How to Avoid the Problem of Bitter Cucumbers

by chris on July 20, 2010

Photo found on Flickr, courtesy of David Davies.

If you have ever bitten into a bitter cucumber, you know it’s not something you want to do again. If you grow your own cukes, a few simple techniques will help you avoid bitter fruit.

Why Cucumbers Taste Bitter

Cucumbers contain the natural compound cucurbitacin, which causes bitterness. Bitterness varies by variety of cucumber and by temperatures during the growing season.

Uneven watering increases bitterness, as does cool weather. Fertilization, plant spacing, and watering may also affect bitterness, although plant scientists have not found consistent cause and effect.

Growing Great Cucumbers

Plant cucumber varieties that are less bitter. Studies in eastern Washington State found that Burpee Pickler produces four times as much bitter fruit as National Pickling.

Plant cucumbers in warm soil in warm, sunny locations. Since misshapen fruit tend to be more bitter, and uneven watering contributes to misshapen fruit, it’s important to provide adequate and consistent irrigation.

Mulching helps maintain even soil moisture. Inadequate nutrient levels also contribute to uneven growth, so ample fertilization can help prevent bitterness. A soil test can provide guidance on the fertilizer and amendments your soil needs.

Peel Away the Cucumber Bitterness

Bitterness varies in the different parts of a cucumber. The stem end, the peel, and the light green area just under the peel have higher concentrations of the bitter compound than the interior flesh. While not everyone agrees about this, some gardeners say you can peel away the bitterness this way:

* Start at the blossom end of the fruit.
* Slice off one strip of peel, stopping about one inch from the stem end.
* Wash the knife, then continue slicing off strips until the cuke is completely peeled.
* Wash the knife again before cutting up the cucumber.

Helpful Websites

The following extension websites have excellent information about bitterness in cucumbers and how to prevent it. Since local growing conditions affect bitterness, it’s a good idea to check with your extension service about the best varieties and growing methods for your area.

To find the nearest extension office, go to The National Institute of Food and Agriculture website.

Read all about Bitterness in Cucumbers.

Here’s an excellent .pdf over How to Avoid Bitter Tasting Cucumbers.

Know the facts about Bitterness in Cucumbers and Zucchini.

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How to Make and Use Natural Dyes

by chris on July 20, 2010

If you like gardening or spending time in nature, you might enjoy making and using dyes from plants. Dyes from flowers, fruits, and leaves of garden plants and wildflowers create unique, mellow colors very unlike the dense colors from commercial dyes. And with natural plant dyes you don’t need to use dangerous chemicals.

Dying with plants is an ancient art. Following is one simple method of making natural dye and using it to color fabric.

Collecting the Plant Material

If you collect plant dye material from plants that grow in woods and fields, be sure that you know the plants because some wild plants. Some wild plants, such as pokeweed and water hemlock, have poisonous properties.

Others, like poison ivy and poison oak, cause allergic reactions in many people. Also, it’s best to obtain permission before collecting on someone else’s property; if you don’t you could be accused of trespassing or theft.

Collect your plant material in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the sun hits the plants.

Plants to Use

Following is a list of common dye plants and the colors they yield. Many other plants also make good dyes. It’s fun to experiment with plants and combinations.

* Red cabbage, blueberries, blackberries – blue
* Red beet skins – brown
* Nettle, spinach – green
* Elderberries, mulberries– purple
* Yellow onion, dandelion heads – orange
* Strawberries, cherries, roses – pink
* Hibiscus or sumac flowers – red
* Dandelion, marigold, daffodil, and goldenrod flowers – yellow
* Ground coffee beans – creamy brown

Making the Dye

Once you use pots for making dyes and dying fabric, don’t use them for cooking.

Chop the plant material into small pieces. Put the plant pieces in a large stainless steel pot; then add twice as much water as plant material. Boil 30-40 minutes, then let stand for 24 hours or overnight. Re-boil; then strain the liquid to remove the plant material.

Preparing the Fabric

Natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, and wool take better to natural dyes than do synthetics. If you use cotton, make sure it hasn’t been worn because color won’t take it the fabric has any traces of body oil.

With most dyes and materials you have to prepare the fabric so the color will adhere to it and not run, a process called fixing. Fixing requires a mordant or fixer; alum, lemon juice, vinegar, and baking soda are common mordants. Different mordants create different effects.

Start with white fabric, and wash it well. Add a small amount of mordant to one quart of warm water in a large stainless steel pot. (Note: Always add the mordant to the water, not vice versa.) Add the fabric to the pot, bring the liquid to a boil, and then let it simmer for 45-60 minutes.

Remove the pot from the stove to cool; then use tongs to remove the fabric from the water. Rinse the fabric in cold water until it runs clear; then blot out the extra water with paper towels.

Dying the Fabric

Take the wet fabric and put it into a stainless steel pot with the dye. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes (until you get the color you want), stirring gently with a wooden spoon or paddle to make sure the dye covers evenly.

Some people leave the fabric in the dye overnight without boiling it. Remove the fabric from the water with tongs. Rinse it in cold water and hang it to dry it out of the sun.

Want to Learn More About Natural Dyes?

There’s a lot more to know about making natural dyes and using them to dye fabrics. You can find many people willing to share their ideas and experience. Here are three particularly interesting websites.

Natural Dyes has a ton of great information over natural dye.

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Making and Using Natural Dyes.

How to Dye Clothes Using Natural Methods is also a very informative website.

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Pruning Crape Myrtles

by chris on July 19, 2010

Photo found of Flickr, courtesy of Cygnyus921.

Crape myrtles are shrubs or small trees with big showy clusters of long-lasting flowers. Native to China and Korea, these popular plants are strong growers in the U.S. in zones 6 through 9, living as far north as protected spots in Massachusetts.

Colors range from white to dark red, including shades such as pink, lavender, magenta, orchid, and purple. Crape myrtles (also spelled “crepe myrtle” or “crapemyrtle”) play many roles in the landscape, including street tree, hedge, shrub, and specimen.

The attractive plants range in size from 18-inch dwarfs to 40-feet upright or spreading trees.

How to Prune Crape Myrtles

Despite the all-too-common practice of heavy topping crape myrtles, the plants usually look and perform better with just light pruning. Since pruning encourages new growth, pruning in late summer or early fall will result in tender shoots just in time to be nipped by cold weather.

If you prune too late in the spring you will remove the flowering stems and the plant won’t bloom. That’s why late winter or early spring it the ideal time to prune crape myrtles; they produce vigorous shoots at just the right time.

For routine, light pruning remove branches that are crossing or rubbing as well as any dead or broken branches. Crape myrtles produce an abundance of suckers, which should also be removed.

Many gardeners grow crape myrtles as compact shrubs. To achieve this cut the stems back to six inches above ground level every year before growth starts in the spring. Annual removal of twigs with diameters less than a pencil will create a medium-size bush.

To grow a crape myrtle as an upright tree, start by removing all but three-to-five strong, well-spaced limbs that are growing from ground level. As the plant matures, remove the lower lateral branches, limbing up about one-half of the way up the stems.

As with routine pruning, remove rubbing and crossing branches. Also remove suckers and shoots that grow in the center. Continue to remove suckers and lower branches as the tree grows.

While it is not necessary to remove spent flowers, on some varieties doing so may yield a second or even third flush of blooms. If you do deadhead, make the cuts just above lateral branches.

Crape Myrtle Pruning Tips

When making pruning cuts, cut to side branches or to just outside the branch collar (the swollen area where the branch meets the trunk).

Always keep pruning shears sharp and clean. Cleaning shears with alcohol between plants helps prevent transmission of diseases from plant to plant.

Want to Learn More About Crape Myrtles?

If you select the variety of crape myrtle with the growth habit and size you want you’ll have less pruning to do. This site has pictures and information to help you choose.

Here’s some great info on the Characteristics of Crape Myrtle Varieties.

These sites have everything you need to know to grow crape myrtle:

Crapemyrtle via the Clemson Cooperative Extension.

Read all about Crape Myrtle Culture from The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

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Planting Trees and Using Tree Stakes

by chris on July 16, 2010

Old nursery lore has it that you should dig a $10 hole for a $5 tree, the point being the importance of making a generous hole and planting a tree right.

More than once I’ve gone on a tree-buying spree, only to get the plants home and remember that the work has just begun; giving trees a good start by planting them the right way takes time and effort. Here’s how to do it.

Tree Planting Technique

1. If you are planting in sod, use a spade to cut through and pull up the sod.

2. Dig a hole that is twice the diameter of the root ball and the same depth (or a little shallower) than the root ball. The sides of the hole should be more vertical than sloping. Pile the soil on a tarp nearby on the ground.

3. Use a shovel or pickaxe to rough up the sides and bottom up of the hole. This will make it easier for the roots to grow into the surrounding soil.

4. Remove the tree from its container. For potted trees, lay the tree down on the ground and hit the sides and bottom of the pot with a shovel until the soil loosens up. If the tree is in burlap, untie and loosen the burlap; you don’t have to remove the burlap. But if the tree is wrapped in plastic you do have to remove all of that.

5. If the tree roots are wound in a circle or are very tight, you need to release them so they can move out into the soil; otherwise they’ll just keep growing in a ball. You can do this by slicing through the root ball with a knife or spade in a couple of places.

6. Place the root ball in the hole. Make sure the top of the ball, where the roots and trunk meet, is about ½-inch above the soil line. If you have to make a choice, it’s better for the tree to be a little too high than too low.

7. Add soil around the root ball, tamping it down to fill in the air holes. (Roots won’t travel through air pockets.) Water can help settle the soil.

8. Mound some soil around the perimeter of the hole to form a basin so the water won’t run off, and then water slowly and thoroughly.

9. Mulch around the tree to conserve water and keep weeds down. To keep insects at bay, start the mulch six inches away from the trunk. Extend it out to the drip line of the tree.

10. Newly planted trees often need watering during the growing season for the first year or two. Watch for drooping leaves or hard, caked soil. Water slowly and deeply so the water can soak into the ground.

Staking Trees

Years ago landscapers staked all newly planted trees, but the thinking on staking has changed. By the time they are ready to be planted, most trees don’t need staking, arborists say. In fact, unnecessary staking can prevent a tree from growing a strong trunk.

However, if the tree was bare root, if it is very large, or in certain soil conditions staking is a good way to support the tree until the roots anchor firmly in the ground.

If you plan to stake, drive metal or wood stakes into the ground before you plant, one on each side of the hole.

Stakes should reach up about one-third of the height of the tree. You can tie the tree to the stakes with commercial tree staking material, wide soft webbing, or fabric. Never use wire around the tree because it can dig into the trunk.

When fastening the ties to the stakes leave a little slack so the tree can move in the wind. Stakes are meant to be temporary; remove them after a year, two years tops.

Want to Learn More About Planting Trees?

The Arbor Day Foundation has video clips on the proper way to plant trees.

Trees play an important role in helping wildlife and conserving resources. That’s why the Natural Resources Conservation Service has instructions on choosing and planting trees.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Services has detailed information on planting trees and shrubs.

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How to Support Your Tomatoes

by chris on July 16, 2010

Photo found on Flickr, courtesy of PhotoFarmer.

You don’t have to stake tomatoes in order to get a decent crop, but it’s a good idea. Staking saves space, but more importantly it keeps fruit off the ground, where it is vulnerable to damage from insects and diseases.

Plus, it’s easier to harvest supported plants than to hunt for the tomatoes on the ground.

Tomato plants fall into two basic categories based on how they grow. Determinate plants have short- to medium-length vines, and stop growing at a certain point. Determinate plants take light pruning and adapt well to caging or staking. Indeterminate types continue to grow and produce throughout the season. They should be pruned moderately if staked or lightly if caged.

Tomato Stakes

You need to decide how you will support your tomato plants before you plant them, because different methods require different spacing. If you plan to stake your plants, plant them 18 to 24 inches apart. Place a stake in the ground next to each plant or next to every other plant, about 3 or 4 inches away from the stems.

Stakes need to be three-to-four feet long for determinate plants and five-to-six feet long for indeterminate plants. They can be made from metal or one-inch diameter wood, but not chemically treated wood. Tie branches to the stakes individually using soft cord or fabric. Don’t use wire or monofilament line because it can cut into the stems.

Tie the cord to the stake before looping it loosely around the stem. Prune the plant by removing suckers, and tie the branches as they grow.

Tomato Cages

You can buy tomato cages or make them from concrete reinforcing wire with six-inch openings. A five-foot length of five-foot high wire (shorter for determinate types) makes an eighteen-inch diameter round cage.

Another type of cage is the folding tomato cage, which is square and very easy to store. Folding galvanized steel cages consist of vertical metal rods circled by bent rods. Do-it-yourselfers can make tomato cages out of scraps of wood. (For instructions see Woody’s Folding Tomato Cages.

Whether made of wood or wire, if you take your cages in during the winter they will last for years and years.

Place your tomato plants three feet apart and prune each plant to four or five fruiting branches. Slip a cage over each plant and anchor the cage into the ground. You don’t have to tie the plants to the cages, but it’s good to gently turn escaping branches back into the cages.

You can protect young plants from wind and cool temperatures by wrapping plastic around the bottom foot or so of each cage.

While plants take longer to ripen when grown in cages, harvests tend to be larger and fruits less likely to be cracked or sunburned. Besides, using cages takes much less work than staking.

For More Information on Supporting Your Tomatoes:

The Mississippi State University Extension Service has a thorough discussion of the different methods of staking and training tomatoes.

Master Gardeners in California offer this summary of staking techniques.

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Garden Privacy Screens

by chris on July 16, 2010

Every gardener has a unique vision for his or her garden. Whether it’s a soothing sanctuary, a cavalcade of colors, a backyard bistro, a pristine paradise, or a children’s corner, these images of the garden have one thing in common: They all require a measure of privacy.

Just like the inside of a home, the garden area needs a way to separate itself from the world around it. Front porches may be for watching the world go by, but gardens are for stepping away from the world.

There are all degrees of privacy. Even though a picket fence doesn’t stop the neighbors from looking at your garden, it does politely say, “Please stay on your side.” A chain link fence makes a bolder statement of separation, “This is as far as you go.” Add vinyl strapping to the chain link or put up a wooden stockade fence, and your visual and physical separation is complete.

A trellis festooned with climbing vines (sweet peas, passionflower, or morning glory, for example) provides a natural screen, offering the illusion of privacy, which is often all we need. A smartly trimmed hedge–of yew or privet perhaps–screens out the neighbors while complementing the garden.

Lattice erected on the street-facing side of a deck may not block out the noise of the road, but does help make the road seem far away.

Vertical gardens, hanging planters, and container gardens can create impromptu privacy screens. It only takes a few hanging baskets of fuchsias or petunias to block an unsightly view. Or you can compile an assortment of containers of various sizes and heights and fill them with herbs and vegetables, annuals and perennials, houseplants and bonsai.

Arranged and placed just so, the planters will give you a touch of space for yourself.

New on the market, vertical planters take a nod from ancient gardens where plants were stacked one on top of the other. Ranging in height from two to seven feet, vertical planters provide maximum planting area with minimal lateral space.

Similar to vertical planters, living walls let gardeners plant up a wall, rather than just alongside it. Whether you build the frame yourself, put one together from a kit, or purchase an assembled living wall, you can cover the wall with an assortment of plants of your choosing.

With very little space you’ll have a unique screen that grows and changes with the seasons.

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon had walls 80-feet thick to keep marauders out. While most of us don’t need that much protection from our neighbors, we probably want some privacy. With a little imagination and not much money or space, you can create just the type of privacy you want while adding to the beauty and ambiance of your garden.

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Overseeding Lawns with Ryegrass

by chris on July 16, 2010

Photo found on Flickr, courtesy of PhotoFarmer.

Overseeding involves planting an annual cool season grass in the fall on top of a permanent warm-season grass. It’s a popular solution to a major drawback of warm-season grasses, which is that they go dormant after the first frost and stay brown until spring.

Overseeding with ryegrass is a common practice where homeowners and turf managers want to enjoy green lawns year round. It also helps prevent erosion on new lawns where the permanent grass is not yet established.

Both annual and perennial ryegrass are used for overseeding. With darker green, finer leaves, perennial ryegrass is considered more attractive. Both annual and perennial ryegrass die out in the spring in warm climates, but the perennial can interfere with permanent lawns because it lives longer in the spring. Perennial ryegrass is more disease-resistant than annual ryegrass.

When to Overseed with Ryegrass

The best time to overseed is when the days are warm enough (around 70 degrees F) to encourage germination and growth and the nights are cool enough (around 50 degrees F) to discourage diseases. Thirty days before frost is typically a good time, but timing varies by location.

Preparing the Lawn for Overseeding

It is important to dethatch a heavily thatched lawn; otherwise the ryegrass seed will not make contact with the ground, leaving unseeded patches of lawn. Dethatch by verticutting or aerifying. If aeration is done, wait 30 days before overseeding. Verticutting should be done just before overseeding.

Mow the lawn closely and catch or rake clippings before seeding.

How to Sow Ryegrass

If using annual ryegrass sow 10 pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet. Sow perennial ryegrass at a rate of 5 to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. (The type of permanent grass affects sowing rate, with Bermuda grass requiring a higher rate.)

To ensure even distribution sow half the seed in one direction and the other half at right angles to the first half. After sowing rake the ground with a broom to help the seed make contact with the soil.

Until the seeds germinate water lightly two or three times a day. Then water only enough to prevent wilting. Overwatering encourages diseases.

Maintaining the Winter Lawn

Mow when the lawn is about 1 to 2 inches high. After that mow to 1 to 1 ½ inches when the grass reaches 2 to 2 ½ inches high. Keep mower blades sharp to avoid ripping the blades of the ryegrass.

After the second mowing apply ½ pound of nitrogen fertilizer per 1,000 square feet.

Reestablishing the Permanent Lawn

In warm climates ryegrass usually dies out in late spring. However, it can live longer if the spring is cool, creating competition for the permanent lawn, especially in times of drought. Stop fertilizing in March to discourage the ryegrass from growing.

Mow the ryegrass as close as possible, lowering the mower height with each mowing. Resume regular warm season mowing, watering, and fertilizing when the permanent grass starts growing.

Want to Learn More About Overseeding Your Lawn with Ryegrass?

The wisdom and timing of overseeding with ryegrass varies by location. Local extension offices can advise homeowners on best practices for their areas. To find the closest extension office, go to: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture website.

Check out the following sites for more information about overseeding with ryegrass:

Overseeding with Ryegrass. Clemson Cooperative Extension.

Here’s a great .pdf file about Overseeing Bermudagrass with Perennial Ryegrass from The University of Tennessee Extension.

Ryegrass. Landscape America.

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How to Grow a Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn

by chris on July 15, 2010

Kentucky bluegrass is the turf grass species most widely used in the northern half of the U.S. It produces a dark-green, medium textured, dense turf and spreads by underground rhizomes that can self-repair damaged spots.

A cool season turf grass, Kentucky bluegrass can go dormant in hot summers without adequate irrigation, and is susceptible to diseases and weeds. It prefers full sun but tolerates some shade; it does not tolerate salt spray. Some experts recommend a mixture of 15 percent perennial ryegrass and 85 percent Kentucky blue for a more disease-resistant and heat-tolerant turf.

A Kentucky bluegrass lawn can be established from sod or seed sown in the fall at two to three pounds per 1,000 square feet. Kentucky bluegrass needs a well-drained, moist, fertile soil with a pH between 6 and 7.
Watering

Because of its shallow root system Kentucky bluegrass needs frequent watering (1 ½ inches per week in hot weather) to stay green in the summer. A bluegrass lawn needs water when the blades get a bluish cast or when walking across the lawn leaves footprints. It will survive drought by turning brown.

Mowing Kentucky Blue Grass

Mow no more than 1/3 of the blade height at a time, to a height of 1 ½ to 3 inches. Mowing too low encourages weeds. High mower yields deeper rooting and greater heat and drought tolerance.

Fertilizing Kentucky Blue Grass

A soil test is the only way to know for sure what type of fertilizer and amendments the soil needs before planting. Kentucky Bluegrass needs well-prepared, well-drained soil. Organic matter (e.g. rotted manure or compost) applied before planting at a rate of three to six cubic years per 1,000 square feet and tilled to 8-10 inches improves the structure and fertility of the soil.

During active growth Kentucky bluegrass needs four to six pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.

Want to Learn More About Growing Kentucky Bluegrass?

Contact your local seed sellers or extension service to find out the best varieties of Kentucky bluegrass for your location.

Most extension services also provide inexpensive soil text kits. Go to The National Institute of Food and Agriculture homepage to find the extension office nearest you.

The following websites have good information about growing a Kentucky bluegrass lawn:

Kentucky Bluegrass, Texas Cooperative Extension.

The UC Guide to Healthy Lawns: Kentucky bluegrass.

Here’s a .pdf file entitled Kentucky Bluegrass Lawns via Kansas State University.

And of course, who can forget Bill Murray and Chevy Chase’s discussion about bluegrass from the Comedy Caddyshack?

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Using Bahiagrass for a Lawn

by chris on July 15, 2010

Bahiagrass is widely used for pastures and along roadsides in the southeastern United States. As a lawn grass it does not produce dense dark green turf, but it is an excellent choice for infertile and sandy soils in warm drought-prone climates.

With near-woody rhizomes that extend laterally up to nine feet and prolific seed heads, bahiagrass can become a pest. In areas where it is planted in pastures and along roadsides it tends to invade nearby lawns and ball fields. On the other hand, the enormous root system results in high drought tolerance. Bahiagrass has low fertilizer needs, suffers from few insect or disease problems, and does not product much thatch.

Bahiagrass is not tolerant of heavy traffic, saltwater, or cold temperatures. Homeowners can establish bahia lawns from seeds, sod, or plugs.

Bahiagrass Varieties

Turf experts do not recommend common bahiagrass for home lawns.

Argentine bahiagrass produces a relatively dense dark green sod that is insect and disease resistant and cold tolerant, and is acceptable for lawns.

Pensacola is the most widely grown bahiagrass and the predominant pasture grass in the southeastern United States. It has excellent drought resistance and tolerates cold better than Argentine. While the prolific seed heads can be a problem in lawns, Pensacola tolerates cooler temperatures better than Argentine.

Bahiagrass Watering

Bahiagrass needs water when its leaf blades begin to fold up, wilt, or turn blue-gray or when footprints remain visible in the lawn. Overwatering encourages weeds. Because bahiagrass is very drought tolerant, able to recover from severe drought

Mowing Bahiagrass

During active growth bahiagrass needs to be mowed to 3-4 inches high ever 7-14 days, removing no more than 1/3 of the height of the leaf blades. Mowing too low reduces the grass’s heat and drought tolerance, increases weeds, and suppresses root growth.

Because of the tough leaves and flower stalks, mowing requires a heavy-duty rotary mower, which in turn requires frequent sharpening. It is hard to mow bahiagrass evenly, so it often looks shaggy.

Fertilizing Bahiagrass

As with most turf grass, an annual soil test is the only way the fertilizer needs of a bahia lawn. In general bahiagrass has low fertility requirements, which makes it suitable for infertile soils. Nitrogen should be applied at a rate of no more than 1 pound per 1,000 square feet per application. Chlorotic (pale green) blades darken after an application of nitrogen.

Want to learn more about Bahiagrass? For More Information About Bahiagrass Lawns:

Because bahiagrass has major disadvantages in addition to its advantages, you are likely to find as many websites with instructions on how to kill bahiagrass as how to grow it. Here are a few websites that think that in the right situations bahiagrass has more pros than cons.

Bahiagrass for Florida Lawns. University of Florida Extension.

Lawn care guide: Bahia grass.

Bahia Maintenance Practices from Seedland.

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Grow St. Augustine Grass for Warm Climate Lawns

by chris on July 15, 2010

Photo found on Flickr, courtesy of dno1967.

St. Augustine grass produces a dense, blue-green turf that grows well in warm and humid climates. It’s adaptable to a variety of soils and tolerates salt and high temperatures. Some varieties can even grow in shade. It’s easy to establish St. Augustine grass lawns from sod, sprigs, or plugs.

Like most turf grasses, St. Augustine grass has disadvantages. It does not stay green during droughts and in cool winter months, and does not tolerate foot traffic. It is susceptible to grubs and chinch bugs, as well as various fungal diseases. Many people do not like the very coarse texture of St. Augustine grass.

St. Augustine Cultivars

Despite its drawbacks, St. Augustine grass is a popular choice in southern and Gulf Coast states as well as California and Hawaii. Various cultivars offer options in appearance, growth rates, and disease resistance.
Amerishade is a slow-growing, shade tolerant, dwarf cultivar.

Its popularity stems from its mowing frequency, which is less than most other cultivars. It is, however, very susceptible to disease and is slow to recover from setbacks from disease or winterkill. It also produces heavy thatch.

Delmar is another dwarf cultivar. It can grow in sun or shade, and tolerates the cold better than Amerishade. Like other dwarf cultivars, it tends toward thatch buildup.

Floratine and Bitterblue are very similar, hard to distinguish from one another. Both have finer texture and shorter blades that allow for closer mowing than other standard cultivars. They tolerate light shade, but are susceptible to chinch bugs.

Floratam is the most commonly used turf grass in Florida, despite its susceptibility to fungal diseases and its poor cold and shade tolerance. It does have resistance to chinch bugs. Seville is similar to Floratam, but with a finer texture.

Mowing St. Augustine

Standard cultivars should be mowed at 3 ½ to 4 inches, semi-dwarfs to 2 ½ to 3 inches, and dwarfs to 1 ½ to 2 inches. Each mowing should remove no more than 1/3 of the blade. Too-frequent mowing leads to thatch buildup, lower stress tolerance, and increased susceptibility to diseases.

Fertilizing St. Augustine

Annual soil tests provide guidance on the fertilizer needed for optimal growth. Homeowners can grow St. Augustine grass with low levels of fertilizer or high levels, depending on their desired outcomes and the time they have available for lawn care.

High fertility requires more frequent mowing and causes more thatch buildup. Soil pH between 5 and 7.5 is recommended.

Watering St. Augustine

Deep, infrequent watering of established lawns is preferable to more frequent, shallower watering. Deep watering helps St. Augustine grass develop deeper root systems and greater resistance to pests and other stressors.

Like overfeeding and improper mowing, overwatering leads to excessive buildup of thatch.

Want to Learn More About St. Augustine Grass?

Because St. Augustine grass is a popular choice for tropical and subtropical gardens, the Texas Cooperative Extension, the University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension, and the University of Florida Extension have helpful tips for successful lawns.

Texas A&M and St. Augustine Grass.

The University of Hawaii has a great .pdf over St. Augustine grass.

If you’re in Florida, be sure to see St. Augustine grass for Florida Lawns.

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