If you’re trying to decide what type of grass to use for your lawn, you’ve probably heard of Tifgreen grass. It’s a popular choice among homeowners and landscapers alike, but is it really the best option for you?
Before you make any decisions, let’s take a look at the pros, cons, and maintenance requirements of Tifgreen grass.
Key Takeaways
- Tifgreen grass is a Bermuda sod that is ideal for warm climates.
- Although Tifgreen is not the best in terms of winter color, it has excellent wear and drought tolerance.
- Regular mowing and fertilizing are essential for helping this type of grass remain healthy and vibrant.
What Is Tifgreen Grass?
Tifgreen Bermuda is a versatile hybrid grass that is perfect for warmer climates like those found in southern California.
With its deep green color and slow growth rate, it is ideal for residential properties and high-traffic areas such as golf courses, tennis courts and sports fields. This strong, durable grass thrives under the hot and arid climate of the region and can withstand heavy foot traffic while crowding out intrusive weeds.
Tifgreen Bermuda offers a convenient solution by providing beautiful landscaping with minimal effort, something that’s sure to appeal to the vast majority of Californians!
Tifgreen Grass
Here are a few key features of Tifgreen grass to be aware of:
Color
Tifgreen grass is sought after for its luscious, dark green color and its fine texture. Perfect for a golf course or backyard lawn, this type of turfgrass provides a beautiful backdrop to many types of spaces.
In an average month, it will keep its green hue and provide excellent germination during the spring months. The soft blades make for a comfortable play area and also add to the lushness of any home’s landscaping.
Drought Tolerance
Tifgreen Grass is an excellent, drought-tolerant grass. It requires far less irrigation than other turf grasses, making it ideal for those dealing with dry climates and water restrictions.
Plus, its deep roots enable it to take up and conserve the water that’s available. Its color is maintained even in extreme temperatures.
Disease Tolerance
Tifgreen grass is an excellent choice when it comes to selecting a durable, disease-tolerant lawn. Its amazing disease resistance has made it a popular grass among homeowners in areas with warm climates.
Shade Tolerance
While it’s best known for its ability to survive under drought-like conditions, grass of the Tifgreen variety is not quite as tolerant in the shade. While it can still survive under certain amounts of shade—up to 20%, in fact—Tifgreen grass prefers full sun whenever possible.
When planted in shade, it will often require more care (i.e., trimming, aerating, and fertilizing more frequently)..
Heat Tolerance
People who live in warm to hot climates often have a tough time maintaining a green lawn, as some grass varieties can struggle with extreme temperature shifts. But Tifgreen Grass is an exception!
This resilient variety of grass thrives in USDA zones 7-11 and has incredible heat tolerance.
Winter Color
Unfortunately, Tifgreen does not hold up very well in the winter. As temperatures drop, the lush hue fades into a dull brown. This makes it a poor choice for lawns that need permanent year-round color, though it can liven up an area for as long as the warm weather lasts.
Recovery from Moderate Wear
Tifgreen grass is known to have an excellent recovery rate from moderate wear, making it an ideal option for golf courses and other large outdoor spaces. It requires very little maintenance while being extremely durable.
Tifgreen grass can be used on high-traffic areas such as golf courses, sports fields, and parks in order to provide a stronger stand that has a high tolerance for wear and tear. This grass will not only stand up to heavy use but also look good doing it.
Pros of Choosing Tifgreen Grass
Tifgreen is known for its drought tolerance. Unlike traditional grasses, it requires very little water to survive and thrive. This makes it ideal if you live in an area with limited access to water or if you don’t want to spend large amounts on watering your lawn.
Tifgreen is also resistant to wear and recovers quickly from injury with its vigorous and dense growth habit. You won’t have to worry about wear and tear from pets, kids, or even regular foot traffic taking away from the beauty of your lawn. In addition, it tolerates close mowing so you can keep your lawn looking neat without having to put in too much effort!
Finally, it has fair tolerance to saline soil conditions, making it easy to maintain even in tough conditions.
Cons of Choosing Tifgreen Grass
One of the major drawbacks of using Tifgreen grass is that it has poor shade tolerance and weak winter color. This means that shady areas of your yard will struggle to maintain a healthy green color when planted with this type of grass. If shade is an issue in your landscape, you’ll likely need to find another variety that can better tolerate those conditions.
Another downside is that all plants are sterile, so you’ll need to plant via plugging, sodding or sprigging—no seed option here! This means more planning and cost upfront as you’ll need to purchase plugs or sod from a nursery or online store and hire professionals to install them correctly.
Amendments are recommended for heavy clay soils in order to promote drainage with Tifgreen grass. You’ll also need to dethatch annually or bi-annually due to its moderate-to-fast build-up rate depending on your mowing height—another consideration if you’re looking for a low-maintenance option!
Maintenance Tips for Tifgreen Grass
Ready to take the plunge? Here are some tips to help you take care of your new Tifgreen lawn.
Watering
Tifgreen Grass is a hardy grass that can withstand high temperatures but still requires some attention, especially in its early stages.
To keep it properly hydrated, it’s important to water it regularly. The first 20 days should involve watering as needed to keep the topsoil moist to a three-inch depth. After that, during warm weather, a minimum of three waterings per week is usually enough.
Cooler weather requires slightly less—try one or two weekly waterings. Additionally, sandy soil may require more frequent watering than clay soil, and areas which are further inland tend to need more water overall than coastal areas.
When watering, be sure to pay close attention to slopes and mounds which can easily cause runoff—these might need more frequent, shorter waterings for best results.
Fertilization
When needing to fertilize, there are simple guidelines that distinguish Tifgreen from other grass types. A high-grade fertilizer should be applied at six- to eight-week intervals during the growing season of March through September.
During winter months, no fertilization is necessary as the grass enters dormancy, causing any excess nutrients to wash away and dissipate.
Mowing
Mowing should be done seven days after installation at a height between 3/8 and 3/4 inches. The warm season will require mowing at least once a week while you might get away with not bringing out the lawnmower when your sod has gone dormant.
However, you have to remember that no matter what time of year, never mow more than one third of the blade at one time; otherwise, you risk injuring the plant.
Weeds & Insects
After your new sod has been established, it is best to follow the recommendations of your local garden center or an extension specialist for the area if a pesticide application is necessary.
To ensure optimal quality of the grass, dethatching should be done at least once every two years with spring being the preferable time.
For the most part, Tifgreen is highly resistant to common disease problems, but if brown spots appear, even with adjustments to your watering routine, it is important to contact a garden center as soon as possible as this may be a sign that a disease could be present.
People Are Also Asking:
What does Tifgreen Grass cost per pallet?
The cost of Tifgreen Grass can vary greatly depending on region and season. Generally, it is not uncommon to pay around $175 to $300 per pallet, though this can rise or fall depending on demand and supply.
How does Tifgreen Grass compare to TifTuf Grass?
Both offer a lush, deep green look with minimal maintenance demands, but the two differ in their temperature and drought conditions. Tifgreen is more tolerant of cold so it can handle winter weather well while TifTuf has a greater tolerance of heat and water scarcity which makes it perfect for hot areas with dry spells or limited access to irrigation.
What are the best tools for caring for sod?
Sprinklers are useful for new sod care, though nothing beats a traditional hose and nozzle to thoroughly saturate newly laid sod with regularity. A lawn mower with a sharp blade helps circulate air into the thatch layer below the turf surface, while fertilizer applied from either store-bought bags or granules spread manually is always beneficial for the long-term health of any grassy area.
