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Kirk (KC) Constable
06-02-2006, 1:05 PM
Disclaimer....KC is not into yardwork, and doesn't know beans about it. My normal 'yard maintenance' consists of spaying a bottle of Weed and Feed in the spring, watering for a couple days, then mowing only when absolutely necessary.

We haven't had much rain this year...and my fenced in area ain't much of a 'yard' anyway...but since we're in an old pasture, the coastal has usually at least greened up and offered some cover for the dirt. We had a pretty good sized area of St Augustine that was reaching out more every year. Until now. I neglected the leaves last fall, and haven't watered any like I usually do because I kept putting off picking up the leaves. :o

Today I finished that nasty chore, and now have a yard full of dirt and very sporadic brown and yellow St Augustine runners. Since I don't know anything, I'm not sure...but I suspect I may not get grass again. Sooooo....I've decided I'll pay somebody to sod it, whenever that time may be. Is it too late this year? When's a good time? Bearing in mind that we have dogs, what kind of grass should we even have? We have two large oak trees inside the fence, and it's largely shaded most of the day.

At this point, I'm sick of not having grass...so I'm willing to do what's necessary to maintain it once somebody ELSE has it down. Suggestions appreciated. :(

Help.

KC

Jim O'Dell
06-02-2006, 1:36 PM
KC, you might try watering the remains well. St. Augustine grass needs water. My backyard is mostly dirt also. The dogs are hard on it. It was so dry here last year we couldn't afford to water it much. The rye grass did ok during the winter, but it's all but gone now. LOML put out some bermuda seed a few weeks ago, but it doesn't do as well in shade. That's why I'm desperate to get my sprinkler pump back in operation. we can pull water from the creek behind the house. It was dry last summer, but is full again this year. LOML said the guy at the place she got it from said that there is St. Augustine seed now, but he hadn't gotten any in yet. Something else to think about. Also ask around, there is a prairie blend that is supposed to be very hardy, and stand up to the dogs very well. Jim.

Ken Fitzgerald
06-02-2006, 2:04 PM
KC........I don't know anything about St. Augustine grass.....but we only get 12" of moisture a year here. If we don't water our lawns starting in May they go dormant by late June. I've had that happen and yet.......Once regular watering commences, the grass comes back. It might be worth a try to just start watering it while you are deciding what to do. Good luck with your decision and outcome!

Ken Garlock
06-02-2006, 2:11 PM
Hi KC. This spring LOML and I put down 10 pallets of Bermuda sod in the designated front yard. It is doing just fine in the direct sun, and 20 minutes of water each day. St. Augustine needs lots of water and prefers to not be in the sun all day. Under big sprawling trees makes for happy St. Augustine grass.

Up this way a pallet of Bermuda goes for about $230 plus tax, and then about $60 for delivery.(Thank you, commodity traders:mad: )

If you want to put down Bermuda, go over the area with RoundUp about 14 days before getting the sod. Also scratch up the surface and put down some slow release fertilizer before laying the sod. There are 3 pieces of sod to the square yard.

BTW, it is pronounced Ber(as in cold) mu(as in cats mew) da( like in Homer Simpson.) There is no Moo in Bermuda as some around here like to say. :(

Don Baer
06-02-2006, 2:15 PM
Kirk,
We are planning on using some artifical turf in our new home when we move to AZ. I have seen it used over there quite a bit and it looks and feels just like grass but requires no water, no mowing and pets wont bother it. 10 years guarantee. Just hose it off occasionaly..:D

Heres a web site that talks about it.

http://www.forgetgrass.com/

Joe Pelonio
06-02-2006, 2:54 PM
Yikes, I went through this. I planted seed in the back yard, which came up beautifully but then when the rains came it was too weak to hold up to the dogs feet and became a muddy mess. Then in spring I re-did it with sod, that took hold nicely but for some reason the dogs liked to dig big deep holes in it. Mine are a golden and a golden mix. I finally gave up, since it was just a strip along the back of the patio and deck and a larger area on one end, and put in weedcloth, gravel, and wood chips.

Doyle Alley
06-02-2006, 3:00 PM
KC, I can't tell you what grass to grow there in Texas. But, I can tell you that St. Augustine is used extensively here and it requires LOTS of water and it doesn't do well in poor soil. That said, if you do get it to grow, it looks nice and is resistant to many of the weed chemicals that would kill other grasses.

Norman Hitt
06-03-2006, 5:58 AM
Kirk, in your area, St Augustine has been one of the main lawn grasses for many years. It does require a goodly amt of water, grows well under trees in the shade, but also requires much reduced, but regular watering even in the winter. In cold wx, it has a tendency to winter kill pretty easily. Here in Odessa, for the past few yrs, they have been using a different grass, that is wide leafed like St Augustine, and a much darker green, and it seems to weather well, and also grows well in both sun or shade. It also takes a lot of water, (maybe even more than St Augustine), I'm not sure. I don't remember the name of it.

I think your best bet would be to check with a couple of the better Lawn and garden centers in San Antonio, describe your conditions, and see what they recommend for your area. The Good Ones will know what does best there, and what is required to maintain it.

Note: Bermuda DOES NOT grow well under trees or in the shade, and "Chiggers", and "Ticks" love to live in Bermuda and lay in wait to bite you, whereas I have never seen either of them in St Augustine or the wide blade grasses.

Kirk (KC) Constable
06-03-2006, 10:24 AM
Thanks for the responses. Prolly be simpler (and cheaper!) to get rid of the dogs! :eek:

Roger Everett
06-03-2006, 7:35 PM
Also not being a yard person myself, I see 2 good options:
1.Green dyed concrete
2. Astro-turf, probably even a cheaper option than #1
Roger