Choosing the &uot;right&uot; turfgrass for your lawn is a huge decision that will drastically affect your landscape for years to come. Many think that &uot;grass is grass&uot; and that &uot;one is just as good as another&uot;. (I was one of those people too!…until I married a turfgrass lover.) On the contrary, the proper selection of turf can be one of the biggest assets to your landscape.

Most of us have this tough decision already made for us. When we move into a house, we inherit the lawn. Depending on the previous owner’s love of grass, the lawn can range from immaculate to desolate.

Most of the time, in an established lawn situation, we simply choose to make the best of what we have. Many Miss-Lou lawns will have any number of grasses in one lawn. This is what I like to call a Heinz 57 yard.

Though many turf connoisseurs prefer the purity of a turfgrass monoculture (a big word for having only one kind of grass), Heinz 57 lawns are often very beautiful and perform quite well, because the most adaptable varieties for your site have survived over the years.

If you are building a new house, inherit a dirt lawn, or really want to totally renovate your whole yard, then you need to make the tough decision on what species of grass to plant. Make this decision carefully! Not only will turf be a big investment, but it will likely be a part of your landscape for generations.

Some of the main factors to consider when planting your new turfgrass are: How much money do I want to spend on establishment? How much lawn maintenance do I like to do? Is my yard sunny or shady? Is the soil wet or dry, alkaline or acidic? Do I get a lot of traffic in the yard?

Here in the Miss-Lou, our choices for permanent turf is narrowed to the warm-season varieties due to our oppressively hot summers. An interesting fact is that none of the grasses that we commonly use as turfs here in the Miss-Lou are native to the Americas. These types of grasses are not surprisingly native to areas like southeast Asia, the West Indies, and Africa.

The warm season grasses that are most commonly used as turfgrasses here in the Miss-Lou are: bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, carpetgrass, and maybe bahiagrass.

Each of these grasses has definite uses here in the Miss-Lou. However, understanding the growth habits and characteristics of each will help you make the best choice for your site. I will try to cover the pros, cons, and characteristics of each of these turfs so that you can choose which type is best in your particular situation. I will not have space to cover them all in this week’s column, but I will in a near future.

Bermudagrass is probably the most widespread grass in the South. It has an extreme range of ecotypes. Varieties can range from ‘Coastal’, a forage and hay type, to the miniature forms that we find on golf greens like ‘Tifdwarf’ and ‘Tifeagle’.

Bermudagrass is tempting to have in a yard, because we often see it manicured on athletic fields, golf courses, and commercial landscapes. When cared for properly, this creeping, aggressive grass forms spectacular lawns. Bermudagrass is probably the easiest to establish due to its aggressive growth habit. It has excellent recuperative ability, and is tolerant to many herbicides used to kill weeds. It also has good freezing tolerance enabling it to survive harsh winters better than many turfs.

However, bermudagrass is extremely invasive to nearby flower beds. Bermudagrass spreads both above ground and below ground making it tough to keep out of unwanted areas. Its aggressive growth habit requires intense maintenance to produce the desired &uot;golf course look&uot;. It requires more fertilizer and much more maintenance than other turf choices available. If you plant bermudagrass be prepared to do a lot of work in the yard to recreate the look you see on a golf course.

Many turf-type bermudagrasses are available. Until recently only Common bermudagrass was available from seed. ‘Common’ is generally not considered to be very good as a turfgrass due to its coarse texture and rapid vertical growth.

If you plant ‘Common’ be prepared to mow it three times a week to produce a nice lawn. One problem with seeded varieties is that they produce seed heads that become unsightly and require more frequent mowing. Many companies have released seeded varieties of bermudagrass that are higher quality than ‘Common’. ‘Princess’, ‘Cheyenne’, and ‘Jackpot’ are some of the better performers. As with anything new and improved be prepared to pay more.

Most top quality hybrid bermudagrass varieties that are used today on golf courses and athletic fields have been bread so that they are sterile, and therefore, do not produce seed or unsightly seed heads. Most all of these hybrids are far superior to any of the seeded varieties, however, they are a little more expensive to install. These varieties must be planted vegetatively using sod, sprigs, or plugs. These varieties include ‘Tifway’ and other types routinely used as sports turfs.

All turfgrasses like full sun! Some simply tolerate more shade than others. Bermudagrass will not tolerate hardly any shade. It is the least shade tolerant of any of the grasses we have to plant. Make sure to have at least 8 hours of direct sun. If not the turf will be very weak and thin and not perform well.

Bermudagrass is just one of the types of grass that you can choose for a turf in the Miss-Lou. This grass would be best used in a rather large yard with few trees and few flower beds and with a real grass trooper caring for it. It is obviously not the right grass for every situation (especially those of us who love flower beds and like to spend our time there). However, when bermudagrass is used in the right situation it can yield spectacular results.

Gardening Miss-Lou Style is a weekly column written by Traci Maier of Natchez. She can be reached at 445-5181 or by email at ratmaier@iamerica.net