SOD FLORIDA

Bahia Care Tips

Bahia grass is an attractive Floridian pasture grass that with proper care and handling will maintain a healthy and attractive appearance for many years. This maintenance sheet is designed to introduce you to proper care and handling of your new lawn. To provide your lawn with a healthy and attractive appearance for today, tomorrow and the future.

Fertilization	The fertilization of your new lawn is an important factor of its maintenance program. Your lawn should be fertilized at least twice a year with a complete fertilizer. (i.e. 10-10-10 or 16-4-8) Occasional fertilization with an iron-based fertilizer may be required if the lawn starts to develop a yellow color.
Mowing	If your lawn is fertilized two or more times a year, it may be necessary to mow your lawn every 7 to 10 days. The blades should be cut no less than 3 - 4 inches in length and not cutting more than 1/3 of the total blade length. The mower blade should be kept sharp at all times to prevent the grass from having a dull gray color.
Watering	Your lawn should be watered on an "as needed" basis. You should apply 3/4 of an inch of water each watering. Bahia is the most drought-tolerant of all Florida grasses, and will usually recover from drought injury with rain and/or irrigation.
Pests	Bahia grass is one of the least pest effected Florida grasses, however it is still effected by mole crickets and lawn caterpillars. Please check with your County Cooperative Extension Service for the current control recommendations.
Disease	The major disease that effects Bahia grass is Dollar Spot Disease. This is recognized by scattered brown spots on the lawn. This disease can be remedied by a light application of nitrogen.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our office at (727) 571-1119, and we will be happy to send a trained turf expert to diagnose problems and recommend treatment.