Performance of St. Augustinegrass Cultivars in the Transition Zone.

Saint Augustinegrass is used on shaded lawns, as it is among the most shade tolerant warm season turfgrasses. Many new cultivars are being developed and are being considered for use in Arkansas but prior to their adoption more data is needed on their growth. The objective of this experiment was to quantify differences in winter hardiness and growth characteristics including stolon growth rate and establishment rate among several commercially available cultivars as well as several experimental cultivars. Twenty commercially available cultivars and ten experimental genotypes were first grown as plugs in a greenhouse and then planted in research plots in Fayetteville, AR. Leaf and stolon characteristics as well as color varied among cultivars. 'Floratam', 'Texas Common', 'Sapphire', 'Floraverde', and WS had the most overall coverage 75 days after planting. Winter hardiness varied among cultivars with 'Raleigh', GF, TAES 5714, and 904AT2 having the highest winter survival. Many of the cultivars tested in this study have desirable attributes such as good winter hardiness and fast establishment rate which may make them desirable for future use among Arkansas turf producers.