Magazine - What’s greener than grass?

By Stacie Zinn in General News on 12th Jul 2010 14:00

What’s greener than grass? A grass that was developed to be green!

Researchers from the University of Florida worked for about a decade to answer that question. The result was a “greener” grass called UltimateFlora® Zoysia, a drought resistant turfgrass developed to offer homeowners and homebuilders a “greener” alternative for home lawns.

This live, natural grass in the family of zoysiagrasses requires less water and less fertilizer than traditional St. Augustine varieties, plus UltimateFlora® Zoysia has a finer, softer, medium-textured leaf blade that creates a lawn that people actually want to walk on.
UltimateFlora® Zoysia was also the very first grass to be awarded green home points by the Florida Green Building Coalition, the organization that certifies green homes in Florida. Homeowners and builders seeking ‘Green Home Certification’ may install UltimateFlora® Zoysia in a home’s lawn and receive two points toward their whole-house certification. UltimateFlora® Zoysia’s low water use attributes qualified for the certification under Category 2 for ‘Water’, part 16 for ‘drought tolerant turf in the installed landscape’.

Qualities that make UltimateFlora® Zoysia attractive to homebuilders and homeowners are:
• Drought resistance
• Resistance to the chinch bug insect
• Less fertilizer requirements than St. Augustine grass
• Grows in faster than other zoysia varieties
• Moderate shade tolerance
• Medium-textured leaf blade with an upscale look reminiscent of grasses used Up North
• Soft feel underfoot, ideal for families who want to play in the yard
• Eligible for Green Home certification points

UltimateFlora® Zoysia will be on display at the Environmental Turf trade show booth #2061, July 22 – 24, 2010, in Orlando during the Southeast Builders Conference. UltimateFlora® Zoysia is available through Environmental Turf, Inc., and the company’s network of licensed sod producers. For more information on UltimateFlora® Zoysia call 863-452-6595, or visit www.environmentalturf.com.

ABOUT ULTIMATEFLORA® ZOYSIA
• Developed by the University of Florida.
• Great for residential lawns and common areas. Use UltimateFlora® anywhere you'd use St. Augustinegrass.
• UltimateFlora® is Drought Resistant. It has built-in mechanisms to help it stand up to drought. Should drought conditions occur, a mature stand of UltimateFlora® Zoyisa will shut down and go “dormant,” meaning it will stop growing and turn a tan color. Once sufficient water is applied, the grass will green up and begin growing again. This is significant in that St. Augustine grass will stay green as long as possible and then die. St. Augustine grass, which is the traditional grass of Florida, does not have this dormancy mechanism to help it withstand severe drought.
• It requires less fertilizer than many other lawn grasses. It also uses the fertilizer applied more efficiently, reducing the probability of nutrient runoff.
• UltimateFlora® Zoysia has a soft, medium texture, a bright green color, and creates a barefoot feel. It looks more similar to a Northern-type grass than traditional St. Augustine grasses grown in Florida.
• Chinch bug resistant. The chinch bug is a major insect pest on St. Augustine grass in Florida. However, as the chinch bug does not eat UltimateFlora® Zoysia, there is no need to treat for the insect, eliminating the need for pesticides to kill that insect.
• Tolerant of most herbicides. Most store-brand herbicides are safe to use on mature stands of UltimateFlora® Zoysia, taking that worry away for the homeowner.
• UltimateFlora® Zoysia is available for sale through Environmental Turf’s network of licensed sod farm producers, and through landscape contractors all over Florida.
• It's not just good, it's the Ultimate!™

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL TURF, INC.
Based in Avon Park, Florida, Environmental Turf, Inc., is an award-winning firm dedicated to the research, development, marketing and distribution of environmentally friendly warm-season turfgrasses. The company’s mission is to bring specialty warm-season turfgrasses to the public with an eye toward sustainability, ecology and beauty. Environmental Turf works with University turf programs and independent researchers world-wide to develop grasses that will help sustain the environment, reduce the amount of water used for turfgrass irrigation, and curb the amount of chemicals and fertilizers released into the ecosystem while also creating an esthetically pleasing landscape. Depending on variety, the grasses may be shade-tolerant, require less water, less fertilizer or less inputs overall than other common lawn, golf or sports field grasses. Environmental Turf licenses its proprietary turfgrasses to some of the world's finest sod producers in warm-season climates around the globe. UltimateFlora® Zoysia is produced in Florida through Environmental Turf’s network of licensed sod farms. Visit the Environmental Turf website to find a licensed producer near you: www.environmentalturf.com

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Read more articles in General News, by Stacie Zinn or from July 2010.