# Shade Tolerant Warm Season Grass For West Texas



## Mbcarter967 (Feb 25, 2020)

I recently moved to Del Rio, TX (basically Mexico), and I planted cool season grass, and I'm afraid I jumped the gun. I planted Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue. It's grown great throughout the "winter", but I'm worried about how well it will do as the weather heats up. Some people around here plant rye in the cool season and Bermuda for the warm season, so as one goes dormant, the other wakes up. My only concern with that is that I have a tree in my yard that provides shade for much of the yard. As a very generous estimate, I would say the shady part of my yard gets sun for about 5 hours per day (8-12, 4-5). What are y'all's thoughts on overseeding the Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue with Bermuda? I had researched Zoysia as a potential option before realizing that it can't be grown from seed. I'm only really interested in something that I can grow from seed. I've attached a photo of the average temps and rainfall for my area. Watering is not an issue, as unlimited water is included in my rent, and my yard is quite small (only about 1200 sq ft) or so. Thank you in advance!


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

Zoysia can be grown from seed, but it's expensive and hard to get. Zenith is considered the best seeded variety.

Any bermuda grown from seed would work in sunny areas, but not in the shade.

Your best bet might be turf type tall fescue, and no, the K31 doesn't count. Any fescue will require a lot of water in the summers you will get there, so irrigation will be a necessity.


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## Rooster (Aug 19, 2019)

Spammage said:


> Your best bet might be turf type tall fescue


I would not try this. It won't fare much better than K31 in that kind of heat. I had tons of trouble with TTTF thinning and dying out with temps over 90, and in my area that only lasted ~6 weeks. Water won't cure all the ills of a grass that just doesn't like that kind of heat.

@Mbcarter967, I'm not a warm season expert but I think you're best bet would be Zoysia sod/plugs or, if you insist on seeding, bermuda. It won't do so well in the shade but it won't be eradicated in your heat like TTTF/K31 will.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I'm most certainly not an expert, but would it work if he mixes Bermuda and TTTF? The Bermuda will look good in the sun and the TTTF will only survive in the shade where the Bermuda is weaker. Of course, the two different textures of turf would make my OCD flare up.


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## Rooster (Aug 19, 2019)

Redtwin said:


> I'm most certainly not an expert, but would it work if he mixes Bermuda and TTTF? The Bermuda will look good in the sun and the TTTF will only survive in the shade where the Bermuda is weaker. Of course, the two different textures of turf would make my OCD flare up.


That's what happens in my neck of the woods when people try to grow TTTF and don't stay completely on top of it . . . common bermuda takes over the sunny areas and TTTF stays decent in the shady areas. If the texture difference and the winter dormancy (if that would even happen to Bermuda in Del Rio) on half the lawn doesn't bother you too much, this can work to at least keep grass everywhere. Treating for weeds can be tricky with the northern/southern combo I would imagine.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Mbcarter967 said:


> I'm only really interested in something that I can grow from seed.


Why is that a requirement?


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## FlaDave (Jul 10, 2018)

If you must seed your only 2 options really are centipede and zoysia for warm season shade tolerance. They are both painfully slow to grow from seed is my understanding and shade tolerance is moderate at best. I know you said seed but 3 pallets of st Aug would be the way I would approach this for only 1200sqft. Maybe even a shade tolerant zoysia sod.


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## andymac7 (Oct 30, 2018)

I would highly recommend Zenith zoysia. Yes, it's a bit slower to germinate and grow in, but once it does, you'll have a thick lush carpet of grass by summer. It's worth the investment. If you only have 1200 sq ft, you can get a 2lb bag off Amazon for $85 to easily cover that, and have some for back up. I assume your zone is much warmer than mine, and I sowed it last year in June, and had full coverage by early September.

Pointers from what I learned with it last year:

1. Be patient! 
2. After it does sprout, do NOT overwater. Zoysia can have fungus issues if so. Taper down your waterings from once a day to about once every 3 days, depending on your weather forecast.
3. As with sowing other grasses, you'll want to use a seedling-safe herbicide such as Quinclorac or Quicksilver to deal with the much faster growing weeds as your baby zoysia starts coming up. This is a key step that I neglected in the beginning.
4. Zoysia surprisingly sprigs VERY easily. If you sow and have a freak rainstorm that causes wash out, or if there are areas that didn't fill in, simply use a garden trowel to go around and scoop small patches up and transplant. You will be surprised how it takes quickly and sends out runners, especially in the hot sun.

In agreement with others, I would never mix TTTF with bermuda, as the textures/colors are completely different.


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## FlyGrass (Feb 26, 2020)

Hey I used to live off Echo Valley in DR! It's gotten a lot better from what it used to be...

I'd do TifTuf pallets (instead of seed) Little Acre nursery should be able to order it, talk to Bill, he's awesome. Or maybe try to order from Thomas Turfgrass (I think New Braunfels is the closest location).

If you haven't already...buy a boat it'll keep your sanity there in DR.


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## Mbcarter967 (Feb 25, 2020)

Movingshrub said:


> Mbcarter967 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm only really interested in something that I can grow from seed.
> ...


@Movingshrub I'm only going to be living here for a year and a half or so, so I don't want to put a ton of money into the grass when I'm going to be gone before long.


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## cldrunner (May 14, 2019)

BUFFALO GRASS.

Cheap. Easy to take care of and very low water requirements.

https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/turf/publications/buffalo.html

https://www.turnerseed.com/prices.html

broadcast seeding rates of 4 to 6 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. will cover in several months with adequate moisture.


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## FlyGrass (Feb 26, 2020)

> @Movingshrub I'm only going to be living here for a year and a half or so, so I don't want to put a ton of money into the grass when I'm going to be gone before long.


Habiturf.

Get it from Kings Seed in SA.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

My vote would be to sprig it with Tiftuf or celebration.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Movingshrub said:


> My vote would be to sprig it with Tiftuf or celebration.


+1


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## Scooby36 (Oct 24, 2019)

Mbcarter967 said:


> Movingshrub said:
> 
> 
> > Mbcarter967 said:
> ...


Pilot training?


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## jakemauldin (Mar 26, 2019)

SPF-30 is a new hybrid bluegrass and has qualities you are looking for. Just not sure it will withstand the west texas heat. But it is by far the most shade tolerant grass I've seen be successful in DFW Texas area. The good thing is the SPF-30 is sooooooooo much cheaper than any other grass warm season grass seed.
Here's a thread that I started, one guy has had major success with it.
https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9273&hilit=spf+30


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