How to Take Care of Centipede Grass

Centipedegrass is slow-growing, low-maintenance turf that is particularly adaptable to the sandy, acidic soils of the southeastern United States. Centipedegrass does not fare well with heavy traffic, so it is used in parks, golf courses and as utility turf. On athletic fields, the grass would only be trampled. According to the Texas Cooperative Extension, centipede grass is so low-maintenance it is called the "lazy man's grass." With a little knowledge of care and how to prevent pests, you can have a full, lush lawn of centipedegrass within three months.

Things You'll Need

• Centipedegrass
• Water
• Lawnmower
• Fertilizer
• Lime (optional)
• Chelated iron (optional)

Instructions

1. Make sure the grass is planted in acidic soil in full sun to moderate shade. Perform a soil test before you plant centipedegrass. The alkaline soil further west in the United States causes sever iron deficiencies for the centipedegrass. It also does not adapt well to soils high in phosphorus, in heavy shade, low-potassium soils, or in a drought.

2. Water the soil bed lightly, keeping it constantly moist for 14 to 21 days after planting. Apply a complete fertilizer at this time, putting 1 pound of fertilizer down for every 1000 square feet.

3. Mow the centipedegrass once it is established and turns green in the spring. Keep mowing every five to seven days, except when the drought stresses the grass. The grass should be mowed to 1.5 to two inches high.

4. Water the centipedegrass beginning in the summer. Spring watering is hardly ever needed, except in extreme droughts. Give the grass at least one inch of water weekly until December, when the grass will go dormant.

5. Apply one pound of nitrogen fertilizer per 1000 square feet in the summer. If the lawn is yellow, spray a chelated iron over the grass to improve its color. Also apply lime if the pH is less than 5.0.

References

• Texas Cooperative Extension
• University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension