Rainfall & Droughts
| Normal rainfall is the best
for grasses. However in our world today it seems that the weather is out of control.
How grasses survive and handle both
droughts and excessive rain amounts are a reflection of each individual species.
Different grasses handle drought and wet seasons differently. |
|
Different species and their
varieties have specific water needs. Grasses like the fescues are more drought tolerant
and produce larger and deeper root systems as inherited from the older varieties that are
coarser and larger needing a strong root system. Grasses such as bluegrass has very
shallow root systems and requires large amounts of water. Heat loving grasses such as the
Bermudas while having finer textures tend to grow outward and put down deep roots and can
withstand the drier, hotter climates better.
Drought Resistant Grasses: Bermuda. buffalo, Bahia (Pensacola),
Fescues ( red is the best) and Zoysia.
Medium Drought Resistant Grasses: Bluegrasses, St. Augustine,
centipede, bent grass, ryegrasses, and Dichondra.
Heavy Water Users: Carpet grass, annual and rough bluegrass and
creeping bent grass.
| Lawn
Irrigation - Droughts |
| Watering
Lawns - Rainfall effects on grasses |
Listed below is a relative ranking of the ability of grasses to
handle either dry or wet climates:
Rankings to withstand each type of weather season:
BEST | GOOD | MED | POOR ---
Best is best suited... Poor is worst suited.
LAWN GRASSES
Ability to handle stresses: |
WET
SEASONS |
DRY
SEASONS |
| WARM SEASON |
| BAHIAGRASS |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| BERMUDA - COMMON |
MED |
BEST |
| BERMUDA - HYBRIDS |
MED |
GOOD |
| BUFFALO |
POOR |
BEST |
| CARPETGRASS |
BEST |
POOR |
| CENTIPEDE |
MED |
POOR |
| ST. AUGUSTINE - COMMON |
MED |
MED |
| ST. AUGUSTINE - IMPROVED |
MED |
MED |
| ZOYSIA |
GOOD |
GOOD |
| COOL SEASON |
| BLUEGRASS |
MED |
MED |
| BENTGRASS |
BEST |
POOR |
| FESCUE - CREEPING RED |
MED |
GOOD |
| FESCUE - FINE |
MED |
MED |
| FESCUE - TALL |
MED |
BEST |
| RYE ANNUAL & PERENNIAL |
MED |
POOR |
Also see our graphs located at www.lawngrasses.com
