Easton Park allows for three types of turf grass per the Approved Plant List (page 8); Burmuda Tifway 419, Bermuda Sahara, and Zoysia varieties “Palisades” or “El toro.”
Approved Easton Park Bermuda Grass Types
Bermuda grasses (Cynodon spp.) have an excellent resistance to heat and drought, allowing it to thrive with lower watering, dense sod formation, and wide ranges of soil pH ranges. Additionally, it stands up to foot traffic well and can establish itself quickly when planted, even in hard soil surfaces.
Bermuda is a type of grass that grows like weeds and can quickly grow into bare spots. Bermuda’s roots are rhizomes, which means it will regenerate in those areas with new roots sprouting up from the ground to form new blades. Above ground, stolons sprawl with sleek skinner blades. This helps bermuda grass lawns look fuller than other types of broadleaf plants but also feel softer on your feet because its shorter blade lengths.
Tifway 419
Favored by the sports industry, Tifway 419 Bermudagrass is tough and resilient. Its ability to grow back quickly makes it quick to recover from damage, which is great for home lawns that may endure a lot of wear and traffic. Tifway is able to withstand seasons of drought and can be tightly mowed for easier maintenance. Additionally, Tifway 419 is weed resistant because of its aggressive growth habit.
This variety was developed in 1960 to have finer leaves, more surface shoots, and grew taller than common bermuda grass. [1]The History of Bermudagrass Many of the bermuda grasses developed in the United States were developed by the USDA in Tifton, Georgia, which is why so many varieties have “Tif” in their names.
Sahara
Bred to grow greener and finer than other bermuda grasses, Sahara has a darker color than Tifway 419. This variety also has a lower vertical growth rate which requires less mowing.
This variety was designed to be a return to a more genetically pure bermuda grass as common bermuda varieties had evolved, even in production environments[2]Justin Seed Company.
Prefers a lower mowing height.
Approved Easton Park Zoysia Grass Types
Similar to Bermuda, but is native to Asia. Unlike, Bermuda, it establishes much slower, but forms a dense carpet of grass. It’s density makes it difficult for weeds to penetrate the lawn. It also stays greener longer in the Winter returns to green faster in Spring than Bermuda. Another difference is that Zoysia is more shade tolerant.
Zoysia also requires less water and nitrogen than other grasses.
Palisades
This is the most popular medium blade Zoysia type for Texas. It grows more upright and tolerates mowing heights between 1/2 inch to 3 inches.
El Toro
This is the most drought-tolerant Zoysia variety and has a dark green color. Developed more recently, it is the fastest growing Zoysia grass.[3]Zoysiagrass Tolerates rotary mowers better and has an earlier green up in Spring.
Mowing
Bermuda and Zoysia look best when mowed with a reel mower between 1/2 to 1 inch tall. With a rotary mower, grass can be mowed up to 2.5 inches. Grass should never be cut more than 1/3 of it’s height at a time.
If your grass is taller and you choose to have it shorter, mow it shorter 1/2 an inch each time you mow until you reach your desired height.
Seedheads
During the growing season, seeds heads may appear. These seed heads are sterile and can be cut as usual during mowing.
Watering and Irrigation
Home owners should follow watering guidelines from City of Austin Water. This is typically Wednesdays or Thursdays depending on your whether the home has an even or odd address.
Bermuda and Zoysia do not need to watered when in dormancy, which is typically the soil is below 55F, the grass begins have a tougher time maintaining it’s greenery. [4]https://www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/resources/fall-color-retention-in-bermudagrass This time period also coincides with the City of Austin’s Water Water Averaging period.
During rainy seasons, no irrigation is necessary. Austin’s typical rainy season is between April and June, with May being the highest activity. [5]https://www.rssweather.com/climate/Texas/Austin%20City/
Fertilizing and Care
Fertilizer
In Spring, fertilize when the the grass is 50 percet green or growing. Fertilizing every 4-6 weeks is best, but not mandatory. Fertilize in the morning before it is hot. “Stop fertilizing in mid-September.
In Winter, fertilize with high-potassium to help the root system retain nutrients during dormancy.
Bermuda prefers high nitrogen fertilizers, Zoysia does not require so much nitrogen.
Bermuda: 4-5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. annually
Zoysia: 1/2 to 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. annually. Applied Spring and Summer.
Dethaching
The tatch is the layer of dead grass just above the soil. When there is more than 1/2 inch of tatch, it is tougher for oxygen and nutirent to reach the soil. Therefore, detatching is required.
Aerification
Similarly to an overly thatched lawn, compacted soil can also prevent water and other nutrients from being absorbed by the roots. Therefore, you must aerate in order to reduce the compaction. If you notice water easily running off the bermuda grass during irrigation, that is a sign that the lawn needs to be aerated.
There are two types of aeration, core and liquid. Core aeration is the process of punching holes in the sole and pulling out the soil to allow more air into those systems. Liquid aeration is the process of spraying a liquid solution across the grass. It is commonly preferred to use liquid aeration as it has a higher chance of reaching more of the surface where core aeration can only perform where the soil has been penetrated.
Weeds
While bermuda grass is typically weed resistant due to the fast growth, weeds will still grow. Apply a pre-emergent in late-Winter, a second application several weeks after. For weeds that do grow, a post-emergent that is targeting the weed can help. Be sure not to hit the actual grass.
If you are carefuly to remove all the of the roots, pulling the weeds out can be very effective. A high-concentrate vinegar sprayed on weeds can also kill them within 24 hours.
Pests
Many pest control companies typically spray your lawn already to as a home pest preventative.
Recommended Products
Organic Liquid Fertilizers
Organic Liquid Aerator
References