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Custom Landscaping
Shade Tolerant
Shrubs and Flowers
These are plants
that thrive in
partial to complete
shade. Some of these
also do well in full
sun, but many will
not. Look upon large
trees in your
landscape as a
blessing and an
opportunity. There
are lots of
beautiful shade
tolerant plants from
ground covers to
perennials to shrubs
that will thrive
under a large oak or
maple.
>>
View a list of
Shade Tolerant
Shrubs and Flowers
<<
Sun Tolerant
Shrubs and Flowers /
Drought Tolerant
Plants
A plant is drought
tolerant if it can
survive a dry spell
of more than 2 or 3
months without
supplemental
watering. This means
that most native
plants from regions
that occasionally
experience 2-3
months without rain
(most of the
continental US, for
example), are
drought tolerant. To
reduce the need for
supplemental
irrigation in your
landscape, choose
drought tolerant
plants. If you want
to eliminate
watering plants
altogether, select
species native to
your area.
>>
View a list of
Sun Tolerant Shrubs
and Flowers <<
Butterfly Garden
Butterflies dancing
on bright-colored
sails bring joy into
the garden that
flowers alone
cannot. To attract
butterflies to your
garden, you need the
flowers that produce
the nectar that
butterflies drink.
To raise butterflies
in your garden you
need to grow the
plants that
caterpillars (baby
butterflies) eat,
and they're often
not the same plants!
>>
View a list of
Plants That Attract
Butterflies <<
Trees
A tree is a woody
plant with a single
trunk and a distinct
canopy, usually
growing more than 15
ft (4.6 m) tall.
Trees can be
broad-leaved or
needle-leaved and
evergreen or
deciduous.
Broad-leaved
deciduous trees
create shade in the
summer and let the
sun through in the
winter. Evergreens
make the best
screens and provide
year-round color.
Before placing trees
in the landscape,
consider their
ultimate size. It's
sad to have to
remove a healthy,
tall and handsome
tree because it was
planted too close to
the house.
>>
View a list of
Trees <<
Palms
Palms are evergreen,
mostly tropical,
with woodlike stems
in the family Palmae
(also known as
Arecaceae). There
are over 2500
species of palms.
Most are treelike,
with single trunks
and either fan
shaped (palmate) or
feather shaped
(pinnate) compound
leaves. The larger
palms make dramatic
statements in USDA
Zone 8-10 landscapes
(a few are even
hardy to Zone 7!),
and smaller palms
are grown in
containers
everywhere.
>>
View a list of
Palms <<
Fast Growing
Plants that are
especially fast
growing are given
this symbol. Start
with some
fast-growing plants
to get your new
garden "up and
running" even if you
haven't finished
your overall design
plan.
>>
View a list of
Fast Growing Plants
and Trees <<
Grasses
The huge grass
family (Gramineae)
includes food and
forage grasses such
as corn, wheat and
oats, sod-forming
grasses like Bermuda
and St. Augustine,
and the ornamental
grasses. Ornamental
grasses include
dainty annuals used
as accents in
flowerbeds and in
dried arrangements,
tall perennials that
demand attention in
beds and borders,
and tree-sized
bamboos that
dominate the
landscape. Most
grasses can be
recognized by their
elongated,
blade-like leaves
with parallel veins.
>>
View a list of
Grasses <<
Important
Information
Turf Type and
Selection
The lawn is an
integral part of the
landscape and
provides many
important benefits
in our increasingly
urbanized
environment. A lawn
not only increases
the land's aesthetic
and economic value,
it also creates a
recreational
surface, controls
erosion, filters
pollutants, and
supplies oxygen.
Florida grasses vary
widely in their
adaptive abilities,
so choose your
turfgrass wisely.
Table 1 provides
information to
assist in your
selection. The
following questions
may serve as
guidelines.
1. What Lawn Do
You Want?
Lawns require
different levels of
maintenance. Do you
want a lawn that is
highly manicured and
carefully tended? Or
are you looking for
an average lawn that
will require a
moderate work input?
Perhaps you're
looking for
something more
naturalized, with
less grass and more
plantings of other
types.
Most turfgrass will
respond to a range
of maintenance
levels, but there is
an optimum level for
each grass. A
zoysiagrass or St.
Augustinegrass lawn
will not perform
well without
supplemental
irrigation during
dry spells.
Bahiagrass may be
able to survive
without supplemental
irrigation, but it
may never form a
dense, lush, dark
green lawn, as some
of the other grass
species will.
Maintenance levels
are closely related
to cost and time.
High-maintenance
turf costs the most
and takes the most
time to maintain.
Whether you do the
work yourself or pay
to have it done, you
should realistically
assess your ability
to maintain your
lawn before choosing
a grass.
2. What Are Your
Site's Limitations?
• Irrigation: Water
quantity and quality
are a factor. Do you
have an irrigation
system? Will you
rely on a hose and
sprinkler? On
rainfall? What is
the pH of your
water? Do you have
elevated salt
levels? Are you
using fresh
(potable) water, or
reclaimed waste
water?
• Mowing: Can the
area be easily
mowed, or is it
sloped? Are there
areas that limit the
size of mower you
can use?
• Soil type, pH,
drainage, and other
soil
characteristics: It
is important to soil
test before planting
a lawn. The
information that you
need includes soil
pH (see Table 1),
soil nutrient
availability, and
amount of
compaction, which
can affect drainage.
It is also important
to know your soil
type. Is it sandy
(will not hold water
long), or does it
contain more clay or
organic matter (more
water- and
nutrient-holding
capacity)?
• Shade: The amount
of shade the turf
will receive can
limit the selection
of suitable grasses.
In general, shady
areas need to
receive at least 6
hours of sunlight
per day for any of
the warm-season
grasses to grow
well.
With answers to
these questions in
mind, use Table 1
and the following
descriptions to
select the proper
turfgrass for your
Florida lawn, and
enjoy!
And please remember:
Cost of installation
and establishment
should not be the
primary reason for
your choice. A lawn
is a long-term
investment, and the
grass you choose for
your lawn should be
one you can commit
to maintaining.
Region of
Adaptation
Grasses grown in
Florida are
maintained in a
totally different
way from those grown
in the northern
regions of the
United States.
Northern-grown
grasses (such as
fescue, bluegrass,
and ryegrass) will
grow in Florida only
during the fall,
winter, and early
spring months and
will not survive
year-round. Some
turfgrasses can be
planted statewide,
while others perform
best in the
panhandle and north
Florida regions.
Soil Conditions
Soil conditions vary
widely within
Florida. Many of our
coastal regions tend
to have sandy,
high-pH soils. In
central Florida,
soil pH will
generally be lower,
and soil types may
range from sand to
muck. In north
Florida, soils tend
to have more clay
and low soil pH.
• Some turfgrasses
grow in a wide range
of soil conditions.
St. Augustinegrass
can do well in
either sand or
heavier soils, and
can tolerate a range
of pHs, from acidic
to mildly alkaline.
• Others, such as
centipedegrass and
bahiagrass, grow
best in acidic
soils. Micronutrient
deficiencies can be
a problem if these
grasses are grown in
high-pH (alkaline)
soils.
Environmental
Stress Tolerances
Environmental stress
can affect all
grasses, and no
environment is
completely free from
stress. It is
important to reduce
as many of these
stresses as possible
for healthy
turfgrass growth,
and to consider
these limitations
when selecting a
grass type (see
Table 1).
• Drought Tolerance:
Drought tolerance is
a measure of how
well turf will
survive extended dry
periods. Bahiagrass
and centipedegrass
have good drought
tolerance, while St.
Augustinegrass does
not perform well
during extended dry
periods.
• Salt Tolerance: In
coastal areas, turf
can be subjected to
salt stress. Salt
stress comes from
irrigation water,
saltwater intrusion,
and salt spray from
the ocean. Most
grasses will not
grow well in this
type of environment,
but seashore
paspalum thrives in
a salt-affected
site. Zoysiagrass,
bermudagrass, and
St. Augustinegrass
all tolerate
moderate to high
levels of salinity,
while bahiagrass and
centipedegrass have
less tolerance for
salt.
• Shade Tolerance:
Turfgrasses vary
widely in their
shade tolerance.
Both St.
Augustinegrass and
zoysiagrass have
good shade tolerance
compared with other
warm-season grasses,
but still require at
least 6 hours of
sunlight daily for
most cultivars.
• Wear Tolerance:
Wear tolerance is a
measure of how well
a grass continues to
grow after being
walked or played
upon. Wear tolerance
can determine
whether or not a
grass will be able
to survive in an
area of moderate
traffic. Zoysiagrass
and bermudagrass
have good wear
tolerance.
Major Pest
Problems
All grasses have
some pest problems,
although bahiagrass
and centipedegrass
are generally less
affected by pests
than other species.
Some of these pests
can be managed
through cultural
practices such as
proper
fertilization,
irrigation, and
mowing, while others
may require chemical
controls. Each
turfgrass has a
major pest that
could limit its use.
Proper management
practices can help
keep most pest
problems to a
minimum.
• Major insect
pests: The most
common pests are
chinch bugs, grubs,
mole crickets,
ground pearls,
webworms,
spittlebugs, and
billbugs. Most of
our grasses have at
least one insect
pest that may cause
problems. Insect
pressure may be
affected by
fertilization,
irrigation,
temperature, season,
and other factors.
Pests may also be
introduced from
neighboring yards.
• Major turf
diseases: The major
turf diseases
include brown or
large patch (Rhizoctonia),
dollar spot (Sclerotinia),
root rot (Pythium),
take-all (Gaeumannomyces),
and gray leaf spot (Pyricularia).
Disease pathogens
are often present in
the soil, but
populations may only
become elevated in
the presence of a
susceptible host and
favorable
conditions, such as
excess moisture or
fertilizer.
• Nematodes:
Nematodes are
microscopic worms
that live in moist
soil environments.
They feed on grass
roots and can
severely limit turf
growth and health if
present in large
quantities. There
are no chemical
controls for
nematodes in a home
lawn, so proper
cultural practices
and selection are
important.
Leaf Texture
Leaf texture is a
relative measure of
the leaf blade
width. Leaf textures
may be coarse,
medium, or fine.
• Texture choice is
merely a visual
preference unless
the grass is
important for a
sport, such as golf.
• Most southern lawn
grasses are coarser
in leaf texture than
those grown further
north (e.g., fescue,
bluegrass and
ryegrass). This is
especially true of
the three most used
lawn grasses in
Florida (St.
Augustinegrass,
bahiagrass, and
centipedegrass).
• Many of the
zoysiagrasses now
available for home
lawn use have finer
leaf textures than
St. Augustinegrass.
For more information
on zoysiagrass,
please refer to EDIS
publication ENH11, "Zoysiagrass
in Florida."
[http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/LH011
]
Turf Density
Turf density
represents the
number of leaves or
shoots per area of
the ground.
• Species with a
high density and
finer leaf texture
generally produce
better quality
lawns.
• Turf with a lower
density and coarser
leaf texture often
require a higher
mowing height to
produce an
acceptable quality
lawn.
• Higher-density
varieties include
hybrid
bermudagrasses and
zoysiagrass.
Bahiagrass has a
low-stand density,
while other
warm-season grasses
have a medium
density.
Maintenance Level
Some
grasses--typically
those that are mowed
at lower heights and
have fine leaf
textures--require
more maintenance
than other grass
species. This is due
to their rate of
growth and
susceptibility to
pests.
• Turfgrass species
grow at different
rates.
• Each grass has its
optimum level of
fertilization,
mowing, and
irrigation.
• As more water and
fertilizer are
applied to the turf,
mowing and pest
control needs
increase.
• Low-maintenance
turf should be
fertilized one to
two times a year,
mowed as needed
(often just to
remove seedheads),
and may or may not
be irrigated.
Bahiagrass and
centipedegrass are
examples of
low-maintenance
turfgrasses.
• High-maintenance
turf should be
fertilized
throughout the
growing season and
mowed weekly. In
some cases, excess
fertilization may
result in increased
pest pressure, but
adequate
fertilization is
required to maintain
a healthy turf.
Mowing
• Taller mowing
heights allow for
more leaf surface
for photosynthesis,
deeper root systems,
and better drought
tolerance.
• Mowing turf below
its recommended
height can stress
the grass and
subject it to
invasion by weeds,
insects and
diseases.
• Turf mowing
frequency will vary
seasonally and will
depend somewhat on
the species.
• Lawn clippings
should be left on
the lawn rather than
bagged. This will
add both organic
matter and nutrients
back into the soil,
and may reduce the
need for
fertilization
throughout the year.
Lawn clippings do
not typically
contribute to
thatch.
Establishment
Methods
• All grasses can be
established as sod.
This is the
preferred method of
establishment
because it provides
an "instant" lawn,
with less chance for
weed invasion or
other grow-in
problems.
• It is also
possible to "plug"
or "sprig" a lawn.
"Plugging" means
planting a
pre-potted turf
section with roots
and shoots intact.
Plugs are spaced at
a specified distance
from one another and
grow together by
lateral stems.
"Sprigging" is a
planting technique
using a piece of
shredded sod.
Individual pieces of
stems are spread
over the soil
surface and then
partially inserted
into the soil.
• St. Augustinegrass
is not available in
seed and must be
planted by one of
the vegetative
methods described
above. Seeding of
some other species
is also limited to
certain cultivars
(varieties of
species). Seeding
can be a
time-intensive
process with many of
the warm-season
grasses.
• Proper preparation
and planning is the
key to establishing
a good lawn by any
method. For more
information, please
refer to EDIS
publication ENH02,
"Preparing to Plant
a Florida Lawn."
Footnotes
1. This document is
ENH04, one of a
series of the
Environmental
Horticulture
Department, Florida
Cooperative
Extension Service,
Institute of Food
and Agricultural
Sciences, University
of Florida. Original
publication date
November 2001.
Revised November
2007. Visit the EDIS
Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu
.
2. L.E. Trenholm,
Assistant Professor,
Turfgrass
Specialist,
Department of
Environmental
Horticulture,
Institute of Food
and Agricultural
Sciences, University
of Florida,
Gainesville, FL
32611, J.B. Unruh,
Assistant Professor,
Turfgrass
Specialist, West
Florida Research and
Education Center,
Institute of Food
and Agricultural
Sciences, Jay, FL
32565, and J.L.
Cisar, Professor,
Turfgrass
Specialist, Ft.
Lauderdale Research
and Education
Center, Institute of
Food and
Agricultural
Sciences, University
of Florida, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL
33314.
The Institute of
Food and
Agricultural
Sciences (IFAS) is
an Equal Opportunity
Institution
authorized to
provide research,
educational
information and
other services only
to individuals and
institutions that
function with
non-discrimination
with respect to
race, creed, color,
religion, age,
disability, sex,
sexual orientation,
marital status,
national origin,
political opinions
or affiliations. For
more information on
obtaining other
extension
publications,
contact your county
Cooperative
Extension service.
Ref: U.S. Department
of Agriculture,
Cooperative
Extension Service,
University of
Florida, IFAS,
Florida A. & M.
University
Cooperative
Extension Program,
and Boards of County
Commissioners
Cooperating. Larry
Arrington, Dean.
Copyright
Information
This document is
copyrighted by the
University of
Florida, Institute
of Food and
Agricultural
Sciences (UF/IFAS)
for the people of
the State of
Florida. UF/IFAS
retains all rights
under all
conventions, but
permits free
reproduction by all
agents and offices
of the Cooperative
Extension Service
and the people of
the State of
Florida. Permission
is granted to others
to use these
materials in part or
in full for
educational
purposes, provided
that full credit is
given to the UF/IFAS,
citing the
publication, its
source, and date of
publication.
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