(Continued from the previous page)Centipedegrass - Centipedegrass
is well adapted to most soils and climatic conditions in the south and
upper south, but is not so well  adapted to the more arid regions west
of the Mississippi.
 The leaf blade is medium in texture and forms a
good, low growing, dense turf. It is not as shade
tolerant as St. Augustine, but more so than bermuda.
Centipede has excellent drought tolerance, but low wear
tolerance and a slow growth rate. It can either be
established by seed or vegetatively by sod or sprigs.
Centipede remains green throughout the year in mild
climates, but the leaves can be killed during hard
freezes. It does not have a true dormant state like
bermuda, and resumes growth whenever temperatures are
favorable.
Zoysiagrass -
Zoysia is not as shade tolerant as St.
Augustine, but is considerably more tolerant of shade
than bermuda. Because zoysia  is the most
winter-hardy of the warm season grasses, it does better
in the upper south regions and the transition zone. It is
most often planted as sod or plugs, but it may take as
much as two growing seasons for plugs to form a complete
lawn cover. Once established, it has excellent wear
tolerance and good drought tolerance.
There are two basic types of zoysia available:
Emerald and Meyer. Emerald has a much finer leaf blade of
the two, though both can form a dense green lawn. Zoysia
has no significant disease or insect problems when proper
mowing, watering and fertilization practices are
followed.
Buffalograss -
This is the only turfgrass native to the
North American plains from Texas to Canada. It has fine
leaf blades that are blue-green in color, but will not
develop as dense a lawn as other warm season grasses.
There is a growing interest in buffalograss for low
maintenance lawn areas. It can survive extreme drought
conditions, has low fertility requirements, and generally
will not grow more than 4 to 5 inches when left unmowed.
However, buffalograss has little shade tolerance and does
not do well in humid areas. Most of the new varieties are
available only as sod, though there are a growing number
of named varieties available as seed. Buffalograss is not
for everyone, nor is it ideal for many lawns. But its
excellent drought tolerance and low maintenance
requirements have increased interest among homeowners in
the upper south, semi-arid, and great plans regions.
Turf Type Tall
Fescue - Even though turf
type tall fescue generally is considered a northern, cool
season grass, its use in the upper south is increasing;
primarily in place of St. Augustine on well-shaded lawns.
Tall fescues also have good heat and drought tolerance
for the southern summers and can survive cold winter
temperatures with relatively few problems. It is a
popular species because it stays green all winter, even
when dormant. The use of two or more tall fescue
varieties in a blend often provides for a heartier lawn
than using a single older common variety like K-31.
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