winter grass in Dallas, TX

willscott – posted 08 November 2006 10:42

I realize there is a board for winter grasses but this seems to be the most active.

I live in the Dallas area and was wondering what kind of winter grass do most shopping centers and apartment complexes use?

I recentely over seeded with winter rye and this grass looks different from theirs, not to mention their winter grass is nice a thick and all they did was scalp the summer grass. I had to scalp, rake, and then rake some more inorder to get the rye seeds to touch the dirt.

[This message has been edited by willscott (edited 08 November 2006).]

tommy – posted 09 November 2006 14:10

You don’t have to scalp all the way to the dirt, but rather reduce enough thatch to where the seeds can fall through and come reasonably close to the soil. It also depends on the density of the bermuda, and how it was maintained during the summer. Bermuda that is cut with rotary mowers at a fairly tall cut, are easier to scalp because the turf is not dense toward the soil line. Bermuda that is highly maintained and cut with a reel mower at low heights, usually requires heavy raking or verti cutting. The over seed you are seeing around town may be perennial rye (if its dark green), and if its lighter in color, its usually annual rye or poa trivialis. Perennial rye is also light green when it first comes up.

willscott – posted 14 November 2006 09:43

There is an annual rye? Should this be an option for me wth my bermuda? The winter Rye is finally coming it and starting to look good. Thank you for your response.

how long should I wait before I fertilize the new grass?

tommy – posted 14 November 2006 14:46

Both Annual and perennial rye are called-‘winter rye’. The difference’s being that annual dies out quicker in the spring heat, and makes for a quicker transition back to bermuda. Its also much less expensive than Perennial, but otherwise does not have the turf quality of perennial rye…….which looks a lot like kentucky blue when its established. Perennial rye also mows cleaner,( annual tends to clog mowers), and its more wear tolerant.

tommy – posted 14 November 2006 14:58

……as far as fertilizer goes, if you did not fertilize at the time of seeding, go ahead and give it some food after the first mowing. A light application will do, and the first mowing should be when the grass reaches 2 inches. At that time mow it at 1 1/2 Avoid sharp turns with the mower, as this will damage the new grass blades. Also make sure the blade is sharp.