Time to dispell a few common grass myths
Myth: Shade-tolerant grasses grow well in the shade. Turfgrass species and cultivars vary in their tolerance of shade. Warm season grasses prefer full sunlight. Bermuda grass, which is the predominant lawn grass in Arkansas, unfortunately, has very poor shade tolerance. Zoysia grass (Zoysia spp.) and centipede grass have fair shade tolerance, with zoysia grass being adapted for use throughout Arkansas and centipede grass limited to the southern half of Arkansas due to poor low-temperature tolerance. St. Augustine grass has good shade tolerance and is the most shade-tolerant of the warm season grasses, but its use is also limited to the southern half of Arkansas due to poor low-temperature tolerance. Cool season grasses have good shade tolerance and perform well in northern Arkansas in lawns receiving morning sun and some afternoon shade. Tall fescue is well adapted for Arkansas lawns since it is the most heat and drought tolerant of the cool season grasses. Creeping red fescue is the most shade-tolerant grass for northern Arkansas, but it lacks heat, disease and drought tolerance compared to warm-season turfs and it is not widely recommended for use in Arkansas. No grass species will grow well in areas that receive only filtered sunlight. Even the most shade-tolerant grasses require some sun.
As trees mature on your property, turf will get weaker and weaker under the increasingly thick shade. If you have moss in your turf stand, it is an indication that there is not enough sun. Pruning trees to increase light penetration should occur annually (but that will only help a little). You’re better off planting shade-loving ornamentals as opposed to battling nonperforming turf. There are many ground covers and perennials better adapted to shade than turfgrasses. Visit your local garden center to find out which shade-tolerant plants are best adapted to your location in Arkansas. If plant materials are not suitable for your site or landscape design, decorative mulch and gravel are alternatives. For more information, see FSA6140, Growing Turfgrass in Shade.
Myth: Turf performs better the more it is irrigated. More fine turf is damaged in Arkansas each year from homeowners overwatering than underwatering. During most summers (June to September), your lawn will need supplemental watering in addition to rainfall to maintain color and density. Turf seldom needs irrigation from Oct. 1 to June 1. Water only as needed when the lawn first shows signs of water stress, which include a bluish-gray to brown color of the grass and/or footprints that remain for an extended period after walking across the lawn. Lawns should be watered in the early morning hours as needed, and watering once per week is usually sufficient in the summer months. Research shows that most cultivars of bermuda grass require slightly less irrigation than zoysia grass. Both bermuda grass and zoysia grass need less irrigation than tall fescue. Centipede grass and St. Augustine grass are not as drought tolerant as bermuda grass and require careful management during dry periods.
Additional fact sheets are available at http//:www.uaex.edu and additional information about turfgrass management is available at http://turf.uark.edu/. If you have questions, Jimmy Driggers, Garland County Extension agent-staff chair, is available at jdriggers@uaex.edu or 501-623-6841. The Garland County Extension Office is located at 236 Woodbine, Hot Springs.
Master Gardener information
If you have an interest in gardening you’re welcome to attend the monthly Master Gardener meeting which is held on the third Thursday of each month, 1 p.m. at the Elk’s Lodge. They’re open to the public and guests are always welcome. For information call the Extension office at 623-6841 or email Allen Bates at abates@ uaex.edu.
EHC information
Would you be interested in joining an Extension Homemakers Club? How about forming a new club in your community? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For more information, call Alison Crane, 501-623-6841 or email her at acrane@uaex.edu. Follow Alison on Facebook @garlandEGF and @GarlandFCS, and EHC on Facebook @GarlandCountyEHC.
4-H information
If you’re between the ages of 5 and 19, you can join 4-H. We have a club for you, or you and a group of friends can organize your own club. For more information call Linda Bates at the Extension office, 623-6841 or email her at lbates@uaex.edu.