wrote in message
oups.com...
OK, I asked about this last year, but there didn't seem to be any
consensus.

I have a mostly shaded back yard that my 85 pound golden retriever
occasionally romps around in, which has slowly been wearing away the
St. Augestine that was there. I would like a more durable grass to
plant there, with the following desired attributes (in order):

Durability
Thrives in Shade
Drought-Resistant

I've been looking at various Zoysia grasses. I tried some seeding some
Bermuda derivatives last year (Rebel III, IIRC), but it just didn't
hold up. Also, is there any place you can buy Zoysia sod now? Most of
the places I called said they weren't getting any in until April.
(There are online sellers, but I'm not sure if I want to pay the
shipping charge, and I would like to go with sod rather than plugs if
at all possible.)

Any advice?

Lawrence Person

Submitted by Calvin Finch, Ph.D., Manager, Conservation Division, Water
Resources & Conservation Department, SAWS, and Horticulturist
WHICH GRASS IS FOR YOU


Choosing a turfgrass is not easy in San Antonio, none of the varieties are
overwhelmingly better than the other. A lawn can be attractive and a great
place for your pets and children to play but if you are intent on keeping it
green all summer, it requires lots of water and work. Reduce the lawn area
as much as possible with hardscape (preferably pervious), groundcover, and
perennials.

We have four choices for a permanent lawn: St. Augustine, Bermudagrass,
zoysia, and buffalo grass.

St. Augustine is the most popular grass. It is attractive with wide
kelly-green blades. St. Augustine is easy to mow and has the best shade
tolerance. Sod is relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain. St. Augustine,
evolved, however, in a high rainfall area with acidic soil. In San Antonio
it requires heavy irrigation and is stressed to the point that it requires
attention for insects, diseases, and iron chlorosis. St. Augustine does not
have very good traffic tolerance. If it turns brown in a drought, it is
dead. To keep it green requires about .75 inches of water per week.

Bermuda grass requires full sun. Mowed low, at 1.5 inches or less, a Bermuda
lawn can look like a golf course. It is the grass used for golf courses and
athletic fields in our area. Bermuda has the most traffic tolerance of the
lawn grasses available, and will go dormant if water is not available. When
the rains start again, it greens up quickly. Bermuda is relatively insect
and disease free but is not as thick as St. Augustine, so can support weeds,
especially in the winter. The Bermuda grasses require about .5 inches of
irrigation or rain in the summer to stay green. Hybrid Bermuda selections
like 'Baby' and 419 are available as sod. Common Bermuda can be seeded.
Sahara and Cheyenne are improved selections of common Bermuda.

Zoysia grass has some of the best characteristics of both St. Augustine and
Bermuda grass. It has shade tolerance (not as much as St. Augustine) and
forms a thick weed free sod. Zoysia has good traffic tolerance, is pest
resistant, and can go dormant in a drought. Zoysia is the most difficult
grass to mow. Emerald, a fine blade beautiful selection, has a texture like
steel wool. It mows best with a reel mower. Jamur and El Toro are two good
selections of zoysia that are easier to care for. Mow them with a regular
rotary mower. Because of its slow growth characteristic, zoysia sod is often
25 to 40 percent more expensive than St. Augustine. Although zoysia grass
has drought tolerance and can go dormant, to stay green it requires the same
amount of water as St. Augustine.

Buffalo grass is the only native turf on the permanent lawn grass list. It
requires only about 3/8 inch of water every week to stay green and, thus, is
the least water demanding grass. Overwatering will kill buffalo grass. Plant
buffalo grass in full sun on heavy soils. It is insect and disease free. The
main problem of buffalo grass is weeds. It does not form a tight sod so
there is lots of room for weeds to germinate. Mowing the grass very high, 5
inches, helps keep weeds out, but it is often necessary to use pre-emergent
herbicides two times per year if you want weed free buffalo grass..

Buffalo grass can be grown from seed or sod. The sod includes only female
plants for more uniformity. Stampede and 609 are two popular selections.

Select the lawn grass that best suites the availability of light in your
yard, your aesthetic preferences, your interest in lawn work, and your
tolerance for water bills. Six inches of soil is best for a good lawn. If
you have less, add some, or use groundcovers instead.