Local Factors Determine Best Turf
One of the most common ques
tions I hear from leaders this time of
year is 'What kind of grass should I
plant in my yard?'
That question is nearly impossible
for me to answer because so many
iuviuu)vv;niv iniw };tu).
In order for you to determine
which grass is best for your yard,
consider the following:
?Do you enjoy working with your
lawn?
?Do you have heavy traff ic in your
yard (ic; children, dogs)?
?Is your yard heavily shaded?
?Do you have an inground irriga
tion system?
?What soil type predominates in
your yard?
?Do you have adequate drainage?
The answers to these questions
will help guide you in selecting a
turf grass. Each species of turf grass
has advantages and disadvantages.
The only logical way to choose a
turf grass that will function best for
your yard is to understand the char
acteristics of the turf grasses best to
this area.
The best adapted turf grasses for
southeastern North Carolina coastal
plains aaa all perennial warm-sea
son grasses.
Examples of these grasses include
centipede, bcrmuda, zoysia, St.
August: ic, carpel and bahia.
For the average homeowner, I do
not recommend any of the cool
season perennial turf grasses (ie; tall
or red fescues, Kentucky blue grass,
bent grass, perennial rye grass) be
cause of the high incidcncc of dis
ease problems and drought (heat)
stress during the summer months.
You can grow orange trees in
Alaska easier than cool-season turf
grass in the sandy, coastal plains of
North Carolina.
THE
PLANT
DOCTOR
C. BRUCE
WILLIAMS
Extension Area
Turf Specialist
Characteristics of Popular
Warm Season Grasses
Si. Augustine grass is a coarsc
tc Mured grass that docs well in
moist but well-drained, slightly
acidic (pH 6 to 6.5) sandy soils. It is
the most shade tolerant of all the
warm season grasses. However, it is
also one of the least cold tolerant.
St. Augustine grass will require
moderate fertilization to produce a
beautiful deep green lawn. This
grass is especially susceptible to
chinchbug damage in the hot sum
mer months. Routine ovcrsccding
with annual rye grass is not recom
mended w ith this grass.
St. Augustine grass can be propa
gated by seeding, plugs or sod. The
best cultivar for this area is called
Raleigh and must be established ci
ther by plugs or sod.
Centipede grass is a medium tex
tured, slow-growing grass that pre
fers infertile, acidic soils (pH 5.2 to
5.8). This grass will not tolerate
heavy traffic and is prone to winter
kill if improperly fertilized.
Centipede grass produces a yel
low lime-grccn turf and is generally
considered to be a minimum mainte
nance lawn grass.
This grass is susceptible to a
presently incurable insect problem
Mat , una ??Mrtrrrr*- ?*? ? ?
Queen And King Of Hearts
Maggie Diane Sellers (left) and J erek O. Hewett were named Val
entine queen and king, respectively, of the Cedar Grove Head Start
Center for their outstanding donations raised for the facility. Miss
Sellers, daughter of Robert and Diane Sellers, collected $207,
while Hewett, son of Elandrea Janelle Hewett, raised $211.10.
Other noted collectors were Matthew Ferster, Laura Lewis, Julius
D. Melvin, Freddie Hankins, Danielle Humphries, Joshua Bur
cham, Angie Sellers, Dennis Hewett and Jamie Pherson.
JLWi WJ WVJ Vm?FA kWi MM kWi LWJ kWJ L
called ground pearl.
Routine ovcrsccding with annual
rye grass will causc severe thinning
and potential loss of the established
grass. Centipede grass can be estab
lished by seeding, plugs or sod.
Bcuuuua gia.v> is a finc-ieMuicu,
fast-growing grass that tolerates a
wide range of soil types, but prefers
a soil with pH 6 to 6.5. It will toler
ate heavy traffic and makes an ideal
groundcover for lawns, athletic
fields, golf courses and high traffic
commercial sites.
Bermuda grass will produce a
high quality turf, but requires one of
the highest levels of maintenance
(frequent mowing, fertilization, aeri
fication, etc.). It will not tolerate
shaded sites.
This grass can he routinely over
seeded with annual rye grass.
The sterile hybrids (Tiflawn, Til
way, Tifwarf, Tifgrecn and Vamont)
offer the best lawn turf grass culti
vars. Seeded bcrmuda grass culli
vars tend to bccome invasive into
flower and shrub beds.
Zoysia grass is a grass in transi
tion. Historically, the zoysia grasses
(there arc three species and numer
ous hybrids) have been thought of as
high quality, high maintenance,
slow-growing, somewhat shade tol
erant grasses with excellent wear
tolerance. However, this view is
changing.
Grass breeders across the country
are beginning to release new culli
vars of zoysia grass that break with
all the traditional thinking about this
grass. N.C. State University is con
ducting variety trials with 24 new
cultivars of zoysia grass and believe
me, some of these cultivars arc ex
tremely unique.
However, it will be years before
these grasses are ready for commer
cialization. Until then, sod or plugs
can be used to propagate the culti
vars Emerald, Meyer or Cashmere.
Seeded zoysia grasses area avail
able, but are untested in this area.
The zoysias are best mowed with
a reel mower and can be routinely
ovcrsccdcd with annual rye grass. A
well-maintained zoysia grass yard is
a beautiful sight (site) to behold.
* * * *
Gourd growers take note! One
reader writes in to tell readers that
the Purple Martin Conservation As
sociation gives away free gourd seed
for people interested in growing this
plant to provide homes for purple
martins.
If you arc interested, send a SASE
with two first-class stamps affixed to
the Purple Martin Conservation
Association, Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pa. 16444.
Another reader writes that the
Charles G. Hart Seed Company
(Wcthersfield, Conn. 06109) has an
excellent selection of gourd culti
vars.
Send your comments and ques
tions to The Plant Doctor, P.O. Box
109, Bvliviu, N.C. 28422. If request
ing information or a reply, please
enclose a SASE.
CEDAR GROVE AREA NEWS
Two Recovering From Illness
HY IIARKARA T. HEWETT
The Cedar Grove community has
N undergone some
anxious mo
ments this week
as its concerns
were turned to
two of its fa
vorite citizens,
Mattie Lane
Hcwcu and
Ethel Grissctt.
Ms. Hcwcu, a
HKWKTT former colum
nist for the Cedar Grove area, has
returned home after a stay in New
Hanover Regional Medical Center.
She appeais to be recovering from
her illness.
Ms. Grissctt is still a patient at
New Hanover where she had
surgery for a broken hip Feb. 23.
Reaching Out
Viola Gore was hostess of a
Group 1 mission outreach service at
tended by Christabell Bryant, Ada
Fullwood, Etta Hcwcu and Hattic
Chapman. They also visited the
home of Josic Mae McMillan, who
is shut- in at this time.
Group 11 met in the home of
A/alle Johnson. Those present were
Pencie Grisseu, Magdclinc Johnson
and Lena Johnson. They tell of an
inspiring time of fellowship.
Women's Union
With 14 churches, Cedar Grove
only gets to host the Ocean View
Woman's Union once every three
years. This has caused an air of fas
cination and cxciiemcni to all of the
citizens in the community.
Even non-churchgoers can be
seen riding with Willie Calvin
Bryant in his pickup truck on their
way to clcan the sanctuary and
kitchen of the Cedar Grove Church
in preparation for serving as host for
the Woman's Baptist Home and
Foreign Missionary Convention for
worshippers from Brunswick and
Columbus counties.
It will begin Saturday, March 8,
9:30 a.m., with a devotion by the se
nior department and greetings by
President Irene Hankins. Cloxie
Stanley of Pleasant Hill in Shallotte
will lead the praise service, and
Rose Gardner of New Mount Zion
in Columbus County will give a re
sponse.
Ruby Bryant, secretary, will con
duct a roll call and Mary Bernard of
St. James in Bolivia will introduce
Arabella Davis or alternate Ethcrinc
Butler to discuss the iheme, "The
Family of Life and Ils Ministries."
The Rev. Charles Jacob will give
the morning message and the Rev.
Moses Herring closing remarks,
with music by the mass senior choir.
In charge of music arc Arvclla
Marlowe and Louise Gause of
Pieasant Grove in Tnomasboro;
Dorothy Lcc Frink of Little Prong in
Ash; and Felicia Stanley of Zion
Plain in Nakina.
Youth Honored
The Cedar Grove Improvement
Association and Missionary Depart
ment have chosen Richard "Rick"
Bernard, son of Samuel and Uzcna
Bernard, as youth of the month.
The Shallotte Middle School stu
dent was choscr. for accompanying
the groups in music at convalescent
homes. His hobbies arc hunting and
music.
B I N G 0
Thursday Nights ? Doors Open 6:15 pm
at
Calabash VFW Post 7288
Carter R<?, Trader's Village, Calabash, 579-3577
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Games begin at 7:30 PM
Minimum "Buy In" $5.00
Minimum Pay Out $600.00
Snacks Available ? No Children under 12
Chiropractic Center
of Shallotte/Ocean Isle
liwy. I 79, Ocean Isle, 579-3502
Dr. H.J. ' Skip'' Davis
Most Insurances Accepted
Mon.-Fri. 8:30-12 &C 1:30-5:30, Thurs. 8:30-12
Hwy.
Sunset,
litjch
904
4 Mile
Hwy. 179
Kd.
?DR. DAVIS
Ocean Isle
It
1
I
NOW OPEN
The Potter's
Wheel
Opening the
'92 season ^ith...
New lines of pottery
Handcrafted jewelry
Expanded candy counter
Designer fragrance candles
Unique all-occasion cards
The
Turtles West
?Clothing ? ?tc.?
New for ' 92 ...
?Ladies' casual clothing
?Beachwear
?Beach jewelry
?Turtles and more tees
?Etc.
Open Mon.-Sat. 9-6, on the Holden Beach Causeway, 842-4670
VISA
i
i
Brunswick Adult Day Care Center with paper products and other
needed supplies recently. Shown above are (from left) are Cheryl
Sullivan, Eleanor Hojf, Jean Marshall, Jean Mearns and Lena
Mintz.
Homemakers Shower Adult Care
Centers With Paper Products
The Beachcombers (Shallottc)
unit of Brunswick County Extension
Homcmakcrs heid a "paper shower"
for Brunswick Adult Day Care Cen
ters in Shallotte and Southport.
Members donated supplies of
bathroom tissue, paper towels and
other items used at the centers, such
as coffee, cocoa and juices.
In addition, the Brunswick
County Extension Homcmakcrs
County Council voted recently to
donate funds to each of the two
sites, with President Eleanor Hoff
presenting checks to Jean Marshall,
executive director of the centers, and
Cheryl Sullivan, activities director at
the Southport center.
The extension homcmakcrs are
encouraging other organizations to
support the adult day care program
through donation of items such as
those above as well as others: gar
bage bags, dish detergent, sugar,
powdered creamer, and juices liked
by participants such as cranberry,
cranbcrry-applc, grape and apple.
Participants at both sites enjoy
playing bingo arid small prizes suit
able for men and women are wel
comed items.
Jean Mearns, vice president of the
Beachcombers club, and her hus
band, Alex, recently provided car
diopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
training for volunteers who work
with participants at both adult day
care sites. Both arc certified instruc
tors.
State law requires that at least one
person who has received CPR train
ing and holds a certificate be present
when the center is in operation.
50 50 50 50 50 50
Ain't it Nifty, 8
THERON'S s
FIFTY s
K/itA- o
"Tfawt
50 50 50 50 50 50 ?
<5 Riverside
vjS'
at *B*l*bash
Restaurant ? Raw Bar & Lounge
Located on the waterfront at the end of River View Dr.
Open 7 Days at 4 PM ? Calabash ? 579-1 720
In our lounge...
CROSSROADS
Friday and Saturday Night
No Cover
sundaTspecial
Small Seafood $4.95 11-4 PM
Now Serving Vegetable Lunches
Monday-Friday $3.50
Call 579-1720
For take-Out Orders
%
^^EEHgvFFr.-'Fr
Grand Opening
Diane Nolan, owner, formerly
of LaCoquille announces
the opening of
THE
CUTTING
DECK
Full Service
Salon for Men & Women
579-DECK (3325)
Register for
"Haircut and Style
Drawing? March 31
OPEN: Mon-Fri. 8:30-5. Sat. 8:30-12
riwy. 1 73 ? The Si iups? uf Caiabash
'Across from the Post Office ? Calabash ? 579-DECK