Warm season grasses best adapted for lawns in these
soils are Bermuda, Centipede, Carpetgrass, and St.
Augustine. Bermuda grass dominates the majority of the state,
able to withstand drought conditions, low or high fertility, full
sun and higher humidity along with surviving cold weather temps
found in Georgia.
Vegetative and seeded Bermuda varieties are widely used
depending upon usage. The Tif’s (Tifgreen, Tifdward, Tifway,
Tiflawn - all vegetatively grown) are used predominately on golf
courses and athletic fields and in landscaping where an immediate
high quality sod coverage is necessary. A Georgia native,
Dr. Glenn Burton has been responsible for developing a large
amount of the improved turf grasses grown in Georgia and
throughout the Southeast.
8 & 9
Along the coast, St, Augustine, Bermuda,
Zoysia, and Centipede
are used. Centipede is probably better adapted to most of the soil
in two thirds of the state (Atlanta south), and is planted extensively
both from seed and sod. Since is responds well to slightly
acid, poorer soils and thrives when enough water is available. Carpetgrass
does well in wetter, sandy soils in low-lying areas in filtered
shade to full sun.
Zoysia is grown successfully in the middle part of the
state up into the higher elevations and cooler temperatures.
Zoysia has enjoyed a increase in popularity with the new seeded
varieties (Zenith, etc.) and the problems with fescues and
bluegrasses due to drought and disease the last couple of years.
Fescues can be year round in the upper elevations lying
in the transition zone and can be used in the winter in the rest
of the state to overseed other grasses. From the ATLANTA
area north toward Tennessee, Fescues are very popular for their
beautiful color and year-round greenery. Unlike warm season
grasses, Fescues thrive in the cooler temperatures. Tall
Fescue is the predominate variety used with many new turf type
species now on the market. Shade tolerant varieties such as
creeping red fescue and associated improved varieties are also
used in lawns. Some Bluegrasses
are used in the northern mountain areas, mainly more "heat
tolerant" varieties such as Huntsville.
Annual ryegrass is used throughout the state for
overseeding when warm season grasses are in dormancy; with
perennial ryegrass used to
overseed athletic fields when maintained properly.