Prospects and challenges of lawn maintenance in Nigeria

Lawn grasses have significant potentials for environmental beautification, recreational and income generation. This study examined florists' perception of the prospects and challenges of lawn maintenance in four major cities in Nigeria - Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Benin. One hundred and ten florists in the study area were selected for interview by random sampling following a well-structured questionnaire. Most of the respondents were male (73.6%), married (77.3%) and middle aged (63.6%) with tertiary education. Their preference for lawn grass species was Port Harcourt grass (Crysopogum sp.) (57.3%), Kikuyu grass (Zoysia sp.) (39.0%) and Bahama grass (Cynodon dactylon) (9.1%). Most (82.8%) florists purchased their planting materials from private nurseries. Sedges (57.3%) were the most common weeds encountered in lawns. Constraints to production/lawn management included weed infestation, inadequate watering facilities during the dry season and inadequate extension services. Stronger synergy between florists, scientists and research institutes in articulating capacity building programmes for individuals interested in lawn management techniques is recommended.