Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Saturday - February 28, 2009
From: Hurst, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Turf
Title: Grass for sunny Texas lawn
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
We lost our front yard(bermuda) last summer/fall due to grubs(we think). When and what type of grass seed do we do this spring to plant a new yard? We can't afford to lay sod. It's mostly sunny. We have not treated the yard with anything. It's all clover & weeds at this point. Thank you!ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants thinks that Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss) would be ideal for your mostly sunny yard. Buffalograss, once established, requires little water (less than the non-native bermudagrass) and very little mowing. Please read our "How to Article", Native Lawns: Buffalograss, for more information about how to sow seeds and prepare your lawn. You can obtain seeds from one of our Associates, Native American Seed in Junction, Texas. They offer a seed mixture, Native Sun Turfgrass, that is a mixture of buffalo grass (66%) and another short turf grass, Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) (34%) that has many advantages—little water required, no mowing or fertilizer and no diseases or pests. You can also find a very helpful article, Planting Tips for Native Grasses, on their webpage. Early spring is the time to plant these seeds so you should begin your preparations now.
More Turf Questions
killing grass on 1 acre before planting Habiturf
March 04, 2012 - I have an acre of full sun lawn on a slight slope in Dallas - would the habiturf be appropriate & if so, how do I go about killing off the existing weeds/crab grass before installing? Removing 3 in o...
view the full question and answer
Native grass for lawn in Round Rock, Texas
May 16, 2010 - I am interested in your recommendation for the grass at my home. I currently have St. Augustine but have become very aggravated by it. I am looking for a low maintenance grass that I can replace it wi...
view the full question and answer
Native grass for shaded lawn in Austin
May 14, 2010 - Hello,
I've read all your info on the native lawns and came by the center on Sunday. We live in Circle C and want to plant a lawn in our backyard. We don't want something that needs a lot of wate...
view the full question and answer
Replacing non-native lawn grasses in an HOA in Kyle TX
March 27, 2009 - We just rounded out our first year with our first lawn here in Central Texas. I was stingy with the water and needless to say our non-native, Bermuda grass and St. Augustine lawn did not fare well. Id...
view the full question and answer
Native turf grasses for shady lawn
May 25, 2011 - I am interested in planting a native lawn using the grasses discussed on the website (2lb of buffalograss, 1½ lb of bluegrama and at least 4 oz of curly mesquite). My front yard is relatively small w...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
