Why is my centipede grass starting to decline?

Many landscapes in the Lowcountry have Centipede Grass. Centipede Grass is considered to be very tolerant of our growing conditions and it is perceived to be a low maintenance grass. Centipede grass even in the best-growing conditions, begins to decline after a period of time. It more or less has a life span. This "life span" is reduced in poor growing conditions and during periods of extreme weather. Centipede decline is influenced by plant nutrition, not enough sun, poor soil, thatch build-up, excessive traffic, periods of excessive rain or drought, extremely cold winters, poor drainage, etc. All of these factors can speed up the process of Centipede's decline. As Centipede declines, it has a lower tolerance to heat, cold, disease, drought, and wear stress and it often loses color and thins out. As the lawn thins out, weeds and foreign grasses take hold. Typically, the severity of decline is most noticeable during dormancy and in the spring as the lawn struggles to come out of dormancy.

The process of Centipede decline is very difficult and many times impossible to fight against. You will find that your lawn is in a constant cycle of decline and recovery. Lawns by mid-summer will fill in and look pretty good, only to decline again throughout dormancy. Typically, the amount of winter decline is greater each year.

To reduce Centipede's decline and increase the life span of your lawn, you can take several actions. Have a soil analysis, increase sun, improve drainage, proper nutrients, aeration, top dressing, and disease and insect control. If your Centipede lawn has passed the point of rejuvenation, it is time to consider re-sodding. Consider re-sodding with Zoysia. Zoysia tends to be more tolerable of the Low country's growing conditions.