So, I am a new pond owner and trying to make plans for spring grass planting. I live in Oklahoma and would like something that doesn't require constant mowing and preferably, better looking than the bermuda grass I see everywhere. I'd love some advice on the best method of planting and watering method for keeping the grass alive through this drought. Any help would be much appreciated.
Zoysia is getting more popular and supposed to be relatively hardy but a bit more pricey and apparently only comes in sod and seeds. I believe Zoysia is not available in hydro-mulch form
Buffalo grass is supposed to be low maintenance, doesn't like shade, and is not as pretty.
i am running a test this year and trying some of several types: Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Fescue. May try some Buffalo too
TOO FUNNY farmallsc! Mine consisted of multiflora rose, honey locust, and rocks. I'll trade ya! I have cleared the thorny stuff, but the rocks own my place.
Urban, I just bought several bags of Fescue/Rye mix just to get something started. I have found that no matter what I plant around my place before the year is up mother nature has taken over and a lot of what was in the seed bag has grown, given up, and been replaced by whatever is blowing in the wind. I'm not a yard-meister by no means so I'm pretty happy as long as my dirt doesn't wash away. I would gather that you are going for more of a higher level of satisfaction and Bob and Zep's recommendations sound solid to me.
I need to replant the back side of my dam as well. Unfortunantly a lot of it is clay. I am going to try a number of things like spreading old hay bails out and let the cows "fertilize" it. Dig up some top soil with bahai grass and costal in it and spread it around. Finally put down some more of that erosion matting after planting various seeds like I did around the spillway.
You can spend lots of money, try several things, fail a couple times, and in about two years finally get a decent stand.
Or you can let the clay weather about a year, then a year later plant it with proper fertilize and lime and finally get a decent stand.
At least that has been my luck, but others may vary.
If one has enough money and a lack of patience, you can always haul in good top soil (if you can find such a thing - I have seen some of the stuff that supposedly passes for topsoil) then it will grow something.
There is something about clay that has not seen sunlight or wind for thousands of years that just does not like to grow stuff till it does see those things for a while.
Thanks Bob! I've talked to the 'officials' here but they've been absolutely no help what so ever....I've had them come out a couple of times and both times they just walked around and threw out every negative that they could come up with...it just amazes me how inept government employees can be...at any rate, most everything they've told me I couldn't do, I've done.
I planted some rye at the beginning of last summer and it came out alright in my clay but I was told that I needed to plan on a more tolerant grass for this year...I am leaning towards b-dahl grass.
Interesting...I was at TractorSupply a couple of weeks ago and an older guy must've heard me talking to the store clerk and I guess he sensed the clerk didn't know what to tell me, so he came up and from his own experience recommended 'GroundWork Ultra Premium Tall Fescue'...fortunately we're actually having a wet spring this year so we'll see what happens after the rain stops...
