Turf-grass Species - Fundamentals of Tropical Turf Management - page 33

regain their colour and healthy appearance. Table 2.2 shows common
species ranked by drought tolerance.

Shade tolerance

Another frequent cause of turf-grass decline is shade. Under heavy
shade, turf becomes weak or simply dies; this effect is often visible
under the trees or along the shaded sides of buildings. Cynodon does
not tolerate shade and should never be selected for shaded areas. St
Augustine grass tolerates shade well and is therefore usually preferred
for home lawns and other significantly shaded areas. Table 2.3 shows
common species ranked by shade tolerance.

Traffic tolerance

Almost every turf area receives some traffic. Some turfs, such as home
lawns, receive little; others, such as sport fields, receive much more.
Distribution of traffic is often uneven, e.g. on golf courses, home lawns
and sport turfs. Areas close to the entry usually receive most of the traffic,
golf course greens receive more than fairways, and areas in front of the
goals on a football field receive more than the areas close to the side-lines.
When a turf-grass is selected, the most heavily trafficked areas
should be considered, rather than the areas under lighter traffic. The
ranking based on traffic tolerance is the same as that for wear resistance
(Table 2.2).

Table 2.3. Rankings of popular tropical turf-grasses, from highest at the top to
lowest at the bottom, by shade tolerance, salt tolerance, acid tolerance, heat
tolerance and cold tolerance. Intervals between successive rankings are not
constant.

Shade tolerance Salt tolerance Acid tolerance Heat tolerance Cold tolerance

St Augustine Seashore

paspalum

Carpet grass Zoysia Zoysia

Zoysia Cynodon Centipede Cynodon Cynodon

Centipede Zoysia Cynodon Carpet grass Seashore

paspalum

Carpet grass St Augustine Seashore

paspalum

Seashore
paspalum

Bahia grass

Bahia grass Bahia grass Zoysia Centipede Centipede

Seashore
paspalum

Carpet grass St Augustine St Augustine Carpet grass

Cynodon Centipede Bahia grass Bahia grass St Augustine