Native Plants
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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 - October 02, 2012
From: Hico, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Turf, Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Lawn grass for Erath County, TX
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
We live in Erath County in TX on ranch land. We are relatively dry. Our soil is combination of clay and red soil (brought in for building pad), and sandy. We have a sloped area, about 30%, that we want lawn grass on and it gets sun most of the day. We have a sprinkler system in, but over 10 yrs. have lost all grass there. We would like to sod to avoid the sprinkler system. Any suggestions of what type?ANSWER:
Habiturf™, developed at the Wildflower Center and composed of Bouteloua dactyloides (Buffalograss), Bouteloua gracilis (Blue grama) and Hilaria belangeri (Curly mesquite grass), sounds like the perfect turf for your area. Its advantages over non-native turf grasses are that, after established, it requires very little water, needs infrequent mowing and no fertilizer. The only way to establish a Habiturf™ lawn at this time, however, is by seeds available from the Wildflower Center (see the Habiturf™ page) or from Douglass King Company in San Antonio. Native American Seed in Junction has a similar seed mix called Thunder Turf. Please see our How to Article, Native Lawns: Habiturf™–The Ecological Lawn, to learn how to prepare your site and plant and maintain this lawngrass mixture. Native American Seed also has an article, Planting Tips for Native Lawns, that is helpful. Also, be sure to watch the video on the Habiturf™ page.
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