How do I best care for centipede grass?

Veronica EXPERT May 07, 2008

Centipedegrass is lower maintenance than some other grasses. It needs less mowing and is fairly resistant to many diseases and pests.

To care for it, keep it mowed at 1 to 2 inches high.

Also, it's a grass that need regular watering. Its root systems are very shallow, so it's only moderately drought-tolerant. Make sure to water it well whenever it shows signs of stress, such as wilted or discolored leaves. This is especially important since it's one of the first of the warm-season grasses to turn brown during periods of drought.

It's also not very tolerant of heavy traffic, frost, or salt spray, so those things may cause damage.

As with all lawns, to keep it looking its best, consider a regular program of feeding and weed killing. Fertilize it once or twice during the growing season (it doesn't need as many nutrients as some other grasses.) To control weed seeds before thye sprout in spring, apply a preemergent herbicide such as corn gluten meal. Pull weeds that emerge during the summer. If the lawn is very weedy, consider applying a post-emergent weed killer.

Centipede grass is susceptible to iron chlorosis --which causes the grass to turn yellow -- especially if your soil is moderately to very alkaline. Apply iron sulfate if this occurs.