Native Plants
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Saturday - October 27, 2012
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seed and Plant Sources, Seeds and Seeding, Edible Plants, Poisonous Plants, Grasses or Grass-like, Trees
Title: Grasses for horses in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Hello Mr. Smarty Plants We just bought 4.5 acres in Travis County off HWY 290. We have 3 horses we keep on it but there is very little grass in the pastures. What is the best type of grass to seed and what is the best time to seed? The soil is hard and rocky like all Central TX. Also we have quite a lot of sand burs in the yard is there anyway to get ride of them without using herbicides. Thanks for your timeANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants has answered nearly 8000 questions over time, but not 8000 different questions. Since pasturing horses is far from a unique concern, we are going to link you to some previous questions from Smarty team members who know more about the subject than we do:
Grasses for horses from Hockley, TX
Trees that horses should not be around
Native grasses for horses in Manor TX. Paragraph from this answer:
According to the EPA, Schizachyrium scoparium (Little bluestem), Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass), Paspalum plicatulum (Brownseed paspale), Muhlenbergia capillaris (Gulf muhly), Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) and probably Andropogon gerardii (Big bluestem).
In that same answer, you were referred to our National Supplier Directory, where you can get a list of native seed suppliers, plant nurseries and consultants for youg general area. All have contact information so you can call ahead and determine availability.They should be able to give you very good information on planting times, suitable soils, etc.
Follow each of those plant links to our webpage on that plant, where you can get propagation information.
We also recommend you read our How-To Article, Recreating a Prairie, which is what you are doing, basically.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
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Plants/grasses for a bioswale in Maryland
February 08, 2010 - Mr. Smarty Plants,
I'm looking for a good seed mixture, wetland plant/grass mix, to use in Bio-Swales in central Maryland. Can you help me?
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August 09, 2007 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I'm trying to landscape a yard that sits on rocky clay soil in St. Louis, MO. The front yard has been difficult because of its brutal southern exposure - the afternoon sun ...
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Planting wildflowers and ryegrass in RIverside AL
February 07, 2015 - Love the name, enjoyed a visit last spring. We repaired a retaining wall about 300 ft. and want to plant wildflowers on a
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May 18, 2013 - I have an area 1-6 acres worth that is currently grass that I would like to overseed with wildflower seed. The local native plant nursery says that would be a waste. I don't really want to kill gra...
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