turfgrass

need grass, low budget

need grass, low budget

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melissaannesmith – posted 04 February 2004 15:35

bought old house. backyard is 80% dirt. we live in Fort Worth, Tx. I would like instant lawn for my two kids. However, the budget is very tight my husband is in grad school i am home with the kids. The yard is heavily shaded by house and tall trees. any ideas.

pacificsod – posted 05 February 2004 09:25

tall fescue is a good choice for a year round green lawn. The seed is about $25 for a 5-pound container that will cover about 500 square feet. Use a dwarf variety for slower growth rates.Common bermudagrass seed is also an alternative that requires realtively low maintenance, but it may be too aggressive and invade flower or veggie gardens, and can go off-color or dormant in cooler weather.Some new seeded hybrid bermudagrass varieties are now available, but seed will be more expensive and harder to find for most homeowners. good luck!

pacificsod – posted 05 February 2004 09:34

All turfgrass varieties need at least 4 to 5 hours of sunlight to survive

shade can be troublesome for lawns, so anything you can do to open the tree canopy or prune it higher to allow more morning adn afternoon light will help.

Fescue will do fair in shaded areas as long as it gets 4-5 hours of sun per day.

Common bermuda will do well in partial shade too.

St Augustine would be ideal for shady areas, but is only available in sod or plug form, and will be more expensive than seeding your lawn!good luck on the lawn!

melissaannesmith – posted 05 February 2004 11:20

Thank you.

jr – posted 05 February 2004 11:35

Whatever you do, please don’t go hacking up your trees for the sake of a few hundred square feet of grass. Hire a certified arborist in your area to raise the canopies, not thin them, for more morning and afternoon light. You can find a list of certified arborists in your area at www.isa-arbor.com. Also keep in mind that the larger issue with trees and turf is not light, but root competition. The root system of a tree will outcompete turf roots for moisture and nutrients every time, so whatever water and fertilizer the lawn not growing under trees gets, the area growing under the trees should get more of.

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