What Kind of Grass to use in FL?

[superiorfenceandrail]

Our pool is going to have a raised grass area framed in coping as a deck.

I would like to use something besides St. Augustine because it's so uncomfortable to walk/sit on.

Does anyone have any suggestions.

I like the type of grass they use at the ball fields here, but I don't know what kind of grass that is.

P.S. I've started a blog, so if you want to see what I'm talking about you can go to http://www.buildingmydreampool.blogspot.com.
Thanks

 

[Taz]

Well, we decided to give zoysia (empire is the variety up here) a try in our back yard where the ground was excavated and where the grass died (busted irrigation system & just overall neglect). It has smaller blades and a tighter weave than Floratam St. Augustine. One neighbor installed it this spring & it looks nice. Regretfully, our HOA requires ST Augustine in visable areas. UF has a very good web site (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_lawn_grasses ) that focuses on FL lawns.

Our irrigation system was just reconstructed so the sod will go in on Wed (please please). Will repost when it's done & offer a couple of pictures of the zoysia install.

 

[DBfan187]

Kentucky Bluegrass, but I doubt you'd get it to grow as well in this heat. It'd have to be watered 2-3x's a day!

 

[bk406]

Kentucky Bluegrass, but I doubt you'd get it to grow as well in this heat. It'd have to be watered 2-3x's a day!

Kentucky Bluegrass wont grow that far south. I'm not a fan of ziosa. How about bermuda grass?

 

[DBfan187]

It will grow, it will just take forever. That's why there's better choices for our climate.

 

[bk406]

It will grow, it will just take forever. .

Thats actually what i meant. It wont grow thick and lush.

 

[superiorfenceandrail]

UF has a very good web site (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_lawn_grasses ) that focuses on FL lawns.

Great website! The grass at the ball fields are bermuda grass, but it sounds like that is not recommended for residential applications.

It sounds like Zoysia is what we are looking for. If anyone has had this grass I would be interested to hear if they liked it or not.

Thanks,

 

[jasonlmarsh]

Bermuda grass is very invasive! its worse than the most invasive weed you can name IMO. It looks nice when it's freshly cut, but give it a few days and it will send out streamers across concrete or anything else that gets in it's way. The one up-side to bermuda is that it thrives in the hottest climates and doesn't require that much water. It's very common around Oklahoma. Mow, edge, and run the trimmer weekly and you'll keep it looking nice. Your winters are not as harsh as they are here, so you may see different results, but it does turn brown and dies off once it starts getting cold.

 

[Woodberg]

Zoysia is a great choice. We live in Houston and are entire front yard is zoysia. It is thicker than St. Augustine and much softer. It also is not nearly as invasive as Bermuda. I've found that it does really well in the heat when St. Augustine is starting to look stressed. It also needs less water than St. Augustine. I'm actually thinking about digging up the St. Augustine in my back yard and planting Zoysia.

 

[bk406]

It's funny how things are percieved in different pats of the country. Up here in the northeast, nobody would even consider zoisa. It's bascially considered a weed up here.

 

[superiorfenceandrail]

It's funny how things are percieved in different pats of the country. Up here in the northeast, nobody would even consider zoisa. It's bascially considered a weed up here.

Yeah, St. Augustine is even worse, it's what we use to call Crab Grass up north.

 

[Rico Laguno]

funny thing is if you look at homes on Long Island (NY) and homes just over the GW bridge in NJ, they use a totally different type of grass. Out on LI, the grass is thick and plush...I thinks its Bermuda, but in NJ, I think they mostly use Kentucky Blue.....and they are only miles apart.

 

[bk406]

Out on LI, the grass is thick and plush...I thinks its Bermuda,

I'd double check that if your interested just out of curiosity. I dont think bermuda will grow that far north. At least not to any thickness. It likes really, really hot weather.

 

[Woodberg]

I have lived in Texas my whole live and have always had St. Augustine. I'm not sure what kind of Zoysia that we have in our front yard (it was already planted in the front yard when we bought our house) but the previous owner said it was developed for Texas climate at Texas A&M. What's interesting is there is a small patch of Zoysia planted in our backyard right next to St. Augustine. The Zoysia is so thick that the St. Augustine can't grow through it. There is basically a solid line where the 2 grasses meet. What's really nice is that the Zoysia does not have runners like St. Augustine or Bermuda. I have it right next to flower beds and it doesn't invade them at all. The key though is that it really likes heat. I doubt it would do good up north.

 

[Stevereno]

Woodberg - interesting comments. I live NE of Houston and have been in the Houston area since 1976. I believe you are the first homeowner that I have encountered that has a zoysia lawn in Houston.

Nice avatar BTW.

 

[StuartPool]

I cant speak for anyone else, but I had to resod my yard.
I put down Flortam, then seeded the sod with zoysa and bermuda grass.
Its an odd combination, but each grass offers its own strenghts, By doing it this way, it stays greener with less water, still has softer grass in it. (no florida grass is soft) and resists weeds and bugs.
I put down some KY BlueGrass on the side of my house, just to see. It will grow, but its thin blades down here and looks alot like spanish moss.
thats what worked for us in south florida

 

[Taz]

I cant speak for anyone else, but I had to resod my yard.
I put down Flortam, then seeded the sod with zoysa and bermuda grass.
(snip) resists weeds

There can't be room for weeds to grow! :-D

 

[dschlic1]

In the Tampa Bay area, Bahia grass is very popular. Very hardy grass that does not need to be watered.

 

[Amontilado]

In southern Alabama, we use centipede. Definitely a warm weather grass, though. Does best when the ground warms up in the spring.

Steve

 

[Shane1]

I wanted to pull the trigger on this new product (at the time) called Seashore Paspalum. But I chickened out and went with E-Z turf. hEres a link
Maybe you can find it in your area.
http://www.westernsod.com/sea_shore.php