Why is it hard to grow Natural Grass in Charleston South Carolina?
- Charleston's Climate: Charleston's hot, humid, and sub tropical climate make it hard for natural grass to grow. Even though we have pleasant, somewhat mild winters, Charleston's long, hot summers make it tough on natural grass. While some grasses enjoy the heat, generally those grasses also need lots of sun and with Charleston's abundance of beautiful tress those same grasses struggle to grow.
- Pests and Diseases: That same climate mentioned above also increases the presence of pests and diseases. Certain funguses, such as dollar spot and brown patch thrive in Charleston's hot, humid climate. These funguses are tough to control and can create the need for constant maintenance in order to keep your lawn looking good. Also, pests like armyworms and chinch bugs, which thrive in Charleston's climate, can wreak havoc on your natural lawn.
- Soil type in Charleston: What do often see under your feet when walking on a lawn in Charleston? That's right. Sand! While sand is great at the beach, it lacks organic content and makes it tough for grass to grow. Before development, much of the Charleston area, whether that's James Island, John's Island, or West Ashley, the Peninsula, or North Charleston, was a predominately a sandy area. Even though dirt has been brought in, the sand content in the soil lacks the nutrients to make grass growing easy.
- Sun and Shade: In Charleston, finding the right balance of sunlight and shade is tough to find. Sun loving grasses like Bermuda also need lots of water making Bermuda grass a bad choice for those who want to save water. Other grasses like various kinds of bluegrass that enjoy shade like that provided by our beautiful trees, also struggle in heat.
In short, Charleston's climate and overall environment make it tough on natural grass. Unless you want to spend your valuable time and or money watering, cutting, and maintaining natural grass, please consider the ease and beauty of artificial turf!
