Crucial Tips for Lawn Care Around Florida

It might seem easy to grow anything in Florida, with its plant-perfect humidity, frequent sunshine and nutrient-dense soil — and it’s true. My garden is bursting with big, tropical blooms that I hardly need to lift a finger to keep alive. However, there is one area where Florida’s environment is not inherently beneficial to green growth, and that area is the lawn.

Turfgrass isn’t native to any particular place; it has been bred to grow in lawns, and thus it requires extra-special care to grow healthily and attractively. In Florida, you need to choose the right type of grass and care for it slightly differently than you would in other regions, due to the abundant moisture and high heat. If you are struggling to establish a lush, green lawn outside your Florida home, read on for some crucial tips.

Choosing the Right Grass

Many people who move to Florida grow up with cool-season grasses, like ryegrass, bluegrass or various fescues, but as soon as you step foot into Florida’s subtropical and tropical climates, you should know that anything with the name “cool” in the title probably won’t flourish. In truth, warm-season grass varieties should be your only option when installing a new lawn on a Florida property, but even in this broad category, there are a few types that will grow better than others:

• St. Augustine. This hardy grass grows well in almost any warm climate, regardless of the soil type. It is dark green in color, with broad, flat blades and an incredible density that crowds out weeds.

• Bahia. This grass is well-known and beloved for its extreme drought and heat tolerance. It is a bit coarser than other grass types, but its low maintenance more than makes up for its feel.

• Zoysia. Easily one of the most attractive warm-season grass types, this grass is dense with fine, soft blades. Even so, it is resilient to heavy traffic and has a natural resistance to many of Florida’s lawn pests.

• Bermuda. This grass is a popular choice for recreational lawns, like golf courses and athletic fields, because it is incredibly strong and durable. As a creeping grass, this variety tends to have a rough texture, as Bahiagrass does."

When I moved into my Florida residence, there was already a lawn in place, so I used a lawn service near me to help identify the variety in place — zoysiagrass. The lawn pros also helped me learn how to properly care for that exact variety rather than grass in general. This is important because each grass variety has unique requirements, like mowing height and watering frequency. You should consider relying on expert assistance as you gain more proficiency with your lawn.