A New Yard for the New Year
How Hawaiian Turfgrass is helping homeowners prepare their landscaping plans in 2024.
As the saying goes, “The grass is greener where you water it,” and Hawaiian Turfgrass will agree. After completing a degree in Hawaiian Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, an interest agricultural land prompted Sean Aukanaiʻi Fong to pursuit an Agricultural Degree in Tropical Soil and Plant Science. It was there in his very first class where he learned about turfgrass production, which set him on a course for greener grasses.
“I immediately knew I didn’t want to sell potted plants in green houses, I wanted to be a grass farmer,” he recalls. “I had no money, land, or experience, but I had the determination.”
Fong established Hawaiian Turfgrass in 2008 on a 6,000 square foot plot where he began with the popular El Toro Zoysia grass. Now celebrating its 15th anniversary, Hawaiian Turfgrass has flourished and expanded to a 67-acre property in Mililani, where they are the state’s licensed purveyor of exclusive varieties such as the Captiva® St. Augustine, Seastar® Seashore Paspalum, Tahoma 31® Bermuda and vibrant Stadium Zoysia.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawaiian Turfgrass
Educating customers is paramount for Hawaiian Turfgrass, whose proprietary grasses are exclusive in Hawaii. While El Toro Zoysia has long been the standard for Hawaii homeowners, consultations are an ideal opportunity for Fong to share some of the lesser known but highest quality grasses available, including those like the Tahoma 31® Bermuda which homeowners may recognize on high profile NFL football fields like Kansas City and Philadelphia.
And while growing grass on plastic is a common industry practice, Fong’s commitment to sustainability inspired him to switch to growing grasses in native soil in 2022. In doing so, Hawaiian Turfgrass not only reduced its plastic waste usage, but is now able to provide the best quality of environmentally-friendly grasses that require less maintenance, water and fertilizer.
For homeowners interested in transforming their yard for the new year, Fong offers insight to strategize your landscaping and help you plan your transition to turfgrass in 2024.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawaiian Turfgrass
Grass Selection
“Luckily, we’re in Hawaii where we don’t have a dormant season, so grass is growing year-round,” Fong says. “Grass selections are based off sunlight as grass needs full sun to thrive, which we deem as 5 hours of direct sunlight or more,” he continues. For lawns receiving less than 4 hours of direct sunlight, Hawaiian Turfgrass recommends planting shade grass like the Captiva® St. Augustine.
Removing Existing Vegetation
Planning and preparing your yard for installation is an important first step, and one that homeowners often overlook. “This is an investment, so you want to take your time and make sure weeds don’t come back,” Fong insists. “Killing the weeds and existing vegetation can take 1-2 months, sometimes requiring multiple applications before everything is dead,” he explains. This can be accomplished with the help of Hawaiian Turfgrass or by renting tools and products if the homeowner prefers to do so themselves. For proper guidance and efficacy, however, Fong suggests working with landscape contractors who can better assist with this process.
Soil Preparation
Once weeds and vegetation have been removed, the next step is soil preparation, which includes tilling, adding soil amendment, and rolling out the lawn to make sure it’s level before planting. Fong notes the importance of soil health for grass to thrive, which includes thorough vegetation removal, use of high-quality soil amendment for added nutrients, and eliminating imperfections to achieve level ground for planting.
Photo: Getty Images
Lawn Maintenance
Once installation is complete, it’s all about maintenance. This includes heavy watering in the first month and then transitioning to a regularly scheduled maintenance program according to the variety of grass installed. Fong recommends mowing every 1-2 weeks, preferably with a reel mower for maximum impact and maintenance. “With mowers, it’s important to have a sharp, knife-cut blade to make sure grass is nicely cut rather than leave sharp edges. It will leave you with a lower, more manicured look.”
Schedule your 2024 yard plans with Hawaiian Turfgrass and learn more about the best grass variety for your home. Call (808) 371-0527 or visit hawaiianturfgrass.com for more information or to schedule your appointment at their Mililani farm. 24 hour ordering is available online, along with the company’s Open Measuring Map tool to estimate how much square footage of grass may be needed for your lawn. Be sure to mention Hawaii Home + Remodeling during your consultation to receive a special installation discount of $500 on any grass variety over 400 square feet.
For additional guidance on how to pick your grass and the exclusive grass varieties they carry, check out our story, Keep your yard the greenest on the block with Hawaiian Turfgrass.
