Native Plants
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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
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Tuesday - July 07, 2015
From: Pflugerville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Problem Plants, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Dead, brown Habiturf lawn
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I planted Habiturf seeds last fall and had a good lawn all winter. Now the grass is brown and dead. Did it drown with all the rain we have had? If so, what should I do now? If not, what should I do now?ANSWER:
The following is from John Hart Asher, Environmental Designer and Project Manager, Ecosystem Design Group at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center:
We advise people to plant grasses, Habiturf included, during the spring so that the plants will get a full growing season allowing proper root development and adequate coverage before going into winter dormancy. It is difficult to diagnose what exactly went wrong in this case, but the soil type paired with the wet winter and spring could have contributed to fungal growth such as Take-All Patch, which could have killed the grass. If you left too much thatch after verdant growth, that could have also contributed towards the decline as the large amount of organic material provides a growing medium for fungus and also acts as a mulch. Here is more information about Take-All Patch from RealGreenLawns. [Mark Simmons, the Director of the Ecosystem Design Group of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, said that if you really do have Take-All Patch then amending the pH below 7 will help (e.g., with sulfur) since our soils do tend to be alkaline.] Again, it’s difficult to diagnose what went wrong in this case with such little information.
For best results:
- Prepare site by removing weeds and improving soil if needed
- Sow seed in the early spring to allow full season of growth
- Apply low NPK organic fertilizer if needed during germination to help establishment
- Stay on top of weeds, especially during establishment period
- Mow no shorter than 4” at least twice a year to encourage stolon development. Turf can be mowed more than this, but too much mowing will likely promote weed growth
- Remove excess thatch after turf goes dormant for the winter. This will prevent the mulching effect, remove growth medium for fungus, and allow new growth to take advantage of growing conditions in the spring
Please see our links to Habiturf, the Ecological Lawn.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
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May 10, 2014 - I have been trying to establish a Habiturf lawn in my back yard. It is approximately a 1,000 square foot area and this last seeding was the third over about one and a half years. I just recently over ...
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February 27, 2013 - My lawn is Centipede. I have created a new lawn area. Can and when should I seed/overseed my lawn? I have Rye in the new area.
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August 04, 2012 - P.S. I forgot to mention one very important fact: my neighbor specifically asked for "native grass" recommendations. He thought he was getting a native grass recommendation.
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Native buffalograss in sandy loam
April 19, 2008 - I am in the Austin area and want to plant Native Texas Buffalo Grass in sandy loam from the Colorado River bed. Will this work?
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