Bahia is the most inexpensive type of grass you can buy and is dubbed "pasture
grass". Bahia is what is typically laid on the sides of the roads. It is the poorest
quality of grass. The pieces do not hold together in the 16x24 inch squares in which
they are cut. The pieces fall apart. We cannot guarantee the quality of the sod but we
do guarantee that it will grow. Bahia has very thin blades and grows up; it does not
run across the ground as do other grasses. Bahia does not grow in the shade. It
needs at least 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight to grow. We recommend Bahia for
people who do not like to spend a lot of time on their grass or do not have a
sprinkler system. Once it is established Bahia is virtually drought resistant and
doesn't take a lot of maintenance beyond mowing. As mentioned above, Bahia is the
most inexpensive type of grass you can buy and because of this the fields do not
take very good care of it. It does not get watered and fertilized like more expensive
grasses do. The downside to Bahia is that when it gets very wet or very dry it falls
apart. The 16x24-inch pieces can possibly break up into pieces. The sod will grow and
there is nothing wrong with it, it just will be more difficult to put down. Bahia may also
come with a small amount of weed in it.
You can find more information about Bahia by visiting the University of Florida
Extension Website.
ST. AUGUSTINE -
St. Augustine is a very nice grass with thick blades. Most new houses are coming
with some type of St. Augustine. St. Augustine has thick blades and runs, so it doesn't
grow as tall as fast as Bahia. Floratam and Bitter-Blue are identical so you can not tell
the difference visually. St. Augustine is higher maintenance; it gets weeds and needs
more care. It has to be watered regularly unless we are getting rain. A major problem
with St. Augustine is that during the summer it has problems with the fungus. Fungus
is not something that we or the field can control. New sod is more susceptible to it
and must be treated right away or you can kill your grass very easily if it goes
untreated. Fungus is also something that cannot always be completely cured with
one treatment. You could potentially spray your yard for fungus and get it again in a
week.
FLORATAM
Floratam - For areas that get at least 4 to 5 hours of direct sunlight.
BITTER BLUE AND PALMETTO
For areas that are in the shade but get at least filtered sunlight. Both will also grow in
the full sunlight. The only difference between the two sods is that Palmetto is slight
more semi-dwarf. Meaning: it doesn't grow quite as tall as Bitter Blue or Floratam.
But, it does grow taller than Seville and Bermuda. If your area is in complete shade,
not even filtered sunlight, you need to consider Seville. It is not resistant to chinch
bugs.
SEVILLE
For areas in heavy shade. It has a lower growth habit than all of the above. Seville is
susceptible to chinch bug and webworm damage. Performs excellent in full sunlight.
Seville is not cut during the summer. Generally, once the temperatures reach 90
degrees, the fields will shut down until the fall.
BERMUDA 419
is golf course grass, although some choose to use it at their homes. It is virtually
drought resistant. It has very fine blades and grows out, not up. It requires a reel
lawnmower (not real) to mow.
EMPIRE ZOYSIA
is a sod with a fine to medium leaf texture and has a dark green color. It has good
tolerance to shade, salt and traffic. It also thrives in extreme heat and humidity.
Zoysia also has good drought tolerance due to its deep root system. It also provides
for easy weed control due to the growth habits and tolerance to common herbicides.
It is a great option because it doesn't require the watering or mowing that St
Augustine does. It also is an aggressive grass and does the weed problem the St
Augustine does. It is also resistant to chinch bugs.
