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.
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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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Tuesday - August 14, 2012
From: Spicewood, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Turf, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Grass mixture for Spicewood TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I want to seed a bare sand limestone area about 2 acres in size. Assuming "normal" Texas hill country weather and the availability of moderate water for sprinkling is there one mixture that you recommend that would maintain a green feel most the year?ANSWER:
First we must ask you a question - is your ground in the sun? Habiturf, a newly developed grass mix from a team headed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, needs 5 to 6 hours of full sun a day. Please read Habiturf: The Ecological Lawn, first watching the video on how to plant the grass. Then, further down that same page are 3 links to other articles that will give you even more information. It needs to be watered and weeded when it is newly in the ground, but after that it will need to be watered very little, and will go dormant instead of dying in dry spells. It is a soft brown when it is dormant and looks far better than a dried-up dead "lawn." It also doesn't require a great deal of mowing, which should be important to you with 2 acres to take care of.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
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January 29, 2012 - Dear Mr Smartypants,
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Putting in native grass in June in Manor TX
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Small, flowering, evergreen plants for hillside in Austin.
October 27, 2007 - I have a steep, dry hillside measuring approximately 4 feet high by six feet wide. I want to plant low growing, evergreen, flowering plants across the bed that will flower as long as possible, and thr...
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