Most homeowners want to keep their lawns lush and beautiful. In Florida, this lushness is often despite the environment rather than because of it. So how can homeowners in the Sunshine State help their yard succeed? It all starts with the grass. This week, we’re covering the best types of grass for Florida lawns. Read on to learn a little more about the individual types of grass and how they work for homeowners.
St. Augustine
St. Augustine grass is known for its density and vivid colors. It is very popular in southern Florida. It is a variety that requires regular maintenance but can’t stand to be stepped on.
Bermuda
Bermuda grass is the choice of sports groundskeepers everywhere, especially golf and football. This type handles nearly everything people throw at it: heavy foot traffic, extreme weather, lack of water, and more.
Be warned though, it requires a lot of monitoring. It is almost too good at living in Florida weather, to the point that it invades spaces it wasn’t planted. It turns up in neighboring yards and act like a weed in a garden.
Bahiagrass
This type thrives in dry, sandy soil and burrows root systems deep underground to access water. Bahiagrass grows slowly and homeowners do not have to dedicate much time to maintenance. This is another resilient strand that can carry more than its weight.
Centipede
Centipede varieties are not necessarily weak, they just aren’t as strong as the other types. During long dry period, it tends to go dormant and brown. Additionally, it really does not like foot traffic. It does not require fertilizer or a lot of mowing.
Buffalo
Buffalo grass loves hot weather and hates any temperature even remotely cool. It is most popular in the Miami/South Florida area. It also hates the shade, so if your yard has any big old oak trees, choose another variety. Finally, it gets upset if it is overwatered.
Essentially, buffalo grass is the cactus of grass varieties, give it a hot, sandy patch of land in SoFlo and it will thrive.
Zoysia
Zoysia thrives in both the sun and the shade, which makes it perfect for lawns with mixed lighting. It is known for being highly weed and pest resistant if a homeowner puts in the time and effort for it. Fortunately, that time and effort are not too much. Experts rank it as middling when it comes to foot traffic. Something consistent is okay, but heavy traffic causes damage.
Zoysia is most common in coastal areas of Florida because of how well it resists other plants and critters. Frost does cause it to go dormant. However, it returns once the temperature stabilizes.
