One of the most often asked question is what can be done to improve one’s lawn and/or pasture? What kind of grass do I need to plant? With the recent rains, that has been even more so heard around Eagle Hardware. Whether you have grand ideas to redo or improve your lawn or the basic desire to better the forage quality of your pasture, now it the time to be taking steps to do so. More times than not, it is the planning stage that proves more benefit. Improving lawn and pastures is much more than just buying fertilizer and seen and blindly throwing out hoping for the best. A good start is to get a soil sample. Even if one’s pH if off a little, just a little will prevent a good establishment of grass. Too, the results will indicate how much fertilizer to put out.
Seed selection in the spring is essential as well. Seed in the wrong spot is just like digging a whole and burying your money to never find it again. Determining what grass will grow and what you are intending to accomplish is essential. Two of the most common lawn grasses are St. Augustine for the shady areas (which has to be planted in sod form) and common Bermuda which can be seeded. Other grasses in our area include fescue (somewhat shade tolerant) and Zoysiagrass. A helpful tip in addition to selecting grass varieties is water. Grasses such as St. Augustine require more water than Bermuda and Zoysiagrass.
For the pasture, the same should be taken into consideration. If one is just wanting grass to be grown, common Bermuda is easy enough to establish. However for forage, other grasses should be considered. For the purpose of simplicity, I share two species with which most are familiar. Coastal is what is most commonly found in forage pastures in north Texas. Coastal is high in protein for animals and easily baled. However, establishing Coastal must be from springs. Springs are essentially small growths of the grass spread out in the pasture. Recently Texas Tuff Plus is a viable option for forage pasture and the best part, it is established by seed.
Knowing your soil and what you intend to accomplish are the biggest hurdles. Then taking the time to consider grass options pays dividends in the end. Never feel you are doing it alone. We never assume we know it all but we do know how to find the answers you seek if we don’t. Always feel free to call or stop by and let’s help you have a pasture or lawn established that will bring you pleasure and joy for years…or your animals a full belly.
To learn more about turf establishment in Texas, click here.