia can also be started from seed although it has a long germination period. Additionally, the seeded area must be kept weed-free by hand digging. Still the cost savings is significant and the thrifty gardener may find the effort well worth it. For additional information on types of warm season grasses that can be grown from seed and their germination times, please call the Help Line at 683-2855.

In a perfect world you would have done a soil test, made the amendments recommended and have the ideal environment waiting for your warm season grass additions . If you want to go ahead anyway, prepare the ground lightly and then cover with a blend of half topsoil and half compost. Place bermudagrass seed directly over this mixture and moisten thoroughly. Seed must be kept moist until it germinates. In warm temperatures, this could take two weeks.

Larger amounts of water can be applied to sod and sprigs (they won’t wash away like seeds, hah!) until new root establishment is evident. Sprigs are particularly prone to desiccation, so they must be monitored constantly. When you are lucky enough to get to the point where you have something new to be mowed, mow at the low end of the recommended range since that encourages lateral growth!

The balancing act with a new warm season lawn or partial lawn is to give it enough water to keep it going but not so much that you discourage it from forcing its roots deep into the soil. Practice tough love.

Also, forget about fertilizing it when it wants to go to sleep for the winter. Bed it down with its own grass clippings which you’ve been depositing all summer long and if you must tuck it in, gently spread a thin layer of compost over it in the fall.

The next time warm-season grasses want to slurp up fertilizer is in mid-spring through next summer after they have greened up completely and all danger of frost is over. Why? Warm-season grasses are essentially annual grasses that have to be brought back every year. Stay away from heavy nitrogen fertilizers that are all shoot and no root. Warm-season grasses like their fertilizers layered on periodically, just like your concern for them. It never hurts to start out with a quarter-inch of compost.

A thick, resilient turf that smothers out the weeds, feels great under your feet, withstands drought, makes you smile when the HRUBS bill arrives, and costs you less in fertilizers, pesticides, etc. Now factor in the satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing to the health of your plot of the earth and the vitality of our waterways.