Planting Grass help

[RN89]

Hello guys,
My wife and I just made our first home purchase, actually just built a house, and need some advice on starting a quality yard. Our front yard the builder put down St. Augustine grass, so I'd like to match with the same type of grass in the backyard.

Right now the backyard is just moist dirt, sand type. We have had about 4 inches of rain recently so I think the ground is optimal now.

As far as laying the seed, do I need to till the ground first, and how many times should I need to lay the seed after the initial to prevent bare spots?

Thanks for your help for this young newbie homeowner!

 

[spasm3]

I really don't know much about st augustine grass. But i would till in the fertilizer into the soil, so the roots grow toward the fertilizer. It might be worth it to get a soil test for ph, research what ph st augustine grass likes and if needed till that in too .

Is st augustine, started from plugs or sod rather than seeding?

 

[Drew99GT]

If the soil is sandy, you need to get that rectified. For best lasting results, you'd need to get the top layer of sandy soil removed, then get a load of top soil trucked in to replace the sand, then lay the seed down and top coat it with more top soil/compost.

Also, now is the time to get a soil sample done to see where the PH level is etc. and get that fixed first so problems don't arise in the coming years.

 

[sciphi]

I'd visit an independent garden store and ask the staff what they'd recommend. The garden center nearby us was quite helpful with what was necessary for our garden and yard at my new-to-me house. Yes, it's about 25% more expensive than a box store. Money well-spent IMO, since yards and gardens are their bread and butter.

 

[BISCUT]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
If the soil is sandy, you need to get that rectified. For best lasting results, you'd need to get the top layer of sandy soil removed, then get a load of top soil trucked in to replace the sand, then lay the seed down and top coat it with more top soil/compost.

Also, now is the time to get a soil sample done to see where the PH level is etc. and get that fixed first so problems don't arise in the coming years.


Fix your soil now and you will have a lifetime of thick, green, healthy lawn. Different climate for me...I fertilize early spring and late fall and aerate every few years.

 

[Donald]

Your in TX so my northeast advice might not mean too much.

The initial seed should be part annual rye grass and your permanent grass. The annual rye will come up almost overnight and shade the other grass as it germinates.

I would think you need hay to cover the grass seed initially.

Water, water water.

 

[Blaze]

Originally Posted By: Donald


The initial seed should be part annual rye grass and your permanent grass. The annual rye will come up almost overnight and shade the other grass as it germinates.

Water, water water.


AS a farmer most of my 57 yrs this is very good advise. This is exactly how we plan most our crops using a companion crop like an annual rye grass etc. This will also help control weeds too since the rye grass will help out compete the weeds. And since you have two crops competing for moisture...water!!

 

[JustinH]

I see a lot of people in the Austin area buying sod on rolls instead of seed.

The reason is growing from seed uses too much water.

 

[aquariuscsm]

When planting St Augustine,use a pitchfork to loosen the soil,then lay down your sod squares. Keep it watered regularly till it roots really well.

 

[ericgcollyer]

If you go the software route, be careful. If the sod is planted in soil that contains more clay than your soil, water will have a hard time getting down to the Sandy soil. This means the grass roots won't ever grow deeply into your soil.

 

[yvon_la]

find something else to plant ,trees or whatever,go in the wood,do you see grass?NO?ask your self this why aren't trees letting grass grow,yep you guessed it,water is a limited resource.trees only take what they need but grass will take every mm of water they can find!

 

[stockrex]

take a soil sample to the local county ag office (not sure of the exact name) they will test it for you and test you what you need to fix the soil.

Fix soil first, condition it and then you will have a lifetime of good grass.
seeing is fine just give it some cover to retain the moisture. hay or something.

 

[Shannow]

My grass technique is based on the philosphies that have horse studs in the UK still raising horses continuously over hundreds of years...weeds.

If you leave your yard, thorny weeds will invade, with a big tap root. Thorny, as thy are pioneer species, and can't afford to give away nutrients to forraging animals.

They break up and aerate the soil, add organic matter, and after a while will be replaced by dandelions...similar root structure, but can handle being nibbled on, as the soil is now better.

They will be replaced by chickweed or some sort of legumninous thing, then clover will take over, then finally grass, of a type that's suitable to your conditions (and lack of watering)

That's how I did my back yard, after a couple of tries at doing seed "properly"...previous owner had used roundup religiously three times a year for a decade, so I had a desert...and I read a book on soil health and pasture.

So I left it, and mowed it, and after two summers had grass, and about an extra 2" of topsoil, as the weeds broke it up and conditioned it.

If the soil condition starts to wane, the clover comes back, in a drought, it comes back to a few dandelions here and there (then I divert the washing machine to that area, we don't water)

 

[stockrex]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
My grass technique is based on the philosphies that have horse studs in the UK still raising horses continuously over hundreds of years...weeds.

If you leave your yard, thorny weeds will invade, with a big tap root. Thorny, as thy are pioneer species, and can't afford to give away nutrients to forraging animals.

They break up and aerate the soil, add organic matter, and after a while will be replaced by dandelions...similar root structure, but can handle being nibbled on, as the soil is now better.

They will be replaced by chickweed or some sort of legumninous thing, then clover will take over, then finally grass, of a type that's suitable to your conditions (and lack of watering)

That's how I did my back yard, after a couple of tries at doing seed "properly"...previous owner had used roundup religiously three times a year for a decade, so I had a desert...and I read a book on soil health and pasture.

So I left it, and mowed it, and after two summers had grass, and about an extra 2" of topsoil, as the weeds broke it up and conditioned it.

If the soil condition starts to wane, the clover comes back, in a drought, it comes back to a few dandelions here and there (then I divert the washing machine to that area, we don't water)


Lol, your lawn looks like mine, I did not use any chemicals for 6 years and my yard is more weeds than grass

 

[sleddriver]

Congratulations on your new house! St. Aug grows great in Houston, perfect conditions for it. I'd sod it instead of seed. Look up Randy Lemmon's site as he lives in Tomball and is a landscaper. He mentions specific products that are avail in Houston and offers some great advice on caring for a yard.

 

[doitmyself]

Get some value out of your tax dollars and use your land grant university resources at Texas A & M: https://aggieturf.tamu.edu/

They will have regional based recommendations backed by research.

Good luck!

 

[Mamala Bay]

Originally Posted By: RN89
Hello guys,
My wife and I just made our first home purchase, actually just built a house, and need some advice on starting a quality yard. Our front yard the builder put down St. Augustine grass, so I'd like to match with the same type of grass in the backyard.

Right now the backyard is just moist dirt, sand type. We have had about 4 inches of rain recently so I think the ground is optimal now.

As far as laying the seed, do I need to till the ground first, and how many times should I need to lay the seed after the initial to prevent bare spots?

Thanks for your help for this young newbie homeowner!


St. Augustine grass is a warm season grass....for new turf NO seeds(won't find any) either sod or sprigs. St. Augustine are fast creepers spread from top growth stolons.

You've got some turf growing from previous owners any idea if prep work was done on soil. How is the turf growing is it strong. What's your maintenance program...how do you water...any fertilization.

The fastest to get a turf going is by sprigs but also need to make sure it doesn't dry out because you got no root growth but you got stolons lying on top soil that is going to establish some roots.

For sprigs I like using Rye grass because they grow fast from seeds. Rye grass is a cool season grass. Rye grass conditions the soil from the roots...any roots even weeds will prep the soil. Using Rye grass will help cool the top soil, take space trying to get less weeds to grow it helps some but weeds will grow especially on naked soil. Once constant watering is applied weeds will grow.

Using Rye grass(cool season) Timing is applied. For example depending on weather conditions the cooler season here is Febuary also heavier rainfall. You want the Rye grass to grow but once summer heat May comes around the Rye grass will weaken and die off. The warm season grass will be stronger and more established by then it becomes the dominant growth choking the weaker cool season Rye grass out. So you got the Rye grass playing it's role.

On new turf I use compost and till it to break compaction. The compost also breaks down clay type soil. But also compost stimulates bio activity in the soil making it easier for new growth to establish itself.

I've started new turf(sprigs) on backfill poor soil basically like no dirt...acidic soil. Mix heavy compost, tilled it then with a heavy Rye grass seed application. The Rye grass will help bring activity in the soil..even weeds helps. Because the soil was very sandy type weeds were very easy to pull out. This was with Bermuda grass sprigs. Watering was 5 minutes(timer) at 10 AM every 30 minutes till 1 PM. This actually was more watering than needed since Feb tend to have more clouds and rainfall but since it was a sandy soil I wanted the Rye grass and weeds pumping in growth. Needed roots in there to establish a growing medium.

I applied no fertilizer but only after weeds were pulled to a more controlled condition. A low NPK humus base fertilizer was used. By May things were looking good the bermuda had established dominance. By June the turf was well grown and established.

Being the condition a poor soil with backfill I highly recommended no synthetic fertilizer be used it will screw what's under the soil .... basically you got poor conditions BUT it can build a natural good 6 inches of top soil from organic breakdown. Pure natural quality breakdown but it takes time a slow process.
A low NPK humus base fertilizer is recommended for the turf.