
The Lawn Care Season Guide for Central Texas
Hello everyone. This section gives our clients information on Texas turfgrasses used in central Texas. Our information come from the Texas A&M University AgriLife Reseach Program. This website can be found using the following link: https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/
Over 90% of the turfgrass planted in the Killeen, Harker Heights and Nolandville area are of the Southern grass variety. St. Augustinegarass and Bermudagrass. This section will help you better understand how we care for your lawn.
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Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers)
Bermudagrass is a warm-season, fine-textured turfgrass that spreads laterally by rhizomes and stolons. It is an extremely drought-hardy, durable, and versatile turfgrass that can be used in many settings included golf courses, athletic fields, home lawns, and as utility turf. It is relatively quick to establish by seed or sprigs and is most notably known for its superior traffic tolerance and quick recuperative potential. These facts, combined with its tolerance to low mowing heights, make it ideal for golf course and athletic turf as well as any other areas that may be heavily trafficked.
Strengths: Drought tolerance, heat tolerance, deep rooting potential, durability, good recuperative potential, salinity tolerance, rapid establishment rate, and low disease potential.
Weaknesses: Shade tolerance, frequent mowing requirement and a moderate to high fertilization requirement.
Recommended Mowing Height: Home Lawns: 1-2 inches (Rotary mower); Golf and Athletic Turf: 0.75 to 1 inch (Reel mower); Dwarfs & Ultra-dwarfs: ≤ 0.15 inches (Reel mower)
Recommended Mowing Frequency: Home Lawns: Weekly using a rotary mower; Golf and Athletic Turf: Daily to weekly using a rotary or reel mower; Putting Greens: Daily using a reel mower.
Fertilization Requirements: 0.5 to 1 lb N per 1,000 ft2 per month during the summer growing season; 2 to 6 total lbs N per 1,000 ft2 per year. Single application rates should range from 0.5 to 1 lb of N per 1,000 ft2
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St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum Secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze
St. Augustinegrass is a warm-season turfgrass that spreads laterally by stolons and is one of the most widely planted turfgrass species in Texas, particularly in urban environments. This is due to its superior shade tolerance relative to other warm-season grasses as well as its deep rooting potential and drought tolerance. It also performs well when mowed with a rotary mower at higher mowing heights, relative to other warm-season species, which makes it a popular choice for use in home lawns.
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Strengths: Shade tolerance, drought tolerance, deep rooting potential, and rapid establishment.
Weaknesses: Cold tolerance, disease potential, traffic tolerance, and chinch bugs.
Recommended Mowing Height: 2.5 to 3.5 inches
Recommended Mowing Frequency: Weekly using a rotary mower
Fertilization Requirements: 2 to 4 lbs N per 1,000 ft2 per year. Single application rates should range from 0.5 to 1 lb of N per 1,000 ft2 applied during the summer growing season.
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https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/texas-turfgrasses/st-augustinegrass/

