Seashore Paspalum Care
Paspalum vaginatum
A warm-season grass known for its exceptional tolerance of salty soil and water. It is ideal especially for gardens along the coast, golf courses and sports fields. It needs full sun and turns yellow and goes dormant when the weather cools in winter.
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
- Watering: Not needed; the plant is dormant.
- Pruning: Not necessary (do not mow).
- General care: Avoid walking on the dormant lawn. Broadleaf weeds that appear in winter can be removed by hand.
- Frost risk: In frost the foliage turns fully straw-yellow; this is normal. It is frost-hardy.
- General care: Continue weed control. If the weather warms up toward the end of the month, light greening may begin.
- Watering: If necessary (if there is no rain), 10-15 L/m².
- Fertilizing: When the lawn is at least 50% green, apply a nitrogen (N)-heavy lawn fertilizer for spring (e.g., 25-5-10 NPK), to the soil, 20 g/m²; do not overapply.
- Pruning: Make the first cut when growth begins (from approximately 4-5 cm height).
- General care: If the thatch layer is thick, dethatching with a rake can be done.
- Frost risk: There is no risk left.
- Watering: 20-25 L/m² per week.
- Fertilizing: A second fertilization can be done if needed (20 g/m²).
- Pruning: Mow once a week at a height of 3-5 cm.
- Plant protection: If needed, use a pre-emergent herbicide against summer weeds such as crabgrass (Digitaria).
- General care: Growth accelerates.
- Pests & diseases: Monitor for fungal diseases such as leaf spot.
- Watering: 25-30 L/m² per week; deep and infrequent watering strengthens the roots.
- Fertilizing: At the start of the month, apply a balanced NPK lawn fertilizer (20 g/m²).
- Pruning: Continue mowing once a week at a height of 3-5 cm.
- Plant protection: If needed, apply a fungicide against fungal diseases (brown patch).
- General care: Active growth period.
- Pests & diseases: For grubs (Scarabaeidae larvae), check in the evening after watering whether they come up to the surface.
- Watering: 30-40 L/m² per week; water demand increases in the heat.
- Pruning: Mow every 5-7 days, depending on growth rate.
- General care: Prevent the lawn from stressing during the hottest period by slightly raising the mowing height (4-5 cm).
- Watering: 30-40 L/m² per week; water early in the morning.
- Pruning: Continue mowing every 5-7 days.
- General care: Plants may become stressed during extreme heat; regular watering is important.
- Watering: Continue watering, 30-40 L/m² per week.
- Pruning: Mow every 7-10 days, depending on growth rate.
- General care: Growth begins to slow.
- Watering: Reduce the watering frequency (15-20 L/m² once a week) and let the soil dry out deeply. Do this month's care.
- Fertilizing: To prepare for winter, apply a final fertilization high in potassium (K) and low in nitrogen (N) (e.g. 15-5-25 NPK), 20 g/m²; do not overapply.
- Pruning: Reduce the mowing frequency (every 10-14 days).
- Plant protection: If necessary, apply an insecticide for armyworms (Spodoptera spp.).
- General care: Growth slows.
- Pests & diseases: Patchy yellowing in the lawn and bird activity can be signs of soil grubs (Scarabaeidae).
- Watering: Usually not required; autumn rains are starting.
- Pruning: Mow every 2-3 weeks until growth stops. Raise the height slightly for the final cut.
- General care: The best time for root aeration. Clear the tree leaves lying on top regularly.
- Frost risk: The first light frosts can begin to turn it yellow.
- General care: With the cold, the color turns straw yellow and it goes dormant. Continue clearing the leaves lying on it.
- General care: Complete dormancy period. Avoid parking vehicles on the lawn or heavy traffic.
- Frost risk: In frost it turns fully yellow; this is normal.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.
Browse all plant guides