The herb known by the scientific name Cynodon dactylon It is by far the most widely used both on garden lawns and sports fields in the Mediterranean region. Not only is it easy to maintain, but you won’t need to water it too often.
So if you live in a place where temperatures are usually high most of the year and you would like to have a green carpet that does not need much care, we suggest you get seeds from the Cynodon, a plant of which we are going to tell you absolutely everything.
Characteristics of the Grass (Cynodon dactylon)
Our protagonist is a rhizomatous perennial herb that produces stolons. It is known by different common names such as bermudagrass, grass, fine grass, grass, bermuda grass or bermudagrass. It belongs to the Poaceae botanical family and is native to North Africa and southern Europe.
It is characterized by having gray-green leaves that turn yellowish in the cold. They are 4 to 15cm in length and are sometimes villous on the underside. The stems are erect or decumbent, from 1 to 30 cm in length. The flowers appear grouped in spikes 2 to 3mm long, glabrous.
It is able to withstand drought well thanks to its root system, which can grow more than two meters deep. Despite this, it does not have the necessary force to cause damage to pipes or floors, so it can be placed near them without problems, preferably as a single species since it has an invasive nature and tends to unbalance the mixture.
If you still want to combine it with others, we recommend the following:
- Agrostis stolonifera (ryegrass)
- Fescue reed
What care do you need?
This is a very easy maintenance herb. However, like all plants it also has its preferences, which are the following:
Location
It has to be planted in an area where it will direct sunlightideally throughout the day. It tolerates shade very poorly, to the point of its leaves can turn whitish due to the lack of chlorophyll.
Irrigation
Irrigation should be frequent during the hottest months, preventing the soil from drying out too much to make it look that deep green. Ideally, watering is scheduled so that it receives at least a little water each day. On the other hand, during the fall and winter the waterings should be spaced as it stops its growth.
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Important to pay with fertilizers rich in nitrogen once a month from spring to late summer / early fall to keep it looking pretty all year long.
Land
It grows in all types of soilsexcept in acids (pH between 4 and 6).
Sowing
The seeds have to be sown in spring. To do this, it will first be convenient to prepare the land by removing the wild grasses and stones, leveling it and installing the drip irrigation system. Afterwards, the seeds are spread trying not to form piles, the roller is passed and watered.
They will start to germinate very soon, after 3-4 days.
Pruning
Due to its rapid growth it will be necessary to pass the mower often. The height of the cut must be between 2 and 5 centimeters.
Plagues and diseases
It’s very tough. On the coast it can be affected by the fungus Sclerotinia homoeocarpawhich causes the disease called Dollar spot. When that happens, more or less circular areas appear where the grass looks dry.
The treatment consists of remove the affected part, level the ground, sow some seeds and treat the lawn with fungicide to prevent the proliferation of this microorganism.
Multiplication
Easily reproduced by stolons and by seeds.
Rusticity
It withstands well the cold and weak frosts of up to -2ºCbut you have to know when the temperature drops below 10ºC the leaves can get a bit ugly. Therefore, if you live in an area where frosts usually occur, even if they are very occasional and short-lived, it is highly advisable to have a lawn that has Cynodon dactylon and either of the two species that we have mentioned before.
This way, your green carpet will look green all year round, and not with brownish areas during the colder season.
Curiosities
This is an ideal herb for gardens, regardless of how many people live in the house. Very well resists footsteps and further recovers amazingly quickly from external aggressions during the growing season.
But if this seems little to you, let me tell you that tolerates temporary floods without problemssomething that never hurts to know when you are in a place where sometimes the rain falls in a torrential way.
What did you think of Cynodon dactylon? It’s an amazing herb, don’t you think? If you want to have an incredible lawn that is easy to care for, do not hesitate to get seeds from this plant.
