The greening of San Antonio lawns

Choosing the right grass for lawns in south-central Texas can reduce maintenance headaches. The recommended types are St. Augustine, Zoysia, Bermuda and Buffalo. There aren’t any distinct advantages of one over the other, although buffalo grass is native to this area. All four types require irrigation, regular mowing, seasonal fertilization and pest control management.

The Grass Is Thirsty

If there’s one thing that keeps grass green, it’s an adequate amount of watering at the right times. This means you can’t count on San Antonio’s unpredictable showers to keep your lawn irrigated. Water your lawn as needed, which means observing the blades for signs of stress. St. Augustine and Zoysia grasses demand heavy irrigation. Buffalo grass requires only half an inch of water to thrive.

In general, water to a depth of six inches every four to five days. Determine the length of time that sprinklers should be left … Read Full Post »

Having a great lawn isn’t as simple as watering and cutting your grass at regular intervals. It requires careful planning and constant vigilance. Among other things, it’s crucial to know exactly how tall to keep your lawn’s grass. This isn’t a cut-and-dry consideration: It’s dependent on a number of factors, including local ordinances and style preferences. Learn more about how to keep your grass at just the right height.

Variety Is Key

Aside from local ordinances and homeowner covenants, grass variety is the single most important determinant of lawn height. Since the San Antonio area lies at the boundary zone between several distinct climate types, your lawn could be dominated by one of several types of grass. While the region’s most common grass type is probably St. Augustine, some lawns use Bermuda grass or native buffalo grass.

St. Augustine Grass Considerations

Although St. Augustine grass is native to the Gulf Coast region and tropical … Read Full Post »

If you’ve long been fighting the epic battle to remove weeds from your lawn, you need not pull every last hair out of your head. In fact, you don’t even need to use harsh chemicals. By committing to a few organic lawn care techniques that will keep your yard in great shape, you’ll be able to enjoy green grass throughout the entire year. Those dastardly weeds will go the way of the dodo, and you’ll soon feel confident enough to hold picnics, barbecues and family gatherings on your unblemished lawn.

Discover the Joys of Mulch

Mulch is an excellent way to keep your lawn healthy. If you have a specific corner of the yard that’s dedicated to small bushes, you can sprinkle mulch around the roots of the plants to keep the soil moist. This will block light from reaching the weeds. In fact, weeds that have not yet sprouted will be … Read Full Post »

Do you spend a lot of time primping and preening your San Antonio lawn, only to notice that it still doesn’t look as nice as you’d like? Have you noticed that your neighbor rarely spends any time at all on lawn maintenance and yet his grass looks terrific? If so, this article may help. There are many myths surrounding mowing and proper lawn care, and described below are the top five myths of all time.

1. You should mow your grass extra short at the end of fall.

Many people are under the belief that they should mow their grass extra short right before winter begins. However, this is simply not so. If you have cool-season grass, a two-inch cut is fine. On the other hand, two and a half inches is recommended for tall fescue.

2. Never leave grass clippings on your lawn.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, in … Read Full Post »

After mowing, watering, trimming, raking and mulching, you think you’ve met your lawn care needs, but then that pesky aeration word pops up and bursts your daydream thought bubble. Do you really need to aerate? If you want one of the lushest, greenest lawns in San Antonio, you do. Fortunately, you only need to aerate your lawn twice each year, so you don’t have to fret about it regularly.

With San Antonio’s dry climate, we recommend aerating during early spring, around March 15, and again in fall, around October 15. If your lawn receives abundant traffic, however, you might consider aerating up to five times each year. Spring aeration prepares your yard for new grass growth, and fall aeration helps your lawn recover from an activity-filled summer. Additionally, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension recognizes the holes left in the lawn behind the aeration machine as perfect little feeding tubes for water, fertilizer, … Read Full Post »