What Are the Characteristics of Carpet Grass?
Carpet grass is a utilitarian ground cover that is commonly used for roadsides and other large areas that do not see much foot traffic. Grown and reproduced from seed or stolons, carpet grass is a perennial that goes dormant and loses its light green color in the winter. It is primarily grown in Florida and along the Gulf Coast due to several characteristics that allow it to thrive in that region. Does this Spark an idea?
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High Tolerance for Heat
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Carpet grass can take a beating from direct sunlight and can also tolerate high humidity. Additionally, it prefers sandy and slightly acidic soils that do not necessarily contain many nutrients. While it tolerates heat well, it is not drought tolerant. It needs regular water and will thrive in low-lying areas that stay moist.
Slow Growing
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Although carpet grass is very slow growing, it grows well in less-desirable soil and requires almost no fertilization. As long as it gets regular sun and water, it is characteristic of this ground cover to grow slowly and steadily.
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Forms Dense Sod
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Carpet grass is not known for being the prettiest grass on the block as it tends to grow low to the ground and has long, smooth rounded blades that split easily if they take too much traffic. Because of this, it's almost never used in residential settings. However, a beneficial characteristic of carpet grass is that it forms a dense sod that tends to push out weeds and other vegetative turf pests. This quality also makes it a good erosion control plant.
Lengthy Dormancy Period
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Carpet grass browns quickly in the winter, much sooner than most ground covers. Additionally, it is slow to green in the spring and is usually the last grass in an area to recapture its color when the weather begins to warm.
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- Photo Credit grass image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
