The 4 Best Uses and Applications for Pensacola Bahia Grass

A lover of the tropics, Pensacola Bahia is one of the most flexible and multi-talented grass seeds available. With a medium to fine blade and a medium green colour, it is by far the most popular Bahia variety available. Whether you’re on the land, in the town or responsible for a public space, Pensacola Bahia might be just what your patch needs.

A tropical grass that loves the heat, Pensacola Bahia is one of the toughest grasses available. It can handle extreme acidity, extreme drought and drainage, and is an incredibly quick grower. It’s truly a grass that you can set and forget. But what particular applications does Pensacola Bahia best lend itself to? Let’s take a look at four of the best.

Horse and Livestock Pasture

The quick-growing nature and low maintenance requirements of Pensacola Bahia make it perfect for use as a pasture. Whether it be for cows, horses, sheep or otherwise, Pensacola provides plenty of nutrition and will continue to grow back no matter how many times it gets gnawed on. For a grass that has the ability to be cut low into a standard lawn, Pensacola can grow particularly tall, meaning more food for your livestock.

Soil Management

Pensacola Bahia is perhaps unique in its ability to retain or improve the quality of a soil. It is a grass that is extremely resistant to saline conditions and to drought – two things which go hand in hand in tropical soils over dry season. If you have some soil on your property that isn’t particularly fertile, planting Pensacola Bahia can serve to bring the pH closer towards neutral, can desalinate the soil a little, and can even add nutrients.

Because it can grow in places where other plants and grasses struggle, Pensacola Bahia is a fantastic weapon in the fight against erosion. A thick and dense patch of Pensacola will stop the wind and run-off water from taking the soil away, instead holding it in place.

At the same time, the ultra-competitiveness of Pensacola Bahia makes it a fantastic deterrent to weeds and other invasive plants that are trying to get a foothold on your land. Pensacola Bahia will simply choke them out, out-competing them for light, water, nutrients and space.

Residential Lawn

Pensacola’s beautiful green blade makes it an excellent choice for front or backyard lawns. Unlike many grasses commonly used for pastures, Pensacola can be trimmed to a typical lawn height without causing any damage. This makes it a great option for backyard gardeners who may not have the greenest thumbs, as it’s incredibly hard to kill. As a type of bahia grass Australia homeowners often prefer, it also offers impressive shade tolerance for a tropical grass, thriving comfortably under trees, near shrubs, buildings, and fences.

The only thing that homeowners need to keep in mind is that Pensacola is a particularly fast and aggressive grower. In order to stick to the ‘one third’ rule – cutting off no more than one third of the blade at a time – you’ll likely need to mow every weekend. You’ll also have to ensure that your lawn is well-fenced off in order to keep your Pensacola from overtaking your veggie patch or flower bed.

Ground Cover

The ability to spread, the incredible hardiness and the beautiful look combine to make Pensacola Bahia the perfect choice for large areas that need ground cover. Whether we’re talking an airport, a public park or a commercial landscape, Pensacola will soon have any area covered in green.

So it’s fair to say that not many grasses can compete with Pensacola Bahia as a utility. If you have any questions or queries as to whether Pensacola Bahia is the right grass choice for you, don’t hesitate to contact the friendly team at McKays!