Native Plants
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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.
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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.
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