Growing C
Dear Plaat Doctor. I received a
pamphlet from your office on cen
tipede grass. I requested it because I
had concerns on when centipede
should be fertilized. It says June is
the time. Most of my neighbors have
already fertilized and their grass is
greening nicely. Mine is green but
not the dark green as a result of the
doissg its job.
U would seem that centipede
would need something after the win
ter io get started and then maybe a
pick-me-up in middle summer. I
know centipede does not need much
nitrogen but m?yh? ? fertiliser with
little or no nitrogen and iron would
help green it up. I have used iron
from the bottle and sprayed it on the
lawn but it has never done anything
that I could tell.
I just think June is too late to wait
to fertilize my centipede grass!
? Wilmington
Absw?~. Extension brochures on
lawn care are guides based upon sci
entific research. Centipede grass fer
tilized early in the spring is more
prone to brown patch, frost damage
and other pest damage. Centipede
grass fertilized incorrectly on an an
nual basis will declinc and usually
die in three to five years doe to win
ter damage, disease or other prob
lems. Some turf grass scientists be
lieve that the second application of a
low nitrogen-high potassium fertiliz
er in benefits ccuu^mki
growth survive!,
consensus exists among the experts.
My observations and research indi
cate very little fertilizer is required
for optimum centipede grass mainte
nance ? the least fertilizer is best.
If you are not seeing a response to
iron, then you may have another nu
trient problem. Take a soil sample
from your lawn to the New Hanover
County Cooperative Extension
Service office. Request that a "prob
lem soil sample analysis" be per
formed by the N.C. Department of
Agriculture soil testing laboratory
and that a copy of the results be sent
iu inc.
Dark green centipede grass early
in the spring usually signals the ear
ly demise of a centinrdc grass home
lawn. Stick to your guns and wait
entipede Tak
until June to fertilize your centipede
grass. You will be cutting grass next
year wiulc your itCighbots sweep
their yards.
Dear Plant Doctor: I would like
to establish centipede grass in the
yard of my new home but want to
have a lawn by this summer. A land
scaper suggested that I seed tall fes
cue with the centipede grass. What
do you think? ? Lumberton
Answer: I think that is a rotten
idea.
Centipede grass is relatively slow
to establish. Germinating tall fescue
seeds will compete for water and nu
trients with the germinating cen
tipede grass seed at the seeding rate
used on home lawns. I suggest you
consider one or a combination of the
following options to rapidly estab
lish centipede grass:
1 . Sod. Without doubt, the fastest
iiicihou of lawn establishment. If u
nsnCv j siv n iTmjGr coiutuviauvm
(they usually are), then sod your
lawn on the installment plan. Sod
high priority areas first. Seed other
areas with a temporary bum* cover
like rye grass or tall fescue or carpet
grass. When you have the resources
to move on to phase two, then soil
test, plow under the temporary
grass, add the required amendments,
prepare the soil and lay the sod.
2. Plug. Plugging is for the patient
and hardworking. The time needed
to establish a new lawn of centipede
grass using plugs depends upon the
growingconditions and the spacing
of grass plugs. I have seen many
beautiful lawns established by plug
ging centipede grass iniu an existing
lawn of ta!! fescue, St Augustine,
bermuda or carpet grass. Fertilize,
es Patience
mow and cultivate the lawn as if it
were all centipede grasv Plugs
spaced on one-foot center* are stan
dard. That means it will teake 8.000
plugs to establish the average 8,000
square foot lawn. Fix the new lawn,
an irrigated and newly plugged cen
tipede grass lawn will usually cover
in one full growing season (May to
September). The eslabli&hmcni of a
new centipede grass lawn by plug
ging without irrigation can tak- two
years or more.
Centipede grass likes acid soil so
be sure soil pH is suitable. Soil test!
5. Sprig. Lawn establishment oy
sprigging takes roughly the same
time to establish as with seeding.
4. Seed. I have seen homeowners
with good irrigation systems estab
lish centipede grass lawns by seed in
one growing season; however, they
are the exception. In the average
unirri gated lawn, centipede grass es
tablishment will normally take two
or three years for full coverage. A
seeding rate of four ounces of cen
tipede grass per 1.000 square feet is
usually a good compromie between
seed costs and time required for es
tablishment. Heavier seeding rates
wi!i acccicratc coverage but the cost
is usually prohibitive. For more
rapid coverage see above comments
about sodding or plugging.
Send your comments or questions
to The Plant Doctor, P.O. Box 109,
Ul/liriu, IT.V.
Take GED Tests During June
To Earn High School Diploma
GED test dates are scheduled
throughout June for Brunswick
County residents who want to com
plete their high school diploma.
Brunswick Community College
will offer all GED tests, except the
unv, ot Iia UMUAI urnipiu
north of Supply Tuesdays, June 14
at 1 p.m. and June 28 at 5 p.m.
The same group of tests will be
offered at BCC's Souihpori campus,
on North Lord Street, Thursday,
June 16, at 5 p.m., and then at
BCC's Leland campus Wednesday,
June IS, at 9 a.m.
All tests, including writing, will
be given at the Leland campus Wed
nesday, June 1, at 9 am., and at the
Southport campus Thursday, June 2,
at 5 p.m.
The writing skills test only will
administered Tuesday, June 7, on the
BCC main campus near Supply.
Students who want to prepare to
take the GED tests may enter GED
classes at Brunswick Community
College any lime.
Also, individual help in preparing
for the tests is available at the learn
ing lab, located on the main campus.
Drop- ins are welcome. For lab heui?
or more information about the GED,
contact BCC at 754-6900 or 343
0203, Ext. 334.
SHELTON
HERB FARM
Herb Plants
?Over 350 Varieties
Goodman Rd. o>Hwy. 17
3MM*af\Mnnabo?
253-6964
J
? =?
J SATURDAY. MAY 28
10AM-4PM
^ art SHOW.. .SALE
RT 904 AT HWY. 1 79
WATERWAY ART ASSOCIATION
RAIN DATE:
SATURDAY. JUNE 4. 10 AM-4 PM
FLOWERING TREES
Crape Myrtle, Oleander.
h&L Dogwood. Peach.
Bradford Pear
Rose, Azalea. Tomato,
Slow Release and
Centipede Fertilizers
OriSwKlna
Hon* Caddy
$14.88
Water Softener Salt
(crystal and pellet)
CLAYTON'S
LAWN & GARDEN
m -ANO SUPPLIES- OB
Open Monday -Saturday 8:30-5 ? 842-7727
130, Hokten Baach Road (1/2 Miia From Causeway)
^ \*yn *vi ^ ^
STAFf PH0*0 ** 5USAN ?JSHC9
Friends Earn Top Honors
The 200-member Friends of the West Brunswick Branch Library in Shallotte won first place in the
300-membership or less division of the 1993 Frances B. Reid Memorial Award competition sponsored
by the Friends of North Carolina Public Libraries to honor outstanding friends groups. Shown with
the award above are (from left) Phyllis Manning, who accepted the award, and officers Sue McCann,
Blanche Bechtle and John Twomey. The West Brunswick Friends group was died fur tu lurec^fiu
campaign to keep the branch open in temporary quarters when the county library planned to close the
facility for four to six months for renovation. The Friends raised approximately $ 10,000 , rented space
Ut Resort Plsz/tf help pucic up boohs ssssi atovsf dr**9g?
Top Round
FOOD LI
,N A/i