Ornamental Grasses
Where To Buy Mascarene Grass
Q: Where can I buy Mascarene grass (Zoysia tenuifolia)? I plan to create a Zen garden in my back yard with ferns, mosses and this beautiful grass. A: I saw it growing near Ernest Hemingway’s Finca Vigia in Cuba. I...
TifTuf Bermuda Vs Zenith Zoysia
Q: My lawn gets 4-5 hours of sunlight. I’m trying to decide between TifTuf bermuda and Zenith zoysia. Which is more shade tolerant? A: Both grasses are “somewhat“ shade tolerant. There are a lot of additional factors that will determine...
Mixing Sunflower Seed Husks Into Soil
Q: There are piles of sunflower seed husks under our bird feeder. Is there any nutritional value to mixing them in soil as a conditioner? A: The seed husks contain minimal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium but would be...
Difference Between TifTuf And 419 Bermuda
Q: What is the real difference between TifTuf and 419 bermuda? A: After World War II, my mother bought a 1948 Allis Chalmers Model G tractor, which she allowed my father to borrow on occasion. Despite having no hydraulic lift,...
Liriope Taking Over My Mondo Grass
Q: I’ve noticed that liriope has taken over almost half of my nice carpet of mondo grass. Any tips for getting rid of the liriope without harming the mondo grass? A: These two plants happily coexist with each other in...
Fescue Died In Winter
Q: I had a beautiful fescue lawn all winter and spring. In mid summer all the grass died. I don’t know what to do to prevent this from happening again. A: It is not unusual for fescue lawns to undergo...
Brown Stems When I Mow My Bermuda Lawn
Q: I have a bermuda lawn that I keep mowed at three inches high every seven days. I want to cut it shorter but when I do all I see is brown stems. My wife wants me to just cut...
Difference Between Zeon And Geo Zoysia
Q: I’ve been told Zeon zoysia and Geo zoysia are the same grass. Do you know if this is true? A: Both grasses are patented. They are therefore genetically and physically different. Geo zoysia can only be planted with sprigs...
Bermuda Lawn: Overseeding With Ryegrass
Q: I read somewhere you should not overseed with ryegrass in the first couple years of a new bermuda yard. Is this accurate? A: Overseeding bermudagrass with ryegrass is problematic because it stresses the bermudagrass while it is dormant. It...
Can I Plant Bermuda Grass Now
Q: Can I plant bermuda grass seed now? A: No. There is not enough time for the seeds to sprout and mature before cold weather sets in. You can plant sod now as long as you keep it from drying...
Is It Too Late To Fertilize Zoysia
Q: My lawn service put pre-emergent and fertilizer on my lawn on Sept 6. I think this was too late to fertilize zoysia. Am I wrong? A: It depends on what strength fertilizer was put down. It is possible to...
Should I Aerate On My Own
Q: I want to aerate my fescue before fall overseeding. Do you have tips on doing it myself vs hiring a lawn service? A: Generally speaking, homeowners can accomplish better aeration of their lawns than you’ll get from a commercial...
When To Fertilize My New Zoysia Sod
Q: I am a new homeowner. My zoysia sod has been down since late May. Does it need fertilizer? A: If the sod seems to be strongly rooted down then it’s time to fertilize. You can buy any thing that...
Preventing Fescue From Growing In Bermuda Lawn
Q: How do I prevent fescue grass from growing in my bermuda grass sod yard? A: The easiest way is to consistently mow the bermuda grass low. Fescue really hates being mowed lower than a couple of inches but bermuda...
Should I Use Liquid Fertilizer On My Lawn
Q: I just bought a large tow-behind sprayer. I would like to use it to apply liquid to my one-acre lawn. What’s the least expensive fertilizer to use? A: The best product for your situation is one of the granular...
My Lawn Is Suffering From Drought
Q: Some areas of my lawn look really stressed from drought. I try to water it once a week for twenty minutes each zone. A: You need to know how much water is being applied in twenty minutes. Set six...
Best Time To Seed My Lawn With TifTuf Bermuda?
Q: When is the best time over seed my lawn with TifTuf bermuda? A: You can’t overseed with TifTuf because it is a hybrid plant. It does not produce seeds. TifTuf bermudagrass was hybridized by University of Georgia researchers. It...
How To Get Rid Of Johnson Weed
Q: How do you get rid of Johnson weed? A: It’s tough! Johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense, was introduced from the Mediterranean as a pasture grass. But farmers soon found that this tall, aggressive grass, while favored by cattle, was very difficult...
