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Selecting the Correct Grass

 

Before selecting your grass, it is important to identify the conditions your grass will be planted in. Questions like: “Is there excessive shade?”, “Does the soil drain properly?”, “Will there be high foot traffic?”, “What are the seasonal rainfall patterns?”, “What is the pH of the soil??” and “Can the area be irrigated properly?”.

Once you have established which conditions you are going to plant your grass in, you need to consider which grass will be best matched to your needs.

 

Maintenance Considerations

Maintenance needs are extremely important and often overlooked when deciding on grass type.

Very low maintenance would be an area which only receives rainfall and no watering. The best option in such an area would be a grass which is native to the environment. Popular choices are bermuda, kikuyu, tall fescue, ornamental grasses, ‘veld’ and common bluegrass. An example of where you would find this grass would be roadsides, meadows and “thick rough” on golf courses. The grass is generally cut very high (if at all), does not get any form of fertilizing and serves more of a functional role than an aesthetic one.

 

Low maintenance would receive little or no watering with fertilizing occurring once a year. The grass would be cut to the maximum desired length of the grass species being used. Parks, some home lawns, “the rough” on golf courses and picnic grounds. Again, native grasses are the best choice for this maintenance level. Normally one would expect to use kikuyu, bermuda, various types of fescue, bluegrass, centipede, and buffalo grass.

 

Medium maintenance would be characterized by fertilizing occurring 2 to 3 times per year, frequent watering and mowing within the 4 – 6cm mow height. Particular attention is paid to the thickness, colour, growth rate and proliferation of vertical and lateral shoots (Rhizomes). Most homes, office parks, golf course fairways and sports fields would be common place for this maintenance. It is always recommended to try use grass native to the region. However, as your specific needs may be more complex, your grass seed requirements may change. Typical grasses for medium maintenance areas would include kikuyu, bermuda, specialised bernmuda’s, perennial rye grass and genetically designed specialized turf grasses.

 

High maintenance would be characterized by grasses being cut to the desired “low end” of the species tolerance, fertilizing occurring 3 – 5 times per year, watering frequently (often higher than required). This type of maintenance may also include additional specialized fertilizing between main fertilizing and continual re-seeding/over-seeding. Further “sanding”, tining/aerating, detaching, scarifying and rolling are also performed frequently. This type of grass can be found on golf greens, bowling greens and at exclusive hotels. Specialized perennial rye, fine fescue, creeping bentgrass and hybrid burmudas are choices in this category.

 

Seasonality of Grass Species

 

Cold Season Grasses (thrive in temperatures between 10°C and 25°C) These grasses are best suited for cooler climates and struggle to grow in higher temperatures. They will require a lot of additional watering in warmer climates and are still not ideal.

 

Creeping Bentgrass – extremely fine textured, low growing, as the name suggests a creeping species, very susceptible to disease and requires a high frequency of mowing. Typically used on premium golf greens. Not drought tolerant.

 

Perennial Ryegrass – has a fairly good wear tolerance and does grow/establish fairly rapidly. The grass has a medium coarseness and grows dark green. This grass is not a creeping grass and needs proper seeding to achieve optimum ground cover. Perennial Ryegrass has a fair cold and warm tolerance. Handles foot traffic well.

 

Fescue – Generally a bunching grass (not creeping). It grows a deep green with good shade tolerance. The longer fescue varieties also have deep root systems, making them lower maintenance, better heat tolerant and more drought resistant. The longer varieties are also considered to be pest resistant.

 

Warm Season Grasses thrive in temperatures between 25°C and 35°C your typical 9 month South African Summer, these grasses generally offer better drought tolerance, require less watering and are more susceptible to frost.

 

Bermuda Grass (also sold as Cynodon dactylon) – Native to Africa, this grass is a creeping grass and can be found on many lawns and golf courses throughout South Africa. Bermuda can grow up to around 15cm’s tall and likes to be kept between 4 – 6cm in height. It has a very good heat/drought tolerance and is self repairing. It handles heavy foot traffic well and is ideal for a turf grass. The leaves are a generally coarse (although there are finer varieties), it offers some shade tolerance although prefers full sun and has little cold/frost tolerance. As with most grass species, this grass can build up a thick thatch layer.

 

Kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) – Native to Africa, more particularly East Africa. Kikuyu is the most popular grass species chosen for many reasons. It grows up to 70cm tall and is a creeping grass which is able to quickly repair itself. One of the main reasons Kikuyu is chosen, is for the deep green colour it exhibits.. This species is not very shade tolerant and is considered low maintenance. With medium to high maintenance this species can give excellent results. Kikuyu is not cold tolerant and goes into dormancy in winter, especially in areas with frost. It has a low shade tolerance and it would be more prudent to plant other types of grass in heavily shaded areas, receiving less than 6 hours of sun per day in the summer. Kikuyu can also mat (along with all creeping grass species). If this matting/thatch is not removed periodically it can prevent proper nutrition penetrating the soil sufficiently. The combination of its aggressive growth characteristics and matting make it very difficult for weeds to grow when Kikuyu is healthy and well nourished. Kikuyu can grow in many soil types and can develop a very deep root system. It is recommended when planting Kikuyu to rather choose to transplant grass (instant lawn) instead of planting seeds. Some benefit can be derived from planting seeds with light over-seeding with spring lawn renovation/top dressing. Kikuyu also responds extremely well to fertilizing, however, beware increasing the growth rate of Kikuyu may require a lot of additional mowing to ensure the additional vertical and lateral growth is kept under control.

 

LM Berea (Dactyloctenium Australe) – Most commonly found on the East Coast of South Africa, primarily chosen for its shade tolerance and ability to remain green during cold spells. This fast growing lawn is also a creeping grass but lighter in colour than Bermuda and Kikuyu. IT is also does not tolerate high traffic well. It can be planted all year round and does have very good heat and drought resistant qualities. LM Berea should not be mowed too short as it is reliant on surface runners to spread.

 

Other common grasses in South Africa are:

Dichondra Repens (Kidney Weed) which is not what one would consider a typical grass but a ground cover. It forms small round leaves that cover the area and grows very close to the ground, requiring no mowing, If moved, it needs to be moved very low, this will encourage further growth and cause the cover to thicken up. It can be susceptible to insects and disease but grows well in the sun and shade. Do not use a broadleaf weed killer (especially those containing 2-4D) on this grass as it does not have the same characteristics as many other grasses and will die off. Manual weed removal and keeping Dichondra healthy are the two best lines of defence against weeds.

Shade Mix and Evergreen Mixes – These are mixes of either single grass types mentioned above or a combination and these are ideal for the individual looking for an All-in-One solution. The seed may lead to inconsistent grass characteristics. As the mixes are potentially comprised of multiple grass seeds, fertilizing and cutting requirements of the individual seeds may vary and could lead to difficulty in achieving the optimum lawn care regime.

 

Basic Characteristics Used to Classify Grass

 

Cold and Heat Tolerance – Species ability to deal with ambient temperature and thrive. It is often though it is not the temperature, but sudden changes that can impact grass detrimentally.

 

Colour – Natural colouration of grasses can include brown/yellow, green, blue-green and some reds – all with variations in intensity of colouration.

 

Density – The quantity of grass found in an area – the more dense the grass the larger the number of plants in the area (normally in m²).

 

Disease/Insect Resistance – Simply put, a species’ ability to withstand disease and harmful pests.

Drought Resistance – The grasses ability to withstand dry spells – the more drought tolerant, the longer the grass will maintain its green colour, at some point turning brown and going dormant. Note: the deeper a root system is trained, the greater the ability of the grass to resist the effects of drought. Drought resistance goes hand-in-hand with watering requirements.

 

Establishment Rate – The time taken for the species to reach 100% ground cover, dependant on factors like erosion, weed resistance and ability to recover from damage caused by traffic or pests.

 

Shade Tolerance – Ability of grass to grow with limited access to light, in the modern garden, golf courses and majority of professionally landscaped areas. Shade is an inevitable factor to take note of.

 

Texture of the Leaf – a direct description of the leaf blades width, the wider the leaf the ‘rougher’ the texture.

 

Thatch Production – Not to be confused with grass clippings left on the lawn. This is a brown layer of decaying matter, made up of dead stems and roots. found just under the crown of the grass. In a natural environment, this layer would remain and over time be broken down by micro-organisms. This region is often where disease and insects proliferate, it also prevents nutrients and water reaching deep into the soil. Removal of thatch is key to healthy grass and maximizing vertical shoots, giving a carpet effect.

 

Traffic Tolerance (Wear Tolerance) – Very important factor to take into consideration for golf courses, home lawns, parks and sports fields.

 

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