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Features
- Low maintenance
- Does not need frequent mowing or fertilizing
- Slow growing
- Does not withstand heavy traffic
- Needs low-nitrogen, fertilizer without phosphorus (15-0-15)
- Looks greener if fertilized with a product that contains iron
- Do not use lime on centipede
- Ideal pH 4.5 to 5.5
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Area Suitable for Centipede |
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| Type |
Warm season |
When to Fertilize |
Spring |
| Light |
Full sun to partial shade |
Mowing Height |
2 to 3 inches |
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Planting Method |
Sod, plugs |
CENTIPEDE IN THE LANDSCAPE |
| Centipede
is a tough, low-growing lawngrass that thrives with
little care in the lower South, particularly in places
where the soil is naturally acidic. Centipede's rough
texture and slow rate of growth are offset by its
ability to grow under conditions that cause more refined
lawngrasses to fail.
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Restrain
yourself from trying to spoil centipede with exacting
care. Instead, regard centipede as a low-maintenance
grass. |
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Centipede will grow in light dappled shade, but it grows most vigorously in almost-full or full sun. |
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A
strong centipede lawn will survive periodic droughts,
but it will be more resistant to pests and other problems
if you water it during dry spells.
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Centipede
is naturally a medium green color and should be fertilized
less often than other lawngrasses. Overfertilizing
will weaken this grass. A fertilizer that contains
iron will insure a maximum green. Healthy centipede
will "knit" itself into a tight turf that naturally
resists weeds.
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BEAUTIFUL CENTIPEDE, SEASON BY SEASON |
| You
can have a beautiful centipede lawn by following an
easy Step-by-Step Program. Together with proper mowing
and watering, these measures will help centipede grow
strong and healthy.
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Centipede
spreads by above-ground stems or runners called stolons.
The stolons need occasional edging to keep them out
of flower or shrub borders. Pieces of rooted stolon
that are removed when edging are easy to transplant
and can be used to patch bare spots in the lawn. After
transplanting, be careful to keep them watered as
the small pieces dry out quickly.
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SEASONAL STEP-BY-STEP PROGRAM |
To
get weed problems under control, follow the Step-by-Step
Program shaded in yellow. If your lawn is already
in good condition, follow the Step-by-Step Program
shaded in green. You can start either program during
any season, but the key is to complete a full year.
After a year you will see marked improvements
in your lawn. When applying any lawn care product,
always read the entire label first and follow directions.
To avoid overfertilization, choose fertilizers
specifically designed for use on centipede.
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Restoring Centipede |
Maintaining Centipede |
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Step 1: Apply in late winter or early spring
- Crabgrass Preventer (without fertilizer)
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Step 1: Apply in mid to late spring
- Centipede Lawn Fertilizer
- Insect Control, if needed
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Step 2: Apply in mid to late spring
- Centipede Weed and Feed
- Insect Control, if needed
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Step 2: Apply in late summer
- Centipede Lawn Fertilizer (only in sandy soil)
- Insect Control, if needed
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Step 3: Apply in late summer
- Centipede Lawn Fertilizer (only in sandy soil)
- Insect Control, if needed
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Step 4: Apply in fall
- Crabgrass Preventer (without fertilizer)
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| PRODUCT |
DESCRIPTION |
| Crabgrass Preventer |
Keeps
crabgrass seeds and other grassy weeds from germinating.
Crabgrass preventer also prevents the sprouting of
many broadleaf weeds. |
| Weed and Feed |
Kills
broadleaf weeds that are actively growing and feeds
the lawn at the same time. For best results apply
it when weeds are still young and vigorously growing.
Don’t wait. Mowing a couple of days before applying
will help stimulate new growth of older weeds. |
Centipede Lawn Fertilizer
(15-0-15) |
Contains
no phosphorous and modest amounts of nitrogen and
potassium. Added iron helps keep centipede a healthy
green color. Lawn fertilizer should contain a combination
of fast-release nitrogen to green up the lawn quickly
and timed-release nitrogen to feed grass for 2 to
3 months. |
| Insect Control |
Is
important for the control of white grubs, fleas, cutworms,
and other major lawn pests. If these have been a problem
in your lawn, apply insect control early, while the
pests are still young. You can also apply insect control
plus fertilizer to combine feeding and control in
one easy application. |
TIPS FOR BETTER CENTIPEDE |
- Always use a fertilizer spreader to spread lawn care products
evenly. If you apply Weed and Feed, use a drop-type
spreader for accurate application at the edge of
flower and shrub beds. A broadcast spreader can
throw weed control products into the planting area
where it may cause damage.
- Never mow too close except in early spring. Close cutting
of actively growing grass invites weeds. At the
peak of summer, raise the mowing height to 3 inches.
Avoid mowing altogether when the lawn is stressed
by drought.
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- If more than a 1/2-inch layer of thatch is present
(thatch is dead stems and debris that accumulate
at the soil's surface), thin and clean your centipede
lawn with a power rake in the spring. You can have
this done professionally or do it yourself with
rented equipment. When using a power rake, set blades
3 inches apart and adjust cutting depth to only
1/4-inch, as centipede is slower to recover than
most other grasses.
- Never burn off dead growth from centipede in the spring. Instead, mow the grass low at 1-inch and collect the clippings.
- Do not add lime to centipede lawns. Centipede needs an acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.5.
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OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION |
| Working
with Centipede
Several problems working together create a condition called
centipede decline. The most common symptoms are grass
that fails to green up in the spring or the prevalence
of yellow-green color in early summer. Centipede is
a shallow-rooted grass and declining vigor can usually
be traced to the grass having trouble taking in nutrients,
water, or both.
Overfertilizing
centipede with phosphorus causes changes in soil chemistry
that make it impossible for the grass to take up iron,
an essential nutrient for good green color. Using
a fertilizer that does not contain phosphorus, but
does contain iron, will prevent this problem.
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Overfertilizing
centipede with nitrogen leads to a buildup of thatch,
a layer of dead stems that forms a barrier between
the shallow roots and the soil. A thick layer of thatch
makes centipede much more difficult to keep watered,
and increases the chance that the grass will be frozen
to death by cold winter weather. Tips for using a
power rake to dethatch centipede are given above.
Microscopic
worms that live in the soil, nematodes, sometimes
infect the roots of centipede and cause it to grow
very slowly if at all. The best way to confirm the
presence of nematodes is to submit a soil sample for
testing through your County Extension Service.
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Turfgrass care tips courtesy of
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