Whats the best grass to grow in dense shade in texas?
Question:I don't have a sprinkler system so the summer heat will be a factor. I'm looking for something I dont have to replant each year. I'm trying to grow St Augustine sod, but it's growing tall, not spreading.
Answers:
There are really only 2 predominant grasses grown in Texas that are used for lawns. The most hardy is Bermuda. This grass is tough as nails and will endure the Texas summers which can be painfully hot. Bermuda does not grow in the shade well at all.
St. Augustine is considered by many to be a higher class grass. It is easier to mantain in cooler climates and does excellent in the shade. St. Augustine should work fine for your needs however you will need to prep the ground and "fluff" up the soil before laying the sod or planting plugs. St. Augustine is an excellent choice for choking out weeds. In the shade, it will not spread very fast. Regular and proper watering along with fertilizers will keep the grass looking gorgeous. Note*** It is important to keep all leaves, pine needles and debris clean from the grass as the debris will only serve to block even more sunlight and could kill the grass.
Fescue
centipede, maybe?
st auguistine needs sun, if memory serves.
I live in Texas, too. I've had really good luck with St. Augustine when I had time to tend to it properly. I've found that I had better luck planting runners than actually sodding the grass. I know that sounds strange, but it's true. We sodded a large area in our front yard and I took a few runners from there and planted in a very shady area of the side yard and some in the back (some shade, but not a lot) and the runners filled in a lot faster than the sod.
Be sure to water thoroughly at least twice a week and use a good fertilizer, but make sure it's meant for St. Augustine (some are not). Good luck and enjoy your grass. I have missed mine sooooo much since we moved!
Creeping Red Fescue grow great here in NC. It is a very soft dark green grass. It is expensive. Sometimes hard to find but i found some at lowes in one on the small 5 lb bags.
It is a spreading low grass that comes back year after year.
Will live in shade ONLY and not in sun though.
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