Monkey Grass Care in North Carolina

Establishing Monkey Grass

• Because North Carolina is divided into three climatic zones -- mountain, Piedmont and coastal -- establishing monkey grass varies depending on where you live in the state. It might be difficult to establish in the western region of the state since the area is primarily in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 6, and monkey grass is generally hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 to 11. In the Piedmont and coastal regions, establish the grass anytime spring through fall in fertile, well-drained soil using offsets or clumps.

Disease, Pest Control

• Mondo grass has very few disease or pest issues. In North Carolina, the fungal disease anthracnose is its most common problem but it can be cured by removing the infected leaves or by applying a fungicide. Its most serious disease is root rot caused by Pythium splendens which afflicts dwarf varieties more than standard-sized plants. If your grass has burnt tips, yellowing leaves and a crown that easily separates from the base, treat it with fungicide. While it does not cause serious damage, just unsightly spots on the leaves, scale is the plant's main insect problem. Control scale by spraying an insecticide formulated for ornamental grasses.

Weed control

• Standard monkey grass rarely has issues with weeds due to its thick turf and quick establishment. But dwarf and slow-spreading varieties never sufficiently cover an area to prevent weeds. In this case, you can use a pre-emergent herbicide to stop the growth of unwanted grasses or broadleaf weeds or use a postemergent herbicide if weeds are already established. In February or March, give the brownish foilage a severe cutting to rejuvenate your grass for spring.

Standard, Dwarf Varieties

• Black Mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicas “Nigrescens”) might be the best option for western North Carolina since it can survive in the southern part of USDA plant hardiness zone 6. Dwarf grass options like "Nanus" (Ophiopogon japonicus var. nanus “Nanus”) perform well in full shade. For accent plants or small areas, use "Kyoto Dwarf" (Ophiopogon japonicus var. “Kyoto Dwarf”) with 2- to 4-inch leaves.