Palmetto is a native cultivator of the St. Augustine grass, which exhibits a lush emerald green color. It has wide and flat blades, due to which its surface looks like a thick carpet. This versatile turf grass possesses various qualities such as good shade, drought, cold, heat, and frost resistance. This type of sod is not resistant to pests and is found in coastal and sub-tropical regions.
On the other hand, Floratam is a hybrid cultivator of St. Augustine grass, which is coarse-textured and exhibits dark green color. This turfgrass loses its color in the winter season but turns back into its original color in the summer season. Its growth is not good in shaded areas and it is unable to tolerate cold. Due to its texture and softness, it is not suitable for playgrounds.
Below all the relevant information regarding the topic is available. To get yourself familiar, you are requested to continue reading further.
Palmetto Grass vs. Floratam Care
Following are the tips regarding the care for Floratam grass and Palmetto grass. First, we’ll discuss care for Floratam grass.
Floratam Grass Care:
If you have chosen a nice-looking landscape for your Floratam grass and have planted it in the right location then, taking care of Floratam does not require that much hard work. One should use the following hints after planting Floratam to take good care of his Floratam yard.
1.Hints for Mowing Floratam Grass:
The preferred height for mowing Floratam grass is about 3 inches to 4 inches. The higher you mow this grass, the better it will become. The majority of the lawn experts say that you should mow this grass at a height equal to the size of the rotary blade in your lawnmower. This tip allows the grass to grow nicely and it also becomes thick. It also helps prevent the growth of weeds and allows the roots to grow in sufficient depth to improve their drought tolerance. If you have recently sodded your yard with Floratam, then you should wait for at least two weeks to mow it.
2.Hints for Watering Floratam Grass:
If you have just sodded Floratam, then you should water it twice or more than twice, for a couple of starting weeks. When Floratam starts establishing, it needs 1’’ of water each week. The thing which is more important than just watering the grass is that the grass must be evenly soaked. So, you must take care of watering the grass by thoroughly watering it for about 30-45 minutes instead of just spraying the grass the whole week for 5-10 minutes. Keep in mind; if your mower’s blades are wilting, then it is an indication for you to water the grass.
3.Hints for Fertilizing Floratam Grass:
According to the research, it is found that Floratam grass loves those fertilizers that are water-soluble but the ratio of such fertilizers should be 3-part Nitrogen (N), 1-part Phosphorus (P), and 2-part Potassium (K). The granules of water-soluble fertilizers work well. All you need to do is spread it with the help of a standard broadcast spreader to cover the grass evenly. You should apply the fertilizers to grass once a month during the starting three months of its growth in the spring. In the late fall season, you must continue fertilizing the grass about every 30 to 60 days.
4.Personal Efforts for the Maintenance of a Floratam Yard:
It is necessary to look after the following things while maintaining your Floratam yard.
- Avoid planting Floratam in high-traffic and polluted areas.
- Avoid walking too much on the grass; otherwise, it will not sustain and will become inactive.
Now we will discuss the care for Palmetto grass.
Palmetto Grass Care:
You should follow the following tips for good care of your yard with palmetto grass.
1.Mowing Palmetto Lawn:
Lawn experts recommend that you should mow your Palmetto garden every 7-10 days in warmer seasons, and in colder seasons, you should mow it every 3-6 months. While cutting your grass, make sure to miss the full sun and light-shaded grass areas between 20 to 50 mm, and cut the heavier shaded regions between the range of 50 to 70 mm.
2.Watering Palmetto lawn:
Just after planting Palmetto grass, water it thoroughly. Due to watering, your grass will be established, and watering will encourage a deep and vigorous root system. While watering, make sure that 2-3 cm of grass is soaked and the soil beneath it is wet. For good growth of the grass, 7-10 cm of the soil below the grass should be moist.
3.Fertilizing Palmetto Lawn:
For Palmetto grass, the use of fertilizer is recommended twice a year. For a lush green lawn, use those fertilizers that are high in Nitrogen.
4.Weed and Pest Prevention and Control:
If weeds infest your Palmetto lawn, then hand eradication is advised, or use an appropriate weedicide.
On the other hand, Palmetto grass has high resistance to pests but keep your lawn in check and use suitable pesticides if you find any problems in your yard.
Palmetto Grass vs. Floratam Problems:
Following are the problems regarding these two turfgrass.
Floratam Problems:
- Chinch bugs are found in this grass.
- It cannot bear cold and loses its color in the winter season.
- It grows very slowly in shaded areas.
- Walking on this grass should be avoided as it is fragile.
Palmetto Problems:
- It does not grow well in densely shaded areas.
- It has problems with disease.
- It does not have a high degree of drought tolerance.
Palmetto Grass vs. Floratam Seed:
For Floratam grass, sods, plugs, or sprigs of the grass are planted in that area where the sunlight remains for around 6 hours. There is no seed to plant this grass.
Similarly, there is no Palmetto grass seed. Sods of this grass are planted at different spots in the land, which then covers the whole area.
Palmetto Grass vs. Floratam Price:
The price of Palmetto grass per pallet is $160 and the cost of Floratam grass per pallet is also $160.
