The Grass Doctor

Best way to take care of centipeed grass?

Whats the best thing to put on centipeed grass to make it thick, green, and weed free? I've heard putting lime pelets down help. I just laid centipeed sod about 3 months ago. ps. i live in nw florida

Public Comments

1. as your centi. grows it will choke out the weeds. I would not lime it now it is way to hot, do that in the early spring--it is never really a lush green. Had it in NC. Just water for now and wait for the other stuff.
2. fertilize, water, and mow it. fertilize 2 times a year- if no soil test , use a balanced fertilizer like 8-8-8. lime is good too. a good liming will last 2-3 years. water once a week, if no rain. keep it mowed short, this will make it grow spreading instead of growing tall. the mowing will kill the annual weeds. if the weed is a undeserible grass, use roundup to spot kill it. use a grass pick up attachment on your mower.
3. Too much to explain here so I'll give you a website that has all the info you need about centipede grass. You need to follow some simple maintenance practices to keep your turf looking healthy, disease and insect free. Hope this helps. http://www.american-lawns.com/grasses/centipede.html ...Billy Ray
4. Proper fertilization of any lawngrass is an important component of the best management practices of your home lawn. Fertilization and other cultural practices can influence the overall health of your lawn, and can reduce its vulnerability to numerous stresses, including weeds, insects, and disease. It is advisable for homeowners to have soil tests done annually. Your local Cooperative Extension Service office has recommendations and bags for taking soil samples and submitting to the Extension Soil Testing Lab for analysis. In particular, phosphorous levels are best determined by soil testing. Since many Florida soils are high in phosphorous, little or no phosphorous may be needed for satisfactory lawn growth. DO NOT USE A BALANCED FERTILIZER LONG TERM to maintain turf. Balanced fertilizers are just too high in phosphorus for lawn maintenance, especially where the native soils are already high in phosphorus. Established centipedegrass lawns have very low fertility requirements. Centipedegrass is a low-maintenance turfgrass and does not respond will to excessive use of fertilizer, especially nitrogen. Do not overfertilize centipedegrass with nitrogen to equal the color of St. Augustinegrass. Overfertilization of centipedegrass can result in centipedegrass decline, insect pressure, and thatch accumulation. As with any lawn grass, do not apply more than ½ lb. of water soluble nitrogen per 1000 square feet at any one time. Up to 1 lb. of nitrogen per 1000 square feet may be applied at one time, but at least 50% of that nitrogen should be in a slow-release form. In general, two weeks following spring regrowth, apply a complete fertilizer such as 16-4-8 at the rate of ½ (water-soluble) to 1 (slow-release) pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet. The three numbers refer to percent nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively, in the bag. For example a 50-pound bag of 16-4-8 contains 16% nitrogen or 8 pounds total nitrogen. This bag will fertilize 8000 square feet at the rate of 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet. University of Florida guidelines for lawngrass fertility show a range of fertilizer rates over which a particular species may be successfully grown for various areas of the state. These ranges are included to account for individual homeowner preferences for low-, medium-, or high-input grass. Additionally, localized microclimate effects can have a tremendous effect on turfgrass growth, and a range of rates provides more opportunity to allow for these environmental variations. An example of this would be a typical home lawn that is partially shaded and partially sunny. The grass growing in the shade should receive lower rates of fertilizer than that growing in full sun. The guidelines are also separated into three geographical locations statewide as indicated in Table 1 and Table 2 . All rates are in pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet. For questions on how to apply these amounts, refer to the section in this book entitlited Florida Fertilization. Fertilizer should be applied to centipedegrass in 1 to 3 applications fro spring greenup through fall. Do ot apply nitrogen too early in the growing season, particularly in north Florida, or subsequent frosts may damage the grass. Likewise, don't fertilize too late in the year, as this can slow regrowth the following spring. If applying water-soluble forms at the lower application rate, it will take more applications to apply the total amount of fertilizer needed for the year than if applying a slow-release fertilizer form. As mentioned previously, one of the common problems of centipedegrass is a yellowing called chlorosis, which is usually caused by iron deficiency. This condition is most severe where soil pH is high (above 6.5) or where the soil contains large quantities of calcium or phosphorus. This yellowing is generally most severe in early spring, when daytime temperatures are warm but nighttime temperatures are still cool. Warm daytime air temperatures promote leaf and stolon growth, but cool nighttime temperatures limit root growth. The roots then cannot assimilate enough nutrients to supply the growing leaves, and the leaves turn yellow. As soils become warmer, this temporary nutrient deficiency disappears. Avoid using excessive phosphorus fertilizers unless soil test results indicate to do so. Iron chlorosis can be controlled by several methods. Soil pH can be lowered by regular use of acid-forming fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate. These will render the iron more available to the grass. If the soil is naturally iron deficient, iron fertilization is necessary. Centipedegrass usually responds well to supplemental applications of iron. Chelated or ferrous sulfate iron can be applied evenly and easily with a hose-end applicator. Apply the ferrous sulfate at the rate of 2 ounces in 3 to 5 gallons of water per 1000 square feet. Consult the label for chelated iron rates. Fertilizers containing iron and a combination material of ammonium sulfate and ferrous sulfate are also available. Do not apply nitrogen too late in the growing season, as this can slow regrowth the following spring. A general guideline for the last fertilizer application is mid-September for north Florida, early October for central Florida, and late October for south Florida. It is possible to apply potassium at a rate of 1 pound of potassium per 1000 square feet. This will help the grass to overwinter, tolerate cold temperatures, and green-up quickly in the spring. Mowing Proper mowing practices are necessary to keep any lawn healthy and attractive. Centipedegrass that is actively growing should be mowed every 7 to 14 days at 1.5 to 2 inches in height. Mowing at this height promotes a deeper, more extensive root system that enables the grass to better withstand drought and nematode stress. Remove no more than 1/3 of the height of the leaf blades with any mowing (e.g., for a lawn to be maintained at 2 inches in height, mow when the turf reaches 3 inches). It is important not to mow centipedegrass at lower heights, as that will reduce the tolerance of the grass to heat, drought, nematodes, and many other stresses. It will also suppress root growth. Clippings should be left on the ground after mowing. They do not contribute to thatch build-up, as is often assumed, but are actually readily degraded by microorganisms. They also provide a source of nutrients to the lawn, and can reduce fertility requirements if left on the lawn on a regular basis. A sharp and well-adjusted rotary or reel mower should be used. Watering Irrigation on an as-needed basis is an excellent way to water any grass, provided the amount of water is applied when needed. Irrigation is needed when leaf blades begin to fold up, to actually wilt, to turn blue-gray in color, or when footprints remain visible after walking on the grass. Apply ¾ inch of water per application, which will apply water to the top 8 inches of soil, where the majority of the roots are. To determine rates from a sprinkler system, place several coffee cans throughout the irrigation zones to find out how long it takes to apply ¾ inch of water. During prolonged drought, irrigation may be needed more often. Centipedegrass has good drought tolerance and will usually recover from severe drought injury soon after rain or irrigation. Do not over-water centipedegrass lawns as this weakens the turf and encourages weeds. Refer to the chapter "Watering Your Florida Lawn" in the Florida Lawn Handbook for additional information. During extended periods of drought, centipedegrass may go dormant if left unirrigated. The grass will turn brown and stop growing during this dormant period, but will revive and resume growth upon irrigation with sufficient amounts of water.