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Warm season grasses getting with it in Texas
Texas
Texas wildflowers aren't the only plants "springing up" this season. Warm season grasses are also beginning to flourish, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.
Dr. Jim McAfee, Extension turfgrass specialist in Dallas, said, "Right now, we are on the dry side, so grass is a little stressed. In late January and early February there was some good rainfall, but then it became very dry and windy," McAfee said.
Normally, lawns should be watered as needed. Turf should be watered about 1 inch per week, he said. In the northern part of the state, home lawns and turfgrass should be fertilized.
"It is past the time to apply a spring pre-emergent to try to control annual summer weeds. That should be done in late-February to mid-March," McAfee said.
Luckily, disease has not been a big problem in North Texas; however, take-all root rot has been a problem in the past and could show up again, he said.
"If a lawn does have root rot, one bale of peat moss per thousand square feet is a good measure to keep it under control," McAfee said.
"In research trials at the Dallas A&M Center and on home lawns in the Dallas area, the application of peat moss produced the best recovery rate of take-all root rot. It is believed that the peat moss provides a better growing environment for St. Augustine stolons," he said. A stolon is a stem that grows or runs along the ground and sends down roots from the nodes.
The most common species in North Texas are bermudagrass and St. Augustine grass, McAfee said.
Dr. David Chalmers, Extension turfgrass specialist in College Station, said take-all root rot is a problem in areas that have not recovered from last year's damage from that disease.
While new infestations are not obvious until summer, turf roots are infected and colonized during the previous fall or spring, and the above-ground symptoms do not appear until late spring and summer, he said.
"By the time the disease expresses symptoms, it is then very hard to control. This disease is most common on St. Augustine grass, but there are some types of this disease which can affect bermudagrass."
Roger Havlak, Extension specialist for soil and crop sciences in San Antonio, said sound turf management and careful maintenance practices and by following recommended mowing heights, can help prevent these diseases.
Integrated pest management is also very important, he said, and pesticides should be used on an as-needed basis.
"Right now, the chances of disease depend on having a pathogen present, a susceptible host for the disease and the right environment," Chalmers said. "If the environment changes and there is prolonged moisture, we could begin to see more turfgrass diseases."
With the warmer nights, warm season grasses are beginning to grow well. Now is a good time to apply fertilizer and get a soil test to determine nutrient deficiencies, he said.
When last surveyed in 1993, the turfgrass industry accounted for $6 billion in economic impact to Texas, Chalmers said.
Sixty-five percent to 70 percent of the turfgrass in Texas is used in home landscapes, although it is also used in parks, golf courses and other areas.
Zoysia grass, bermudagrass and St. Augustine are the three most common species of grass grown commercially in the state, Havlak said.
Seashore paspalum is beginning to gain popularity because of its high salt-tolerance. This species of grass can be grown in areas with lower-quality water, Havlak said.
Although grass is grown for commercial uses all over the state, a large concentration is grown in Matagorda and Wharton counties, he said.
According to Jose Pena, Extension economist in Uvalde, pastures and ranges are green, and forage availability is above average for this time of the year. Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes are blooming, and crops are making excellent progress, he said.
Tony Douglas, district Extension administrator in Overton, said clover and ryegrass are providing quality forage. Hay sprigging and planting also continues, he said.
Date: 5/6/04
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