Categories: Gardening

Best 5 Grasses for South Georgia Lawns

When I moved to South Georgia several years back, there were a few things that surprised me. One of them was how difficult it was to grow a decent lawn. The outrageous summer heat, drought-like conditions, sandy soil, prevalence of clay and a high water table all seemed to play a role in making the process challenging for me. Of course the grubs and the star-nosed moles that love to dine on them didn’t help matters much either. As time went on, I discovered five types of grass that worked the best. Here they are:

1. St. Augustine Grass

Based on my experience, St. Augustine grass is a good choice for South Georgia lawns. It tends to thrive in sandy areas including those near the Okefenokee Swamp. It will grow in the shade as well as the sun. In addition, it doesn’t seem to turn brown under the scorching sun as fast as other grasses and tends to be relatively weed free. In my experience, it also grows slowly so you don’t have to mow it as often as other grasses either. The only downfall in my book is that the grubs and chinch bugs love the stuff. I know that first hand because we lost large patches of our lawn to the grubs and the star-nose moles that followed them. Both the grubs and moles are hard to get rid of once you get them and require loads of commercial insecticides.

2. Centipede Grass

As long as you don’t plan on using it in areas that are prone to heavy foot traffic, Centipede grass will also work well for South Georgia lawns. I like it because it requires little maintenance. After all, who wants to pull weeds and mow grass then the temperature is 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade? It requires fertilizer once a year and withstands short droughts. We’ve had good luck with it in the areas near the edges of our property.

See also Insect Damage to Lawn

3. Carpet Grass

In my opinion, Carpet grass is another superlative choice for South Georgia lawns because of its ability to grow in sandy soil, withstand drought-like conditions and grow in shady spots. I also found that it works well if the soil on your property has low fertility and acidity. On the downside, it does require weekly mowing and is attractive to grubs and moles. It also has a tendency to allow weed growth

4. Bermuda Grass

I have found that Bermuda grass is one of the best types of grasses for South Georgia lawns. It will grow in soil that has a high level of sand and clay. Furthermore, it can withstand heavy foot traffic, unseasonably cold winters and periods of drought. In my experience, it didn’t attract the white grubs as much as the other grasses. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the fire ants. The fire ants seemed enamored with the Bermuda grass but were easier to get rid of than the grubs. We found that patrolling the lawn and destroying the fire ants’ mounds on a regular basis was helpful but not foolproof. Often times the ants would just relocate to another, less traveled area of the lawn.

5. Bahia Grass

Bahia grass also does well in South Georgia. It is able to withstand drought like conditions and is good for large properties. We ended up using it for the part of our lawn that couldn’t be reached easily with the garden hose. Another thing that Bahia grass has going for it is that it doesn’t really attract the grubs or the fire ants. It is said to attract mole crickets but we have not seen any as of yet. The grass, however, does have to be mowed at least twice a month in the summer.

Killeen Gonzalez lives in South Georgia with her family and enjoys the great outdoors.