New grass sod has a high drought tolerance

Looking to offer greener options to customers, local sod producer Fort McCoy Farms has licensed a new variety of Zoysia grass known both for its great look and a level of drought tolerance sufficient to convince the Florida Green Building Coalition to award green home points to properties that utilize it for landscaping. Fort McCoy Farms has been producing sod for Central Florida for almost a decade, with four farms in Marion and Alachua counties cultivating more than a half-dozen varieties of Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine and Zoysia grass. Centipede grass is known for being low maintenance, Bermuda is useful for sports fields and other areas that see heavy foot traffic, St. Augustine is often used by pasture owners and Zoysia grasses are frequently used for golf courses. “We've been looking at this for a couple of years,” Johnson said of the newly licensed UltimateFlora Zoysia grass. “This is a very hardy variety of Zoysia. They may wilt and even turn brown, but they don't die out like some other grasses. If you get into a water shortage, these will bounce back. “Drought tolerance is certainly something that should be taken into account when determining what kind of new lawn to put in,” he said, noting that many cities and counties are adopting more stringent water restriction plans to deal with periods of drought. In addition to the durability of the new type of Zoysia, Johnson said it thrives under a variety of conditions and has a very pleasant appearance.  Former University of Florida professor Brian T. Scully, now a research leader with the USDA's ARS unit in Tifton, Ga., led the team of scientists that began developing the grass in 1999 by cultivating elite breeding lines over successive generations of study. Although the primary goal was to develop a uniquely attractive grass, the finished product had many strong points including low water and fertilizer requirements, resistance to lawn destroying chinch bug infestations and the ability to handle a wide range of sun and shade conditions. For home lawns in the state of Florida, this is the grass. “It is drought resistant, homeowner friendly and tolerates most herbicides. It really is the most versatile variety for the homeowner, plus it is a beautiful grass.”

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