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Sunday - March 04, 2012

From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Planting, Seeds and Seeding, Turf, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: killing grass on 1 acre before planting Habiturf
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

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 of soil on an acre or lining an acre in plastic just isn't practical. We're on White Rock "lake" down the street from Mt Vernon.

ANSWER:

Yes, Habiturf is well suited for the Dallas area. Check out the planting procedure on the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center web site. Proper soil preparation is the key to success.

I am in the process of planting Habiturf on an experimental plot (600 square feet) in my yard. I killed the existing St. Augustine grass in September using Roundup. I made two applications, the second following the first by ten days. It killed the St. Augustine and the small amount of Bermuda that was also present. Roundup is said to be more effective if the plants are actively growing.

I purchased a special Roundup hand sprayer that produced small droplets but no mist, and I waited to spray until there was no breeze to cause drift. For your acre plot a larger sprayer may be called for. These are available commercially and probably at rental outlets.