I’m behind on the multi-year conversion of my under-respected, low-priority lawn from common bermuda to centipede. The overdue conversion is needed because what used to be a sunny hilltop has taken on too much shading from the house and the trees planted 20-something years ago. Thus the bermuda faded and the easiest way to keep the dirt covered in green was to till strips and hand seed centipede in stages, a little each year. 

Folks who care more about their lawn’s look would have planted it all one spring. I’d rather spend time planting more roses and killing boxelder trees down at the creek. 

Centipede grass, like all turf grasses, wants ample sunlight but it can make do with less than berumuda. St. Augustine and rarely-seen-here zoysia will get by with even less sun, but no lawn grass species grows in pure shade.

Supposedly this will be the last spring of my lethargic lawn seeding endeavor. Well, that’s the plan. And the reason I’m behind this spring is because it’s been cool. Whenever we sow seeds of warm climate type plants, it’s best to wait for the plants’ preferred weather. And all of our local turf grasses are natives of warm climates. 

Centipede came from warm south China, St. Augustine from the tropics and bermuda from the Middle East/North Africa. The reason there are no similar grass species native to this area is simple; until a brief few centuries ago this place was in the shade. Trees covered up Mississippi and nearly the whole southeast U.S. About the only open spots growing vegetation were sandbars, beaches and swamps.   Grasses native to those spots are not good lawn types, nor fit for pastures, soccer fields or cemeteries for that matter.

Centipede is popular in the Gulf region of the country for several reasons. It used to be called the “poor man’s grass” because it will grow on poorer, more acidic soil than some other species. And it doesn’t like to be “messed with” a whole lot, meaning it is low maintenance. 

Go light with nitrogen fertilizer on centipede. Do not make the mistake of thinking the pale green color of centipede can be made darker and prettier with extra fertilizer. That is its natural color; like it or leave it. 

For some turf uses, centipede has a shortcoming of not being tolerant of a lot of traffic, foot-wise, wheel-wise or otherwise. That’s why centipede is not the choice for ball fields, fairways and outdoor concerts.

Just as with warm season vegetable and flower seeding, we should time grass seed planting by the weather and weather forecast. Cool nighttime air and cool soil do nothing to help the germinating, emerging and seedling growth processes. 

While it would be unusual for low temperatures to actually kill germinating grass, why put it through the stress?  We’re best served when seeds make steady, forward progress coming up; not up and down, stop and go progress brought on by out-of-the-norm spring temperatures. Patience is a horticultural virtue. 

Terry Rector is spokesman for the Warren County Soil and Water Conservation District.