Mississippi
Gardens
Newsletter ArchivesvHaving a
great lawn may not be so simple
Mississippi Gardens Newspaper and Web Column - February 2, 2004
Sometimes bad things happen to the lawns of good people. It's sad to say, but many desirable turf type grasses just don't perform the way we would like them to. Parts of a lawn may grow well while other parts always seem to suffer. Why is that?
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Will grass grow here? Not
likely. Shade and soil compaction are frequent causes of poor
grass performance in the home lawn. |
Lawn repair or renovation decisions may cause even the most astute gardener to consider the option of paving the yard in asphalt or concrete. However, before we take such drastic action, let's think about why the grass may be doing poorly and see if there is something that can be done to change things.
The first step to take when trying to decide why the lawn is dying is to evaluate the circumstances. Since all the turf grasses we commonly use for south Mississippi lawns like full sun, we have to wonder whether the grass is getting enough sunlight . Our most shade tolerant turf grass is St. Augustine. It requires a minimum of 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight or high quality, filtered sunlight per day. Others, like bermuda, zoysia and centipede require a half-day of direct sunlight for best performance.
It could be that we must decide if we want grass or trees since trees are the main source of shade. Often, we can improve the amount of sunlight by trimming certain tree limbs. However, low light areas where turf grass won't grow well are often better suited to shade tolerant ornamental trees, shrubs or grasses.
Soil compaction creates other problems for the lawn. How much traffic does your lawn get? Does it get played on, walked on, parked or driven on. Repeated pressure on the soil surface compresses pore space within the soil. Pore space holds water and air necessary for the grass to grow. Without air and water, grass roots suffer and die. To check your lawn for soil compaction, use a steak knife or screwdriver and attempt to push it into the soil, blade first, with your thumb. If it doesn't go in very far or if it goes in with great difficulty, your soil is likely compacted. There are various tools for relieving soil compaction, such as a core aerifier (can be rented) or if necessary, the entire area may need tilling.
Insufficient light or soil compaction may be the reason grass doesn't grow well, but unfortunately, there can be other causes of grass decline. Some of these include insect pests, disease, drought, excessive rainfall or poor drainage. We always hope that human error is not a factor, but improper fertilizing and watering may also lead to significant loss of grass. Having a good looking lawn may not be as simple as you thought it was. If you would like more information on this topic contact your local Mississippi State University Extension Service Office. Happy gardening!
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These archived columns were written by Kerry Johnson, a hobby gardener, former weekly newspaper columnist and retired Extension Horticulture Agent for 11 coastal counties in Mississippi.