Turf Selection

Turf Selection
Need a new lawn? A beautiful lawn can enhance your property. Not only does it add to the curb appeal and the property value, but it also provides a place for outdoor living. In Florida, a correctly-planted lawn can greatly help with erosion control as well.

We offer a variety of lawn and landscaping services to both commercial property and residential property owners in the Sarasota and Bradenton areas. Whether you need a new lawn for your home or whether you have obtained a commercial property that needs grass fast or soil erosion prevention, we can help.

To get the right lawn for you, you need to choose the correct type of seed and the type of installation. We can help you make these decisions based on your needs, the environment and your budget.

Seeds: The right lawn begins with the right seed. When choosing the seed for your lawn, several factors need to be taken into account.

Location: In Florida, the location of your property should play an important factor in your choice of seed. Property located in coastal areas needs turf that can tolerate salt spray, salt stress from irrigation water or saltwater intrusion. Bermudagrasses generally have good salinity tolerance and are good choices for those in the Sarasota and Bradenton areas.
Maintenance: The amount of maintenance different grasses require can vary greatly. Consider how much time you want to spend caring for your lawn once it grows in in choosing the lawn seed. Lawns can vary from high manicured and well-tended, to average, which require minimum mowing and care, to more natural, and less regular maintenance required. As the amount of maintenance required varies, so do the amount of time and money involved with maintenance. The more maintenance required, the more time and money involved.
Soil conditions and environment: Florida offers different soil and environmental conditions than other states. And, even within Florida, these factors can differ greatly from one location to another. Some grass species, such as turfgrasses, can be grown throughout the state in sand, clay, marl or other muck-type soils. Others, such as centipede grass, should be planted in northern Florida and the panhandle. The amount of shade, type of soil and pH balance and location affect the type of seed you need for a successful lawn. Because these factors differ around the state, it’s important to get knowledgeable advice when picking grass seed.
Tolerance to stress: Different grasses vary in how well they tolerate different kinds of environmental stress such as drought, salinity, shade and traffic or wear. Centipede and Bahia grass can survive long periods of drought, but St Augustine cannot. Bermuda grasses and seashore Paspalum grow well in coastal areas because they have good salinity tolerance.

When choosing a warm weather grass, you also need to be concerned with its tolerance to shade. Trees and buildings provide a lot of shade and many warm season grasses may not thrive in shade. Zoysia Grass and St. Augustine grasses both tolerate shade well. Zoysia grass as well as Seashore Paspalum and Bermuda grasses, also wear well. That is, each of these grow well in even when there’s a moderate amount of walking or playing on them.

Disease and Pests: Grasses, like all living things, are subject to disease and pest infestations. Insect pests, such as webworms, spittlebugs, chinch bugs, ground pearls, and disease problems, such as pythium, helminthosporium, and gray leaf spot, brown patch, can kept to a minimum by choosing the correct seed for the location and environment and through proper management practices.

Whether you need a lawn for residential or commercial property, it is a long-term investment. We can help you choose the right seed for the environment, desired effect and maintenance.

We offer the following seeding services:

Lawn seeding: Whether you need a lawn installed for your home or your commercial property, we can advise you on the best seed type for the environment as well as the most cost-effective method for installation.

Hydroseeding: Hydroseeding involves mixing and agitating water, fiber, soil adhesive, fertilizer and seed in one of our machines and then spraying it evenly over the desired area. This process retains moisture and encourages seed germination, so you get a thick, green grass quickly. Hydro seeding can use a variety of seed blends depending on the environmental conditions. The seed blend depends on whether you have difficult soil, lots of shade, lots of sun or other conditions that affect grass growth.

Hydromulching: Hydromulching is a soil erosion prevention method that involves spraying a mixture of water, fiber mulch and tackifier on burned slopes. Seed, fertilizer or soil stabilizing polymers may also be included in the mix. Typically, hydromulching is only used on slopes with 20-60 percent grade that are severely burned or highly erosive.

Drill seeding: Drill seeding is a fast, efficient way to plant turf and is the best method for planting Bahia & Bermuda seed that can save you money over Hydroseeding & Sod. Grass seed is the biggest expense in planting. That’s why it is so important to be able to precisely prepare the seedbed, meter the seed and plant the seed throughout the lawn, pasture or acreage to get the best stand for your money.

Germination rates using a cultipacker are 70 percent higher than using broadcast method and uses 50 percent less seed. Not only does this precision result in a thick, uniform stand but it also results in cost savings on seed.

Mixing Bahia and Bermuda Grasses

For the warm, Florida temperatures, you need grass that flourishes in these temps, can stand up in full sun and is tolerant of drought. For many customers we recommend a mix of Bermuda and Bahia grasses. Each of these has its own unique qualities. Bermuda grass is a medium-to-fine textured, green grass. Its deep roots help it to grow and spread quickly. Bermuda is heat and drought tolerant but doesn’t tolerate shade well and turns brown in the winter. Bahia grass, on the other hand, is a course grass that is tough and moderately drought-tolerant and shade tolerant. It will stay green longer than other grasses throughout the winter months. Bahia grass grows well in Florida’s sandy and sometimes infertile soil. Its deep roots can help prevent soil erosion. Combining Bahia and Bermuda grasses allows them to complement one another for a healthy, thick lawn all year.

Seed Varieties

Bahia – Argentine, Pensacola, Tiff Quick , with other varieties are available

Bermuda – There as many types of Bermuda as colors in the rainbow, with each having its specific traits. The most common are Common Bermuda & Savanah. Other varieties include Maya, Princess 77 & Bermuda Triangle, Black Jack

Other Species available include Crab Grass, Sea Shore Paspalum, Zoysia Centipede.

We also offer Wild Flower mixes

An excellent resource for Florida Lawn & Grass information is the University of Florida IFAS website – https://turf.ifas.ufl.edu/

Please call us to assist you in your Turf Selection Process