'Heredity might determine the color of her eyes...

15 years ago

...but it takes the right environment to light them up".

This statement often comes to my mind whenever the subject of lawn care comes up.

Here I am trying to grow 'Floratam' on a patch of ground which when left to itself would rather be covered with match weed (Phyla nodiflora).

'Floratam' exists because it is (choose one) immune to, resistant to, tolerant of, SAD - a virus causing disease of St. Augustine grass. It is not the greenest (color) of the St. Augustine cultivars and St. Augustine is not the greenest of the lawn grasses. Yet I have seen lawns where 'floratam' has been mowed and fertilized to look like a putting green. I conclude that such a lawn requires more labor and money than I am prepared to invest. I am seeking in my little way to increase the organic content of the sand that comprises my front lawn. I do the things which will help this process but I know that this is a very long term objective.

It may never be realized. Who knows what will stand here 10, 15, 20, years hence? It seems that I have a choice of two paths - organic or synthetic. Whichever I choose will have an negative impact... somewhere.

My greatest challenge is to filter and research the advice (persuasion, advertisement, legislation) I am bombarded with from every quarter and corner.

You think it easy?

And then I remember the defining injunction from the economist to the farmer.

In addition to paying for all the factors of production, the "land must maintain its productivity".

No other business has this fateful responsibility. I treat it as a personal one.

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Comments (4)

lou_spicewood_tx
15 years ago
I don't get this message at all.

Floratam is by far the most drought tolerant of all st augustine varieties, almost comparable to bermuda and can get by with no fertilizer or mowing unlike bermuda to look good.

Again, I have no clue what you're trying to do.
maplerbirch
15 years ago
Don't know much about southern grasses and you offered nothing about your soil. IMO grasses do not need all this time and money to survive. Just keep it trimmed high and let it go dormant in drought etc. etc. If the grass you have doesn't survive put in a variety that will.
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ronalawn82
Original Author
15 years ago
lou midlothian tx, as far as my information goes, 'Floratam' was originally selected for its resistance to SAD and chinch bugs. Were it not for this quality, it may not have survived to undergo the trials for drought tolerance which were done later; 'Floralawn' and 'Floratam' were judged to be equally tolerant to drought and both were comparable to 'Buffalo609'. This information is documented by:-
Don Cizar, IFAS. "New St. Augustine Grass".
Tobey Wagner, President, Sod Solutions. "Palmetto St. Augustine Grass".
As for my message (your word), your post serves to reinforce it. My observation (my preferred word) has been that plant breeders select for specific criteria but the end user is manipulated to buy and grow the turf (or other plants) to meet a widened array of standards. Some of these standards may be beyond the scope of the genotype. "A dwarf sweet pea will not grow tall, no matter how well you treat it!" was the refrain of the lecturer in genetics.
The article by Mr. Wagner was so stimulating that I take the liberty of quoting an excerpt here.
"It has always been my contention that God is a better plant breeder than most that I have met (especially here in Texas!!) so I will give Him credit until I find out otherwise. However, I worry when I see statements that Palmetto is more drought-tolerant than Floratam without research data to support such a claim. I am promoting Floratam in the San Antonio area and have research data to support that it is the most drought tolerant of the St. Augustinegrasses EVER tested....."
lou_spicewood_tx
15 years ago
Actually Palmetto is 2nd best for its drought tolerance but nothing close to Floratam's. However it is the best one for shady area though. Floratam doesn't have much of shade tolerant for some reason or cold tolerant unfortunately.

There was an evaluation in Texas where all kinds of grasses went 2 months without water and Floratam recovered 90%, better than ALL zoysia grass varieties! Bermuda, of course recovered 100%. Palmetto recovered around 50%. Raleigh that is the most planted variety in Texas recovered only around 20%!

Palmetto lawn requires less mowing for sure.