Alabama's Centipede Grass For Homeowners
Characteristics of Centipede Lawn Grass
Centipede grass is a warm season Alabama turf grass. Centipede Grass's leaf texture is similar to but is finer than St. Augustine grass but larger than Bermuda grass. Centipede grasses leaf color is dark green. Bermuda grass forms a very dense lawn. Centipede grass requires full sunshine lawns. Centipede grass spreads by stolons. Centipede grass grows fairly fast and is easy to maintain.
Centipede grass has been used by Alabamians and southerners for many years because it provides an extremely lush looking lawn and is pretty tough and is lower maintenance than St. Augustine grass.
Recommended Usage of Centipede Grass
Centipede grass does extremely well in hot, humid regions of Alabama and the Southeastern United States. Centipede Grass grows well in hot, arid regions. Centipede grass can withstand heavy traffic and usage. Centipede grass is highly recommended for residential yard lawns and on commercial business lawns.
Temperature Tolerance of Centipede Grass
Centipede grass will lose some of its dark green color and appear to be brown during prolonged periods of extreme heat or lack of water. Centipede lawn grasses go dormant during winter months.
Drought Tolerance of Centipede Grass
Centipede grass withstands longer periods of drought. Centipede grass does better if maintained by regular watering or being installed over a sprinkler water system.
Shade Tolerance of Centipede Grass
Centipede turf and sod grasses do not like shade but are better than Bermuda grass. Centipede grasses do better in full sunlight and has good wear resistance. Centipede grass is not as shade tolerant as St. Augustine or Zoysia grasses.
Wear Resistance of Centipede Grass
Centipede grasses does show excessive traffic wear quickly. The Alabama Centipede turf grass is usually a finer leaf blade and is usually mowed as close as 1 inch in height and does better if close to 2 inches. As you can see, the longer the centipede grass leaf, the more it will show traffic. Look at it the same way you look at carpet. If you buy shag carpet that is not very dense, it will look worn and mashed down quicker than carpet that has a shorter pile and is more dense. Centipede grass is similar and with its short pile, looks great longer and wears better than St. Augustine grass but not as good as Bermuda grass.
We hope you have enjoyed reading about Alabama Centipede grass. If you need any additional information or would love to order some Centipede grass for your your yard or your next job, please give us a call at 251.986.8873 at our corporate headquarters in Elberta, Alabama. We will be glad to assist you and your Centipede Grass needs.