Turf grass recommendation for San Diego lawn

sd_lawn – posted 26 October 2010 02:15

Hello,

I need to install a lawn for my backyard. I was thinking about two turf grass types:

1. Tifway (Bermuda grass)Pros: 1) Uses less water 2) Recovers well from foot traffic (due to backyard sports) 3) Drought-tolerant.Cons: 1) High maintenance. Can the growth be slowed down by less water? 2) Winter dormancy. How long will the lawn turn completely yellow during the winter, based on the weather information that I provided below? 3) Extremely invasive. There is a 2-foot wide concrete between the lawn and the flower beds. Can Tifway roots go underneath the concrete and invade the flower beds? What is the best way to prevent it from invading the flower beds?

2. Marathon (Tall Fescue mix)Pros: 1) Green year-around 2) Easy to maintain 3) Non-invasiveCons: 1) Uses 2x as much water as Tifway 2) Does recover from heavy foot traffic well 3) Less drought tolerant

The yard is southwest facing and has full sun. The location is San Diego and is about 12 miles from the pacific coast. Here is the temperature information:

April – October: 90 (high) / 55 (low)Nov – March: 70 (high) / 42 (low)

As for rain, we get about January – March: 3 inches/month Nov/Dec/April: 1 inch/monthRest of the year: none

Because of water shortage, we get a water-use restrictions during the summer months.

If you have experience in maintaining Tifway, could you please share your knowledge with me? I am especially concerned about the amount of maintenance work (mowing and de-thatching) and difficulty to keep Tifway out of flower beds.

Thanks in advanceScott

tommy – posted 06 November 2010 19:04

Tifway is not as high maint. as some people make it sound. It will get into shrub beds, but nothing an occasional spray of ‘Round up’ can’t handle. It will also hold its color for most of the winter- in areas west of the 805- as long as it gets at least 3/4 of the day sun. It also needs to be thinned out once a year (early fall), which brings out new growth and extends its green color in cold weather. Applications of iron in Dec. and Feb. will also improve its winter color. Other than that, its a very trouble free turf…..it even looks good mowed high with a rotary mower.

sd_lawn – posted 07 November 2010 00:33

Tommy,

Thank you for the information. Could you elaborate more on your experience with Tifway?

1. How often do you get it mowed in the summer? 2. How long and frequently do you water it during the summer? In your opinion, what is the water savings compared with Tall Fescue?3. How do you thin the lawn? Do you do core aerating?

Thanks,Scott

tommy – posted 14 November 2010 10:09

Mowing frequency would generally be once a week, but more frequent at lower cutting heights. Tifway has more of a upright leaf compared to other hybrids, so its actually lower maint. mowed at 1 1/2 to 2″ Tifway will use around 20% less water than tall fescue. Thinning the turf can be done with a verticutter, or simply mowing lower to remove some of the thatch that has built up over the summer. Aerifing is also a means of thatch control, but for a high mown Tifway lawn, you will need to remove some of the mat that develops over the summer. (by mowing lower or vertcutting)

TNJDM – posted 06 January 2011 11:10

Tommy,

I am in the midst of making a lawn decision. After reading about the many strains, etc. Would you think t10 bermuda would be better for a homeowner than Tifway.

Really looking for opinions.

I am in zone 7 (or 7a) middle Tennessee

Thanks