Establishing a Lawn

L.E. Trenholm, Amy L. Shober, and Eban Z. Bean

A. J. Lindsey, Marco Schiavon, andJ. Bryan Unruh

This publication is intended for Florida homeowners and landscape maintenance professionals to help them successfully establish lawns. The two primary methods of establishing turfgrass are seed and vegetative propagation. Vegetative propagation includes sodding, sprigging, and plugging. Although propagating vegetatively is labor-intensive, all warm-season grasses can be planted by this method. Seeding is usually the easiest and most economical method of planting grasses. However, not all warm-season grasses can establish from seed, and seed establishment requires a longer period to have complete grass cover.

R. Klein, A.J. Lindsey, M. McMillan, J. B. Unruh, and M.D. Dukes

Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Best Management Practices (BMPs) for management of commercial and residential lawns and landscapes were developed by scientists with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). These BMPs assist homeowners and professionals in making management choices that will help sustain lawns and landscapes in Florida without impairing Florida’s water resources.