Common Grasses

Strengths:

• healthy bermudagrass competes well against most weeds
• withstand high traffic (very durable)
• drought and heat-resistant
• can recuperate quickly
• lower risk to diseases

Weaknesses:

• not ideal in shaded environment
• can grow into flower beds
• requires more frequent mowing

Strengths: 

• dense St. Augustinegrass competes well against weeds
• shade-tolerant 
• grows well in most soil types 

Weaknesses: 

• very prone to diseases such as St. Augustine Decline, Leaf Spot Disease, and Brown Patch Disease
• dies during long periods of hot and cold weather
• requires more frequent watering during summer months
• has average to poor tolerance to foot traffic

Strengths:

• zoysiagrass tolerates heat and drought very well
• highly resistant to insects and diseases
• prefers sun but can be shade-tolerant
• lower water and maintenance requirements 
• dense and traffic-tolerant  

Weaknesses:

• produces thatch (a layer of dead grass on the surface that does not decompose and can block air, water, and nutrients into the soil.)
• can recuperate slowly

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Fire ants damage lawns by colonizing deep in the soil and can undermine the grass root system. Ants usually colonize near water sources such as irrigation leaks. Ant mounds and hills in lawns can be a threat to pets and children as well as being a tripping hazard and make mowing difficult. Raking out small ant mounds and hills can help prevent large, lawn-damaging colonies. 

Grub worms feed on grassroots which produces brown patchy turf. Proper watering and fertilization help prevent these pests. Early detection of grub worms is helpful for treatment because they grow bigger and dig deeper down into the root system, thus making them difficult to treat.  

Fleas and ticks feed on their host's blood, and they can spread diseases to humans and pets. Fleas prefer shaded areas in your lawn such as doghouses and underneath lawn structures. Ticks tend to be in tall grass and branches. Keep your lawn clean from piles of leaves and have your grass and shrubs trimmed frequently to help prevent these disease-carriers.  

Chinchbugs cause expanding areas of stunted or dead grass surrounded by a halo of yellowing or dying grass. They can be prevented with thatch control, proper watering, and planting resistant varieties. 

Aphids can cause major damage in large populations by feeding on roots in turfgrass and by transmitting a virus that causes yellowing, curling, and stunted growth of leaves on plants. Aphids also produce a sugary waste called "honeydew" that attracts fire ants and other lawn pests.    

Leaf spot disease is a fungi that can affect warm-season grasses. Individual blades of grass appear to have dark lesions with yellow halos. Leaf spot may become serious when it enters the melting-out phase which can kill your lawn. Proper treatments can help minimize spores from spreading. Watering in the morning instead of watering in the evening is crucial for prevention because it allows the lawn to dry quickly in the sunlight which stops spores from spreading. 

Brown patch disease is a fungus that can grow quickly in warm, humid weather. Symptoms include circular brown patches of grass and causes the grass to be easily pulled from the ground. Similar to leaf spot disease, keeping your lawn dry by watering in the morning is crucial to help stop the spread of infected turf. The effectiveness of fungicides is greater when they are applied before brown patch becomes well established.

Dollar spot is a fungal disease that affects hybrid bermuda and zoysia grass. This disease forms small, circular brown spots, about the size of a silver dollar. Grass blades affected by dollar spot have light tan spots with reddish borders. Removing thatch and fertilizing properly can help control dollar spot.