Spring is full speed ahead here at the Extension office. Dare I say, it is my favorite time of year, as I get increasing requests to come spend time out in the community – not much better than a sunny day and visit with clients! In case you don’t know- I am available to come visit your property and discuss any concerns or questions you have relating to agriculture and natural resources – this could be looking at gardens or lawns, body condition scoring livestock, or helping to diagnose a disease, insect, or weed problem. This service is free for all Lincoln County residents, so feel free to call our office at 706-359-3233 if you’d like to schedule an appointment.
As we gear up for growing season, I am starting to get more and more questions about lawns and turfgrass. Most frequently, I’m asked why a lawn isn’t growing or greening up. The first thing to understand is that we have a large variety of turfgrass species that grow here in Georgia. The majority of lawns in our area are going to be some variety of bermudagrass, centipede, zoysia, or tall fescue. The first three are all warm-season grasses, meaning they go dormant during our winter months and actively grow during the hot weather of summer. These grasses will not start to green up and grow until soil temperatures are consistently 62 degrees or higher. Right now, we’re sitting at about 58 degrees, so we’re close, but not quite there. Tall fescue is a cool-season grass, which actively grows during the spring and fall. It should be doing well right now and starting to think about dormancy as we get warmer weather. All this to say- if you’re worried about warm season species not being greened up quite yet, don’t panic – give them a few more weeks.
Turfgrass is a living thing just like any other plant, and there are many factors that affect how it grows. One big problem I see regularly is struggling turfgrass that’s planted in shaded areas. In general, cool-season species like tall fescue can tolerate lower light conditions, but they still need a minimum of 4 hours direct sunlight per day to thrive. Warm season species like Bermuda, zoysia, and centipede really prefer at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. If you’re trying to grow a lawn in a heavily shaded, wooded area, you’re likely always going to struggle to do so. In heavy shade, I recommend clients plant a low-growing ground cover instead of turf that can be visually appealing and thrive in those conditions.
In addition to sunlight, soil pH and fertility matter. Most of our soil tests come back with a pH somewhere in the 4-5 range, but turfgrass needs pH to be around a 6-7. You can’t know the pH of your soil without running a soil test, which is a service we offer for $10 per sample. Once you know the current pH, you can add lime to buffer the acidity and increase your pH as needed. It’s critical that you correct pH first, as low pH will prevent your grass from absorbing key nutrients from fertilizer. Fertilizing without correct pH is a waste of your money. If you soil test, you’ll get fertilization recommendations for your specific property – typically, I recommend applying ½ of the recommended amount at green-up and ½ in July for warm season species like bermudagrass.
In addition to weather, sun exposure, and soil pH and fertility, other factors can affect lawn health. Proper mowing frequency and height can help encourage a healthy stand of turfgrass – this depend on what species of grass you have. Generally, mow warm season grasses to 1-2” and cool season grasses to 5-6” in height, increasing that length during times of extreme heat and drought. Finally, a healthy grass stand will often outcompete weeds, but the use of pre- and post-emergent herbicides can help your turf be competitive against other plants. If you have concerns about weeds, call us for help with identification and control recommendations.
Extensive information on turfgrass can be found with UGA Bulletin 1533-1 – Lawns in Georgia: Selection and Species or by visiting the GeorgiaTurf website at turf.caes.uga.edu. If you’d like to schedule a site visit or need assistance, please contact us via email (uge3181@uga.edu) or call (706-359-3233).
