Spring is here and that means Centipedegrass is greening up in North Carolina, pointed out Nancy Anderson, associate agricultural extension agent, urban horticulture, forestry and turf, North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension, Cumberland County, N.C.
Centipedegrass is the most common turf in North Carolina and in the spring is maintained very differently than Bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass, Anderson said.
A common symptom this turf experiences is a yellowing appearance upon green-up, and this is usually an indication of iron deficiency, Anderson pointed out. “Spray iron (ferrous) sulfate or a chelated iron source to enhance color as needed,” she suggested. “Follow label directions.”
Also, the primary reason Centipedegrass dies in spring is over fertilization and/or improper timing of fertilizer. Centipedegrasses cannot be fertilized like cool-season grasses, which are fertilized in the fall and then again in the spring, Anderson said. “This is definitely not the recommendation for centipede grass,” she explained. “If you fertilize centipede like cool-season grasses, you will have permanently brown dead grass.”
The very best method of determining how much lime and/or fertilizer and what kind to apply is to have a soil test done.
And, most importantly, do not apply nitrogen in spring, Anderson suggested. “In June, the recommended pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet can be applied using a high potassium fertilizer (e.g., 5-5-15, 6-6-12, 8-8-24),” she said. “Fertilizers without phosphorous (e.g., 15-0- 14, 8-0-24) are preferred if the soil exhibits moderate-to-high levels of phosphorus. And phosphorus levels can only be determined by a soil test.”
The author is Managing Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine.
