Non-Political, Non-Sports Homeowner Landscaping Question

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Dear fellow GoMeanGreen.com posters,

Two years ago my wife and I purchased a foreclosed home in Frisclosure. Needless to say not only did the people not have money to pay the mortgage, they appeared to have sunk zero dollars and zero cents American into the landscaping.

I was too busy to jack with it when we moved in because the inside was basically destroyed by the prior owners, their children...and their three dogs my neighbors tell me that lived inside the house with them. This year, I'm ready to jack with it, even though I detest lawn work nearly as much as I detest the designated hitter, smaller ballparks, and the rise of the middle inning relief pitcher.

By some twisted measure, the people who owned the house prior have bermuda grass in some areas and St. Augustine in others. For kicks, I spread a little rebel fecsue under a tree in the front yard where the bermuda had died off in the shade.

My question is this: The little area of fescue is growing like crazy. I've got to make a choice about which grass I want permanently. I've already ruled out the St. Augustine because one of my neighbors is so freakout by it that he killed the grass between my house and his to keep it from going over there (seriously, there is a line of dead grass where he put the grass killer between our houses running from the sidewalk in the front to the alley in the back!)

So...fescue or bermuda? Or, something else? I like the stuff to be able to grow in the shade, so that's a factor. And, I'm not crazy about high maintenance stuff. Hear me now and believe me later when I tell you that I'd rather be inside drinking cold Pepsi Colas straight out of the can and eating hotdogs and pecan pie than to be out in the yard jacking with the scenery. Life's too damn short, yo.

Edited April 26, 2010 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[Green P1]

Sports turf.

[UNTFan23]

Click me for some decent info on TX grasses.

Another link about TX Lawns

Your neighbor's fear of St Augustine is amusing to say the least.

Edited April 26, 2010 by UNTFan23

[UNTLifer]

Bermuda is more heat and drought tolerant but requires sunlight and won't grow in the shade. Fescue is shade tolerant, requires more water and doesn't spread, so you have to reseed bare spots. It also has trouble in the heat of the summer. St. Augustine needs a little more water than bermuda, spreads, and is somewhat shade tolerant. If you can keep your tree's canopy to a minimum of 15 feet. That should allow enough light for it to grow under the trees.

Your neighbor needs therapy.

[UNTflyer]

Bermuda is great for the Texas heat... in fact it seems to THRIVE when it gets hot. I water 1 inch a week and it grows like crazy. Just about everyone has bermuda in North Texas, so it will make it easier to maintain.

For the shady areas, we pland to pull up the turf and plant shade-tolerant ground cover and other plants. For example on the north side of the house we will put some small decorative trees and bushes, and on the south side we will plant sun-loving perennials.

[eulesseagle]

agree....burmuda.

[MeanGreenTexan]

Throw some 'southern lawn' weed & feed out on your neighbor's lawn and watch the St. Augustine take over. It makes a very nice lawn if you keep it watered.

[eulessismore]

Most people want St. Augustine; it's almost like having an extra carpeted area for the kids and dogs, although it does require more water than the bermuda. It sounds like the main problem IS political though: how to deal with nutcase neighbors. It kinda makes me wonder why some people work so hard to get St. Augustine growing (it requires rain to actually make it thrive; between planting and the first rain, all you're doing with sprinkling is keeping it from dying), and others think there's no stopping it from taking over the world.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

--St. Augustine is cooler, softer, doesn't head" out like burmuda, and can look ok longer without mowing... plus I have never gotten chiggers from it adn burmuda sometimes does. ...I know of a lot of people who itch, break out, and are allergic to burmuda...don't know of anyone alergic to St. Augustine. Of those two, I recommend St. Augustine. As for the neighbor... he can pour a small curb border if he wishes to prevent its spread.

--

Burmuda will survive with very little water...and is in parks a lot because of that. But for anyone that spends any effort watering St.Augustine, it should do just fine and will easily overrun burmuda and many other grasses.

Edited April 27, 2010 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[Army of Dad]

Go with the bermuda and use a ground cover around the tree. There are some really good ground cover plants that require little to no water and bermuda will stand the heat and drought better. A few years ago pretty much all of Collin County had some very serious water restrictions and lots of people were pissed about the dead lawns. To avoid that happening again I would go with bermuda grass.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Yeah, Frisco has the water restrictions for sprinkler systems...but, you can hand water it after 6 p.m. every night. Is that weird, or do I just not know enough about sprinkler systems to understand how much water it uses versus just watering with a hose.

Anyway, you guys sure know alot about grass. I really love the feel of St. Augustine (I may put it in the backyard), but I've got to keep peace with my neighbor. He's a nice guy. But, he's an engineer, so...you know, he maybe obsesses about stuff.

A couple of you suggested ground cover for the shade. I have considered just making another bed around the tree and maybe putting asian jasmine in it and ringing the tree with some small bushes. But, I haven't consulted Roger the Shrubber yet.

If I do the ground cover, I'll go with bermuda. If not, I'll probably go with the fescue. It seems like a really strong grower.

In the front bed, my dad keeps pushing me to do knockout roses. Anyone else familiar with these things. They seem to have a cultish following. When I ask about them, people rave. But, do they draw pests the way a real rose bush does? Even as lazy as I am about yard work, I am considering giving real roses a go on the side of my house that gets constant sunlight.

Edited April 27, 2010 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[hickoryhouse]

I have two knowckout rose bushes at my place, I have never done anything to prune or maintain them other than watering them when the sprinklers go off or when it rains. They do draw a few pest but they bloom easily and can be remarkably beautiful if they are trimmed correctly. I am working on trimming the old bushes that have been neglected in my first few years in the house and then tackling the roses after that. You can get rid of the pests with a quick trip to your local Lowe's and but a bottle of pest killing stuff....

As for the grass, St. Augustine is wonderful stuff if it gets enough light as all varieties of the stuff will decline without enough light. That is very very important to have success with that type of grass, although there are different types of St. Augustine out there that do better in different conditions such as Palmettobe sure that if you do go with St. Aug that you select the variety that will work the best for what you need.

Be sure that your ground is clear of leaves and oak tree shedding pollen looking stuff etc. and that will help any grass to grow better. If you choose to use Fescue or Bermuda in the front I would recommend using the same in the back. The fertilizers / weed n feed used for each type of grass is different and you don't really want to put the wrong one on the wrong grass.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

If you choose to use Fescue or Bermuda in the front I would recommend using the same in the back. The fertilizers / weed n feed used for each type of grass is different and you don't really want to put the wrong one on the wrong grass.

Good point, and one I hadn't thought of. I took Botany years ago at NT from that professor who had Parkinson's Disease (can't remember his name). I recall preached very heavily on the importance of having the right fertilizer for you yard.

[KingDL1]

Good point, and one I hadn't thought of. I took Botany years ago at NT from that professor who had Parkinson's Disease (can't remember his name). I recall preached very heavily on the importance of having the right fertilizer for you yard.

In the older areas of Dallas most yards are mixed with St Augustine and Bermuda the two grasses will mix well and fight it out naturally where sun and shade mix. If you have too much shade for St. Augustine I would then go to ground cover. The more you fertilize the thicker the grass will get, also the better it does with less water. Like said before make sure you go with just straight fertilizer if you have a mixed yard, the weed and feeds tend to be one or the other. Also spreading some iron in the late spring is perfect to keep the grass a dark green.

[hickoryhouse]

In the older areas of Dallas most yards are mixed with St Augustine and Bermuda the two grasses will mix well and fight it out naturally where sun and shade mix. If you have too much shade for St. Augustine I would then go to ground cover. The more you fertilize the thicker the grass will get, also the better it does with less water. Like said before make sure you go with just straight fertilizer if you have a mixed yard, the weed and feeds tend to be one or the other. Also spreading some iron in the late spring is perfect to keep the grass a dark green.

Good thinking about the mixed stuff. There is a difference in fertilizer types for st. Aug and other types of grass I doubt that straight fertilizer for one or the other types would hurt but it will definately help to determine which type will grow better. Ironite is a great alternative. Helps a great deal for color but it fertilizes absolutely everything , weeds and all.