Pamlico Extension has received numerous inquiries this past month in regards to lawn choices for our local landscape. To help address this question, I will provide several important concepts to help readers make informed decisions to improve their turfgrass selection.

1. Lawn grass (turf) needs sunlight, water, and sufficient fertility to grow. Eight hours of direct sunlight is needed to maximize turf growth potential. Turfgrass will grow in shadier areas, but will never be as competitive as turf in full sunlight. Water is essential to growth, but extremes of excess or drought will limit the spread of turfgrass and create issues from disease and dieback. An inch of water per week is the recommended rate during active growth periods, but turfgrass varieties are quite hardy and can tolerate a little more or less. Sandy soils will dry out quicker than soils that contain more organic matter, and will often benefit from supplemental irrigation during summer heat. Soil fertility is important to healthy turf as sufficient nutrients sustain season long growth and help resist environmental stress. Soil sampling to ensure proper soil pH and adequate fertility is recommended before selecting a new turfgrass species for your lawn. Centipedegrass is a common turf type in Pamlico County, but grows best at a pH value near 5.5. Soils containing a higher pH value (> 6.0) would be a poor choice for centipedegrass, as lowering soil pH in Pamlico County can be difficult (soil with naturally higher pH ranges often contain shell fragments, which raises pH). Soil testing materials are available in the Pamlico County Extension office for submission to North Carolina Department of Agriculture soil lab.

2. Warm season turf species are best adapted to grow in Pamlico County. Recommended warm season turf species include Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, St. Augustine grass, and Centipedegrass. Only centipede, zoysia, and common bermuda can be seeded. Improved bermudagrass hybrids and St. Augustine must be planted vegetatively through sprigs, plugs, and sod. Warm season grasses grow best in our warm and humid climate, producing green growth during spring, summer, fall, and turning brown (dormancy) during the cold winter. Warm season grasses also spread by runners (stolons and rhizomes) that creep along the ground sending up new foliage. To produce a healthy lawn, the objective is to encourage the spread of runners across all open spaces.

3. Seeding grass takes preparation, irrigation, heat, and TIME. If you wish to seed a new lawn or fill in a bare area, fulfill all the of the requirements we have previously discussed. Then prepare the soil to accept seed to optimize germination. This is best achieved by eliminating all competing vegetation including weeds and undesirable turfgrass. Grass seed must be in contact with soil to survive past germination. If seed is scattered on top of competing vegetation, most of this seed will die. If you are attempting to improve an existing stand of turf with additional seed, then mow the turf as low as possible before seeding and rake seed into the turf following application. Consistent moisture is important to germination and must be present during the entire germination period. Germination may require as much as 28 days to occur, but consistent moisture and sufficient warmth will expedite this process. Warm season turf grass should not be seeded until late March and no later than late August. This will help to provide sufficient warmth for germination and allow enough growth to prevent winter injury.

4. Lastly, manage weeds and other pests. Weeds are the greatest competitor to newly seeded lawns. There are numerous herbicides available to control weeds in turfgrass but not all can be applied to recently seeded turf. Be especially careful not to apply preemergence herbicides before or after seeding. Most preemergence herbicides available to homeowners act by preventing rooting and should be avoided during the first growing season. Postemergence products are available but many require several weeks of new growth before they can be applied.