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.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
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.
rate this answer
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
Removing bermudagrass from buffalograss in Smithville TX
May 01, 2013 - I have a lawn created two years ago with buffalo grass sod in Smithville, TX. Recently several areas of bermudagrass have started to flourish in the buffalo grass lawn. Can you recommend a herbicide...
view the full question and answer
Seed Habiturf on top of existing St. Augustine from Austin
January 26, 2012 - We don't want to rip up an existing St. Augustine lawn (potential HOA problems), but we'd like to go native grasses (like Habiturf?). Is there anything we can just seed on top of our present lawn a...
view the full question and answer
Habiturf for East Texas
May 14, 2012 - We live in east Texas, right on the beginning of the piney words, the soil is a little sandy. We have taken up a wooden walkway but can't get anything to grow there. Could the soil be dead from year ...
view the full question and answer
Central Texas native plants good for cut flowers in Austin
March 15, 2010 - What are the best native plants to Central Texas that can be used as cut flowers for indoors in the home? I have a large garden that will be partly vegetables, partly for cut flowers. Thank you for ...
view the full question and answer
What is a lawn broom from Cibolo TX
February 15, 2013 - Concerning gulf muhly grass you mention using a lawn broom to get rid of the dead stalks. What is a lawn broom? What does it look like? Where can I purchase one?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |