By DoMyOwn staff
Creeping Bentgrass is a spreading, or creeping, cool-season grass with a bright green color that rewards the lawn's owner with an attractive ground cover if its watering, mowing, and fertilization needs are met.
Bentgrass is an aggressively growing cool-season perennial turfgrass that will reward its owner with an attractive bright green ground cover if its requirements for best growth are met.
Although there are many varieties of bentgrass, creeping bentgrass is the most common. Creeping bentgrass is best suited to cool, humid locations in temperate regions. It can handle moderate shade, but not high heat.
Due to its resistance to foot traffic and wear, creeping bentgrass is often used in golf courses and other athletic and recreational areas. Creeping bentgrass grows most rapidly in the cooler months of fall and spring. This turf might go dormant in especially cold winter months, but it will often remain vibrant and retain its green color during this time in areas with a milder climate.
Make sure to adhere to a weekly mowing schedule for your residential creeping bentgrass lawn during its active growth season. This is normally late September through early May. Bentgrass is best suited to being kept short for the most attractive look. Bentgrass used for home lawns can be allowed to grow up to an inch in heightwhen the blades begin to take on a fuller “puffy” appearance. A taller mowing height and reduced mowing frequency can help these lawns resist heat stress in warmer seasons. For bentgrass golf greens, heights as short as 3/16” are popular. It can be raised to ½" in hotter weather to help the turf stand up to increased traffic and heat stress.
Bentgrass can be planted by using plugs, seeds, or as sod. In the Southern states, plugs often give the best performance. In the Northern States, planting by seed is normally the best method.
Creeping bentgrass requires regular dethatching and should be done twice a year in the spring and fall to maintain a neat appearance. Aerating your lawn can help break up densely compacted soil and allow for healthier turf growth and better water distribution. This is usually done when the turf is at its healthiest so it can easily recover, between mid-August and the end of September.
A starter fertilizer that contains a high level of Nitrogen can be applied before new bentgrass is seeded witha follow-up application a month later to establish new growth successfully. Once established, fertilizer should be applied to bentgrass three to four times a year. In the fall, applications around September and November encourage a quick green up in the spring. In the spring, the ideal time for a third application could be at the end of April or early May. It is best to make applications in cooler weather to allow the grass to grow, spread, and store energy for future growth.Use an at-home soil kit or take a soil sample to your local extension office to access the nutrient and pH levels of your soil. From there, you can add fertilizer and other nutrients as needed to improve the health of your lawn.
How much and when you should water a bentgrass lawn will vary with soil type and climate. It can range from requiring 3/10ths inches of water per day in high temperatures to weekly watering under 1/10 of an inch of water. For golf greens and other athletic and recreational areas, frequent watering or misting (also called syringing) may be needed to cool down the turf in high heat.
Invasive weeds can be troublesome, especially in close-cropped bentgrass. To keep weeds out in the first place, you should use a pre-emergent herbicide weed preventor. Pre-emergent herbicide applications should be made four times a year. Ideally, twice in the early to late fall and twice in the early and late spring will suffice. By performing multiple applications - commonly known as 'split' applications - your turf will have the most protection from new weed growth.
If weeds are already present in your lawn, it's recommended to apply a selective post-emergent herbicide weed killer. A selective herbicide will only kill the weeds it is labeled to treat, without harming your turf. Make sure the weed killer you choose is labeled for the problem weeds you have spotted and is approved for use in bentgrass lawns.
Fungal lawn diseases can also pose a threat to your bentgrass lawn. Some common turf diseases in bentgrass are dollar spot, grey snow mold, red thread brown patch, and pythium blight. Fungicides can be applied early, as a preventative, or as a curative measure after the problem has been identified. Identify the suspected lawn disease & work from there to find the right fungicide treatment for your lawn.
Some insect pests that can damage your bentgrass lawn are ants, sod webworms, and white grubs. Our pros can help you find the right insecticide labeled for use on your turf. You may also encounter problems with moles or voles in your bentgrass lawn. For more details on how to control a specific pest, check out our lawn care guides for more tips and product recommendations.
With care, creeping bentgrass can grow into a beautiful, lush lawn for a home or for recreational use.
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