A-G Sod Farms

The Increasing Demand for Warm Season Grasses in California The California turfgrass industry has seen a major transition from cool-season grasses to warm-season grasses in recent years. Larry LeMay, President and seed buyer of A-G Sod Farms said they have witnessed this steadily over time. A-G’s California farm locations are in Moreno Valley, Palmdale, Fresno, and Stockton. “Twenty years ago, at our Fresno farm, which is in Central California on the transition zone, used to sell 80% fescue and 20% warm-season grasses. Now it’s probably 75% warm-season and 25% cool season,” LeMay said. A-G’s Fresno farm Manager, Curtis Blasingame, said they have encouraged the transition to warm-season grasses due to water savings and the fact the grass grows better in the California climate. LeMay said Southern California hasn’t made the transition to warm-season grasses as much as he’d expect. Over the past 12 years, the area around A-G Sod Farm has faced many periodic severe droughts which has resulted in limiting homeowners to only watering lawns once a week. “It looks like we are headed for another drought and when they limit homeowner watering to one to two times a week, fescue won’t survive here,” LeMay said. “That’s not enough water for it. It’s too hot and too dry. Where at least with bermuda, although it may not be perfectly green, it will survive and you’ll have something when it’s all over with.” Blasingame agreed, saying that established bermuda lawns have the ability to be revived even if water is ...