Centipede Lawns

Centipede Lawn Description:

Centipede lawns are ultra low maintenance grass. It is one of the lowest maintenance lawns of the warm weather grasses. Low watering, feeding and mowing requirements are all characteristics of the centipede lawn. Too much fertilization and care can actually damage this lawn!   If you are limited on the time you can spend on lawn care, this is lawn you want! Centipede lawns will grow well in sandy to clay soils. When a centipede lawn is established, it will propagate by rhizomes. Eventually it will knit itself into a dense mat.

Centipede Grass
Centipede Lawn

An advantage of this is that it will choke out undesirable weeds, chiefly because of it’s aggressiveness. Unfortunately, it may have a tendency to spread into areas where you may not want it to grow. Centipede does not do well with alkaline soils. Centipede lawns prefer an acidic soil. Consequently, you can discourage it from growing in unwanted areas. Simply apply lime to the areas you don’t want it to spread too. This will slow, if not stop centipede growth into these areas.

 

Centipede seed is expensive, one pound of centipede seed running approximately $35.00 or more. Fortunately it will go a long way. A distinct advantage is that since it spreads via rhizomes. Given time, it will fill in bald spots and spread on it’s own.

Characteristics:

Traffic Low Traffic Tolerance
Type  Warm Weather Grass
Acidity Loves Acid soils (DO NOT LIME) PH 4.5 – 5.5
Maintenance LOW Maintenance, Does not require frequent mowing, also call “The Lazy Man’s Grass”
Fertilizer 15-0-15 or 16-4-8 preferably with Iron
Growth Rate Slow Growing
Light Full or Almost Full Sun
Watering Drought Resistant
Mowing Height 1 1/2 to 3”
Propagation Via Plugs, Sprigs or Seed
Salt Tolerance Low
Best USDA Zones 7-8-9-10

USDA Information on Centipede