OT: Grass Seed

[Ellisville Dawg]

I know we’ve had a bunch of grass threads but didn’t see an answer in any of the ones I looked through.

I just got through building a shop behind the house. Need to get some grass growing to prevent the bare dirt from washing out. Is there any point in planting grass seed now in the heat of the summer? What variety will grow best right now with hopes of surviving to next spring?

 

[T-TownDawgg]

Centipede. But it takes about 2-3 weeks to germinate when it's hot; that would put you into Sept for sprouts. Never tried it this late. But it's a pretty resilient grass when rooted.

You'll have to water it every day for about 30 min until it sprouts, and in Aug-Sept you're not gonna get much help from rainfall, so get ready for big water bill.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Along same lines, which is best for growing under pine trees?

 

[DancingRabbit]

Pine needles. **

Actually, I think St. Augustine has grown under pines OK at one of my houses. Wasn't dense shade.

 

[RocketDawg]

We had St. Augustine under two large oak trees when I was growing up and as I recall, it did well in the shade. We never used fertilizer or any other lawn care product on it.

 

[T-TownDawgg]

Seems like pines and white oaks are the worst at hogging up moisture and nutrients in my area. Red oaks seem to be less greedy, and my turfgrasses flourish under them.

 

[AnotherOldDog]

Why would you use seed instead of sod? Last time I used seed birds ate it as fast as I could put it out. I'm in Brandon. I put down lot of centipede sod last winter. Yes, it was brown (dormant), but the roots grow in the winter, and I got a good head start on spring.

Don't know where you are, but Hutto's has sod year round.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

I’m in Pearl. I put 65 sheets of St. Aug down in the open area, and it took well. I put down 20 more in an area next to my extended patio and my German Shepherd pulled up about 12 of them and slung all the soil out and scattered them all over my yard.
The 8 remaining took root and spread fairly quickly into most of the area she destroyed. But I get no spread into the area under the trees. Gonna try to cut some plugs from existing and plug spread it in bare spots and see what happens. Gotta water a bunch as dry as it is. Hoping for rain this week!

 

[ronpolk]

Pine needles. **

Actually, I think St. Augustine has grown under pines OK at one of my houses. Wasn't dense shade.

I have st Augustine under 2 large pines in my front yard and it grows very nice.

I have 4 large oak trees in the back and nothing but weeds grow under them