How to Make Centipede Grass Thicker?

Centipede grass is one of the most popular grass grown in the hardiness zone from 7 to 9. This grass can grow to the maximum height of 3 to 5 inches and it creates a perfect and beautiful lawn. However, with the change of time, you need to start missing the soft touch of the new and fresh sod. So the question comes how to make centipede grass thicker? 

This article contains complete information on the reason behind centipede growing thin and different methods and tips to help you take care of your centipede lawn. Stay tuned for complete information about having the best-looking centipede grass lawn in your house.

Why Is My Centipede Lawn Thin

The centipede lawn can get thin for multiple reasons; there is a possibility that the soil becomes compacted and thatch builds up in the soil. Oxygen is essential for the plant and soil; when the soil particles are compact and closer together, there is no space left for the oxygen to pass and penetrate the root hairs. 

Due to the deficiency of oxygen, root hairs can’t stay active, and water and mineral salt transport to the real grass will not occur. As a result, the grass will not be able to stay thick, and you will see thin centipede grass. If there is thatch in your lawn, it prevents the water from reaching down into the root hairs; this means there will be insufficient water for the plant. 

If the water is insufficient, the grass blades are thinner. If you take care of the oxygen and water intake of the plant and look for thatches in the lawn, you can prevent your centipede lawn from becoming thin.

Understanding How Centipede Grass Grows

Centipede turf or centipede grass is one of the best options for lawns to grow in warm weather and when the soil is more acidic. Centipede grass is also famous because it is a low-maintenance grass, and you can take care of it easily. The only thing that is uncompromisable is its living condition, and you need to help the grass to stay green and spread by only providing the right conditions, including:

Regional Climates

Centipede grass grows in warm climates and is mostly found in the Southeastern United States. This grass originated from China and Southeast Asia. That is why you need to keep them in warmer areas with moderate humidity and the perfect temperature to grow. Centipede grass does not grow in the central and western US because these regions are arid, and the soil of these areas is more alkaline and iron deficient.

Centipede grass can bear cold temperatures even below the chilling degrees. But, you need to keep in mind the regional climate of the area where you are planting it. If the climate has a sustainable temperature of 5 degrees or less, the plant will die soon.

Ideal Soil Conditions

Another thing you need to keep in mind is the growing conditions of this soil. It would help if you kept in mind the following soil conditions:

Soil Type

Centipede grass likes to grow in coastal areas where there is sandy soil. Mostly, you will see this grass in the southeastern side of the US. You don’t need to have a nutrient-rich earth where the iron quantity is much more. If the soil is iron deficient, grass will turn yellow fast. If you face this issue, don’t worry as mixing iron sulfate and chelated iron and applying this to the soil will solve the iron issue of your lawn.

Soil pH 

Centipede soil must have a pH between 4.5 to 6. Many other types of grass need neutral soils to grow perfectly, and you might wonder if this acidic soil will damage the lawn, but that’s not true. It would help if you kept the pH to the mentioned range to make the soil bearable. There are different kinds of grasses, and centipede needs acidic soil to grow better.

Dormancy

The dormant stage of centipede grass is absent compared to many other types of grass. The reason is that these soils need a warm climate to grow, and they usually do not face any cold climate in which this grass needs to go dormant. If the region faces cold weather conditions more often, there are chances that your grass could die.

If there are many cold spells, the grass will die; that’s why centipede grass is not found in cold regions. Even if there is a hard frost in your area, your centipede grass can become dormant, and leaves and stolons will die eventually. The benefit of centipede grass dormancy is that it can stay green throughout the year, even in winter.

Growth Rate

You need to keep patience if you want to grow centipede grass; the reason is that this grass grows slowly. The seed germination of centipede grass occurs after 2 to 4 weeks of the plantation. After this time, the grass will start to reproduce and spread and present a lush and green lawn with time.

There is no limitation to the growth of this lawn, and it can grow all year. The first few years of this lawn are slowly growing, so you need many years to let this lawn grow fully. Centipede grass requires less mowing than any other type of grass.

How to Get Centipede Grass to Spread

After knowing the right conditions for growth and method of growing centipede grass. Here are some of the methods and tips to grow centipede grass thick and spread it evenly:

Removing Thatch Build Up

Thatch is one of the major issues that stops spreading the centipede grass, and you need to remove this buildup to solve the problem. There is a layer of decomposed grass on the top of the soil, known as thatch, and this causes the centipede grass to grow thin. When there is thatch on the top of the grass, air circulation, fertilizers, and water, all become unavailable for the grass, and you might have difficulty reaching the soil.

You can remove thatch by mowing your lawn vertically at the start of spring. You can also remove thatch by investing in certain equipment or borrowing them from a nearby nursery. Another important thing you can do to remove thatch is using a power rake.

Aerating the Soil

Soil aeration is essential if you want the grass to grow completely green, healthy, and thick. The lawn soil becomes packed naturally with time due to walking on grass, mowing more often, and rain; all these reasons cause the soil to become hard. All these situations cause the centipede lawn to be devastated, and you stop oxygen from reaching the roots.

If you can aerate the soil, this will allow oxygen to enter the lawn and penetrate the soil. Aeration will make holes in the soil and let the air enter the roots; this way, the soil can get the oxygen necessary for proper growth and ventilation. Roots can also grow deeper and make a barrier against diseases and drought.

Deep Watering

Centipedes are already growing in regions with a lot of rain, which is good for meeting the water requirement of the plants. When there is a rainy season, the grass roots tend to grow shallow. But this rain does not stay long, and you need to water the grass properly when there is no rain. Some periods in which even the rainy regions don’t have rain for a long time.

Due to this, you need to ensure that you deeply water the grass when the outside weather is dry. Watering the plants deeply causes the soil to stay wet till three inches below the soil. You can encourage the roots to grow deeper, which will help the plant bear droughts in the future without dying and drying.

High Phosphors Fertilizing

If your grass is facing any rough patches and the grass is getting thinner day by day. You can protect your lawn with the help of fertilizers. Applying high phosphorus fertilizers to your grass will help spread your centipede lawn. When the grass is thin, the iron level has decreased to a dangerous level, and you need to do something to regain it. When there is no iron, your grass will turn yellow and sickly.

You need the right centipede grass fertilizer to help your lawn grow. If you apply the wrong fertilizer, it can result in killing the grass. You need to find the right amount of fertilizer to meet the nitrogen and potassium levels of the soil. When you apply the high phosphorus fertilizer in the spring and fall, it helps in improving the growth of the grass. It would help if you kept the ideal ratio, which is 2:1:2 or 3:1:2.

Mowing

When the grass is growing and reaches the maximum level of growth in the summer season, centipede grass needs mowing every week. You can also increase the number of dry or drought seasons that arise. It would help if you kept mowing your lawn to remove the damaged area you cannot repair.

You also need to ensure you are not over-mowing your lawn, as it can damage the lawn. If you are using heavy lawnmowers, you can damage the lawn and grass without knowing. You need to cut one-third of the blade and let the other stay and grow to its maximum size.

Weed Management

You also need to keep in check all the weed problems, and you can do this by checking the lawn more often and mowing it. When the grass grows slowly in winter and fall, you need to be alert for weeds. You must apply herbicides to your lawn to keep them away from weeds. You can also use 2,4-D and MCPP herbicides to prevent the lawn from getting weed attacks.

How Long for Centipede Grass to Spread

The time the grass takes to spread depends on the space you need to fill with this grass. Centipede grass might need more than a month to sprout after germination. When you see the first sprout, many other centipede stolons will come across the soil and start to spread along.

If your lawn covers a long space, you must wait one or two years to spread the centipede grass completely. During this time, the grass will spread into the whole area, all thick and healthy. You can enjoy a luxurious lawn after this.

Things to Remember

If you want to keep your centipede grass thicker, you need to remember the following things;

• Centipede grass is low-maintenance, but you need to give it a good amount of water.
• Watering an inch at a time will be enough for days.
• Ensure that you are watering deep and less frequently.
• Properly aerate the soil to fulfill the oxygen requirement.
• Remove the thatch buildup from the soil.
• Apply rich in nutrients fertilizers to provide all the essential nutrients.
• Mow more often to prevent any damage.

Conclusion

Centipede grass is an excellent grass to grow in the southeast US and is a low-maintenance grass. You can keep up with this and grow it easily on your lawn and enjoy centipede grass throughout the year as there is no dormancy in this grass. However, you have to follow several instructions mentioned in the article if you want to keep your centipede lawn green and thick all year.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can You Walk on Centipede Grass?

No, you need to avoid walking on the centipede grass. Due to this reason, foot traffic can damage the centipede grass’s stolon system and prevent the new growth of grass. It would help if you had a heavy lawnmower on the grass to stop it from significant damage.

2. Does Centipede Grass Spread?

Yes, centipede grass spreads by creeping the above-ground stems, also known as the stolons of the centipede grass. These stolons form a dense lawn. Centipede grass does not like foot traffic, and if there is heavy traffic, it causes severe damage to the lawn, and they take a lot of time to recover from this loss. Centipede grass can tolerate shade for a long time, but you must check the soil for extra salt intake. This grass cannot tolerate salt, and it causes an issue in the spreading of this grass.

3. What Is the Best Way to Increase Centipede Grass Growth?

You can increase the centipede grass growth and make it thicken by giving it a good amount of water, and the watering must be deep to ensure that it reaches the root hair of the soil. Ensure watering less frequently and only give one inch of water at a time; this will enhance the growth. You also need to mow more frequently in the growing season and keep on adding phosphate and iron fertilizer to ensure fast and proper growth.