There’s nothing quite as wonderful as a big old shade tree — unless you’re a frustrated homeowner trying to grow turfgrass under its dense and impenetrable canopy.
For heavily shaded properties, Captiva St. Augustine is the ideal turfgrass solution. Sold exclusively in Hawaii by Hawaiian Turfgrass, this semi-dwarf, fine-blade grass is terrific for homeowners with shaded properties who want a finely textured lawn that doesn’t demand a huge amount of maintenance.
“We’re really excited about Captiva,” said Sean Aulani Fong, owner of the Mililani turfgrass company. “Compared to other St. Augustine grasses, it really stands out.”
The Captiva variety of St. Augustine, developed by Dr. Russell Nagata of the University of Florida, is very different from older, more common varieties of St. Augustine. To begin with, explained Fong, it’s considered a low-maintenance turfgrass, with improved traits and characteristics.
“Because the Captiva is dwarf, it doesn’t grow as fast,” Fong said. “It also has improved pest and disease resistance.” The lush, dark green turfgrass features a dense canopy and enormous root system, and tolerates shade very well.
No grass grows in complete shade, Fong said, but Captiva St. Augustine is the best choice for areas that receive very little sunlight. “Captiva is the only shade grass we recommend,” he said. “We characterize shade as anything below four hours of direct sunlight. This grass does well with four hours or less.”
Best of all, Captiva’s slow growth and lateral spread mean that this grass requires one-third less mowing than its traditional Floratam St. Augustine counterpart, and most other turfgrasses as well. “Every other variety we have, we recommend weekly mowing, under an inch with a reel mower,” Fong remarked. “The Captiva looks really nice at 2 inches, but you can let it go to 4-6 inches, and mow every two to four weeks.”
And aesthetically? Common St. Augustine grass, Fong explains, is generally very wide and long. “A lot of people don’t like it because it’s so wild-looking,” he said. But the deep emerald Captiva variety, sold exclusively in Hawaii by Hawaiian Turfgrass, is simply gorgeous. “It’s visually a lot nicer because it’s shorter and narrower,” says Fong. “Common St. Augustine can be the length and width of your middle finger, but the Captiva is the size of your pinky. Side by side, you can definitely tell there’s a difference.”
HAWAIIAN TURFGRASS
CONTACT 371-0527
ADDRESS 94-840 Lanikuhana Ave., Mililani (by appointment only)
WEB hawaiianturfgrass.com
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