Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
rate this answer
Friday - July 25, 2008
From: Houston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives, Turf
Title: Blocking stolons of St. Augustine grass
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have St. Augustine in my yard, and I am sick of edging the stolons that grow onto the sidewalk and driveway. Is there any way to stop the stolons or block them so that I can just mow and throw away my edger forever? Thanks.ANSWER:
Apparently not. It sounds like a great idea though, training the stolons to stop at a designated spot. After all, you know that they can't grow in concrete, but try and convince the grass of that. Before you believe one of those ads about "spray-on" edging, remember that it is a plant poison that can kill a whole lot of grass just because you've sprayed it on runners. And the drift from the spray can kill a whole lot of other stuff. We guess the question is: How tolerant of a little untidiness are you? As we pointed out, the runners will only go so far and give up, because there is no dirt under them, and hopefully they're not being watered, either. If you're going to grow turf grasses, you're going to have to learn to live with their habits, because they're not going to change those habits to suit you.
More Turf Questions
Questions about Habiturf
April 01, 2012 - What does habiturf look like when it first emerges? Could you post some images? And how long will it take to begin to cover?
view the full question and answer
Native Grasses for Houston, TX
April 06, 2015 - What native grasses can I use for my lawn in Houston, TX? It appears that Habiturf is not recommended for our climate. Is there another variety of seed available yet that I can use to start a small ...
view the full question and answer
Native grasses and turf grass for VA
February 08, 2012 - I recently moved to Blacksburg, Virginia. I am becoming involved with a church here that recently started a grounds committee. There is some discussion within the group of which varieties of native ...
view the full question and answer
Removal of Western yarrow invading lawn
July 23, 2006 - We have western yarrow in our yard and it is starting to take over and kill the grass. How do we get rid of it?
view the full question and answer
Native turf grass for Arlington, VA.
September 10, 2015 - Hi, could you please provide me with a recommendation for a native turf grass to plant in a large commercial area in Arlington, Virginia. Currently Kentucky 31 is being used, but we would like to iden...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |