QuestionIn a article i read you said that a certain type of sod grass is needed for San Diego. I want to know which type of sod is best. I am currently looking for someone to lay down some sod in my back yard.
AnswerSan Diego is beautiful. But you knew that. I won't bore you with my larger than life memories of my visit 25 years ago, but I know that Golf Digest refers to San Diego as 'one of the top 50 golf destinations in the world.' Heady stuff. More than 90 golf clubs in your region. You are indeed a lucky man.
That said, in these times, Southern California is not a perfect Paradise for gardening or growing a Lawn. Although you can raise all kinds of beautiful plants, a Lawn will be a bit of a challenge no matter what you do, because its success depends on your skill in dealing with the gardener's worst nightmare: Drought.
How do the pro's deal with this?
Typically, your region's golfers play on Bermudagrass fairways and Bentgrass greens. But certain clubs sometimes stray from that trend.
Admiral Baker North Golf Course in San Diego and Torrey Pines South Golf Course in La Jolla rank as two of the best in the country by elite standards. Admiral Baker opened in 1956; it has Winter Rye fairways and Bermudagrass greens. Torrey Pines opened in 195; designed by William F Bell, it has Kikuyu fairways and Bentgrass greens.
At the Crosby Nat'l Golf Course in Rancho Santa Fe, designed by Fred Couples and Brian Curley, you play on Bluegrass fairways and Bentgrass greens. The Rbt Trent Jones course, The Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe, has Bentgrass greens and fairways both.
The La Jolla Country Club is famous for its Kikuyu fairways, which blend in the greens with Rye and Annual Bluegrass. Press releases described the Kikuyu as a 'tropical African Grass'. Golfers generally hate to play on it. One blogger wrote that 'kikuya grass can kikillyou'. But as one Golf columnist reported, you can drive a truck over Kikuyu Grass and do no damage.
Eastlake Country Club in Chula Vista, designed by Ted Robinson & Son, is built around Bentgrass greens and Bluegrass-Rye blend fairways. Riverwalk Golf Club, also designed by Robinson over a former marsh, boasts Winter Rye fairways and Bentgrass greens.
Decisions, decisions. What's a homeowner to do?
First, let's look at this Kikuyugrass from Zaire and Kenya, a featured Weed on Weedalert.com:
www.weedalert.com/weed_pages/wa_kikuyugrass.htm
Pennisetum clandestinum, they warn, is 'a very invasive perennial Grass' that is exploding all over Lawns in one state and one state only: California.
They write: 'Kikuyugrass is different from other Warm Season Grasses like Bermudagrass in that it stays Green and grows at lower temperatures.'
San Francisco officials gathered at one meeting to discuss the renovatino of the public golf course. The Arnold Palmer Group was requesting a chemical application exemption. Reason: It was necessary to succeed in replacing the Kikuyu Grass, which while invasive grew poorly in shade -- and needs a lot of watering. Kikuyu may be aggressive and weedy, but as a Lawngrass, it's high maintenance.
On Montague Island in New South Wales, Kikuyu was planted to halt erosion around the lighthouse a few years ago. Now it blankets the island, a Killer Grass that has upset the local ecology and threatens the Penguins and native birds. One report said Kikuyu ranks as the 'single greatest threat to the sea bird population on the island, and that accounts for nearly 40,000 birds.' Baby chicks can't hatch under the Kikuyu blanket; adult birds are strangled in the Kikuyu rhizomes and stolons. Environmentalists are desperate.
Bottom line: If you absolutely KNOW you are going to Kikuyu, consider using it. But Kikuyu has 2 non-negotiable demands: Sun and a LOT of water. Never forget that this could be the Lawn From Hell. Anyone growing it now is probably doing that because now that it's in, they have no choice. Scratch Kikuyu.
Let's look at your other options.
Bermudagrass is basically a wonderful Lawn. Trouble is, under drought conditions, while it is fairly tolerant, it also suffers in turfgrass quality.
Bentgrass is a beautiful, expensive, high maintenance water-lover that should only be grown by someone who does it for a living full time, or someone who is retired and has nothing else to do for the rest of their life. Believe me I should know.
Annual Bluegrass is another high maintenance Grass. It needs lots and lots of irrigating.
That leaves us with Tall Fescue and Zoysia.
Golfers hate Fescue and Zoysia. It's just no fun at all. So you won't find it on any Golf Courses. But both are delightfully drought tolerant.
Allaboutlawns.com talks about both. 'When that yearly drought comes around in your area and the city places you on a watering restriction, you'll be glad to know that your Zoysia Lawn will withstand high temps with little or no water.' A Warm Season Grass, Zoysia rolls right over Weeds and disposes of them without chemicals; its slow metabolism, even at the height of Summer, means you mow it less:
www.allaboutlawns.com/grass-types/zoysia-grass-makes-for-a-great-lawn.php
Zoysia is NOT an option if you have any shade.
They say that Tall Fescue is a Cool Season Grass, so it is not as bright during the height of Summer heat as a Warm Season Grass like Zoysia:
www.allaboutlawns.com/grass-types/grasses-fescue.php
What Tall Fescue WILL do that Zoysia won't is grow in semi-shade. Allaboutlawns says that Fescue 'may not be as attractive in appearance compared to some other Cool Season Grasses'. But how does Fescue compare to Zoysia?
As luck would have it, Allaboutlawns does exactly that.
Their Columnist, Dawn West, posts an essay, 'Zoysia Grass vs. Fescue Grass'. Both thrive in slightly acidic, sandy Soil. Conclusion: It's up to you.
'Fescue and Zoysia can both make for great lawns and a little bit of information can help you home in on the one that's right.'
Read over the checklist and see where you stand:
www.allaboutlawns.com/grass-types/zoysia-grass-vs-fescue-grass.php
Then tell me what you picked. Thanks for writing.
THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER
