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Posted (edited)
On 4/11/2025 at 12:20 PM, McFly said:

Scanned it with PictureThis app and it says common wormwood.

PlantNet is another good app for scanning and identifying.  I'll take a pict or two today and post some wildflowers we have in the yard.

Edited by Bevo&Pevo
Posted
On 4/8/2025 at 1:18 PM, TPCJ007 said:

Best stuff to put on my lawn right now? Austin, with mostly St Augustine and some kind of other stuff, maybe Bermuda.

Pre emergent, IMO. By far the one thing, that helps all season. I like prodiamine 65 wdg but I'm there are tons of others. 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Filing in low spots on a 2 yo Bermuda lawn with topsoil.  About 1/2 acre is the portion I'm messing with right now. Mostly the front yard and some spots on the sides where the sprinkler lines are.  I have a zero turn and was contemplating a drag behind over a rake.   

Grass is cut to 1" right now and that's about as short as I can get it.  

Tow behind or rake for 4 yards of topsoil this round?

 

Posted
2 minutes ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Filing in low spots on a 2 yo Bermuda lawn with topsoil.  About 1/2 acre is the portion I'm messing with right now. Mostly the front yard and some spots on the sides where the sprinkler lines are.  I have a zero turn and was contemplating a drag behind over a rake.   

Grass is cut to 1" right now and that's about as short as I can get it.  

Tow behind or rake for 4 yards of topsoil this round?

 

Depends on how fast you want to do it and if you have free labor. The end result should be the same.

Posted (edited)

Kinda forgot...here are a couple of what currently is blooming.

image.thumb.jpeg.3cd30fe9de4fea5604fcbdb7e445d27a.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.2c011f7534bf7826113e2fdcf20e5451.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.659bc71b5576129041c28b1070457526.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.77424fe6dd418c784e312438d434bcfc.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.0df93f820b6e0e49b066dc1fff0b7784.jpegimage.jpeg.64e22242fe671890de162c3026f37404.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.bc7589d6946faf5353127eb75b3cfc4c.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.09150d3283848bd63e1053dfd6d0b04c.jpeg

We have:  Indian blankets, Indian paintbrush, Blue Bonnets, Black Eye Susan, Wine Cups, Morning Glory, Prairie Phlox, 2 types of Coreopsis, Mexican Petunia, Evening Primrose in the pictures.  Stuff not yet in bloom Lantana, Prairie Catchfly Gentian, Blazing Prairie Star, Canna, Some red spider lily thing, Passion Flower, Widow's Tears, Zinnia, Sunflowers (the smaller ones), Purple Heart, Mexican Hat and Rose Moss.  There's probably more but you get the idea.  

Edited by Bevo&Pevo
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Posted
11 hours ago, Bevo&Pevo said:

Kinda forgot...here are a couple of what currently is blooming.

image.thumb.jpeg.3cd30fe9de4fea5604fcbdb7e445d27a.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.2c011f7534bf7826113e2fdcf20e5451.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.659bc71b5576129041c28b1070457526.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.77424fe6dd418c784e312438d434bcfc.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.0df93f820b6e0e49b066dc1fff0b7784.jpegimage.jpeg.64e22242fe671890de162c3026f37404.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.bc7589d6946faf5353127eb75b3cfc4c.jpegimage.thumb.jpeg.09150d3283848bd63e1053dfd6d0b04c.jpeg

We have:  Indian blankets, Indian paintbrush, Blue Bonnets, Black Eye Susan, Wine Cups, Morning Glory, Prairie Phlox, 2 types of Coreopsis, Mexican Petunia, Evening Primrose in the pictures.  Stuff not yet in bloom Lantana, Prairie Catchfly Gentian, Blazing Prairie Star, Canna, Some red spider lily thing, Passion Flower, Widow's Tears, Zinnia, Sunflowers (the smaller ones), Purple Heart, Mexican Hat and Rose Moss.  There's probably more but you get the idea.  

Any tips on the bluebonnets? We planted a some a few years back and they never bloomed. 

Posted

I gave it the ole college try today. Spread 3 bags of mulch and about 60 pounds of fertilizer on the yard. I have to put 5 gallons of water on some new live oaks for the next 10 months, so hopefully brief, daily waterings will get my yard through the summer. 

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Posted

Yard work list is getting smaller. Detached some last month and  dropped slow release fertilizer.  I rented an aerator last week and spread 80 lbs of lime. Just had 1.5" of rain yesterday, perfect timing. 

See how that does but I do need to add some K-Mag.

Posted (edited)
20 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Any tips on the bluebonnets? We planted a some a few years back and they never bloomed. 

I have tried a couple of times myself to 'em to go without much luck.  I tried digging live blooming plants and putting them in the yard.  No go.  I tried container seeding.  No go.  I tried planting to the yard. No go.  This time around (late October or early November) I went with container planting where I barely knicked the husk (you want to expose the underlying seed) around the seed with a Exacto knife.  I also soaked seeds overnight, and I went with seeds straight to the dirt. When nature rained on the yard, I watered the seeds.  All three methods produced seedlings.  But weird weather (unexpected cold spells) was an issue.  Some plants managed to survive, but I think it should have been more. As you can see in the pictures BB's will come up with 2 round leaves, then start producing the pointed leaves.  So, now you can know what to look for in the spring when working in your flower beds.  I hope I can get some volunteers to come back off what I planted.  But I'll try seeds one more time.  Our master plan was to get the back yard established and then begin to move different types to the front.  Currently the front yard has only Indian paintbrush. Once, they start dying back I'll move some Black Eye Susan's, Indian blankets, Prairie Phlox, Buttercups and Coreopsis to the front.  Maybe next year, they'll do their thing.  I think the snow along with weird spring weather held some stuff back.   For whatever reason the sunflowers aren't doing much.  Finally got 2 to bloom out, but the rest of 'em aren't in any hurry to do much. 

Planting Bluebonnets

BTW, I got my seeds from Ebay seller (seedjet) out of Washington St.  Weird.  Our local HEB had BB's for sale in containers this spring, so you can try that also. 

Whatever you do, take pictures and don't give up.  

20230105_101603.jpg

20230223_134839.jpg

1d1df83d-e746-4a0c-84cf-c7a2267eee0e.jpg

Edited by Bevo&Pevo
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Posted
19 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I gave it the ole college try today. Spread 3 bags of mulch and about 60 pounds of fertilizer on the yard. I have to put 5 gallons of water on some new live oaks for the next 10 months, so hopefully brief, daily waterings will get my yard through the summer. 

I planted some new oaks a few years ago and used a tree gator to get them through the first few seasons.

wrap it around the tree, fill, wait ... fill, wait ... fill, wait ... eventually the tree is OK without extra water.

Posted
19 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Any tips on the bluebonnets? We planted a some a few years back and they never bloomed. 

Back in my nursery days I remember we'd tell people to put the seeds in the freezer to crack the outer shell. Don't remember how long that took.

Posted
43 minutes ago, McFly said:

Back in my nursery days I remember we'd tell people to put the seeds in the freezer to crack the outer shell. Don't remember how long that took.

Never heard that, but I know the germination rate is low.  According to this article, don't expect much more than about 30 percent.  I did a quick search on seed freezing.

Master Naturalist shares steps to growing bluebonnets - 101 Highland Lakes

Posted

Bluebonnets have a low germination rate, I think I read that it's about 20%.  I planted about a 1/4 acre plot about 12 years ago with I think 6 lbs of seed.  Half of them I froze overnight, put them in a bowl and poured boiling water on to weaken the seed case for the initial couple of years.  I shallow scratched the soil and just spread them out.  After that I let nature take its course.  However, you have to let them go until the seed pod bursts, so I usually don't mow them until around July 4th.  This year the crop was exceedingly poor with the lack of rain in the November-February time frame.  When the weather cooperates, it looks like a big bluebonnet carpet.  They don't like fertilizing or much else done to them.  Even the bluebonnets at the Lady Bird Center weren't as good as usual this year and they water them.

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Posted

My house is Austin stone with Tyvek under. How much do I need to fret over sprinklers that hit the stone? I have tried to point them away from the house but wind blows some spray on the stone. I know rain gets on it but it's never going to rain again.

Posted

Total novice here, but had our whole backyard redone last fall. Laid down zoysia sod and about 75% of it came back this spring, but along the north side of the fence (right side in the photo) I don’t think is going to make it. Just too shady I guess. Wondering what I could put there in terms of ground cover that would do ok in mostly shade. Don’t want to go full on bushes or shrubs, as I’m trying to keep it semi-open for the pups. Small backyard as it is. 
 

Any advice appreciated, including surly snark  


image.thumb.jpeg.0f666b8b0d8c0d4e63b7681cb94c4c01.jpeg

Posted

I've decided next fall and spring I'm gonna rip out my front lawn and plant a native prairie. Need to make it look contained and planned but I'm done with grass. Brings me nothing but stress.  Still gonna have a lawn in back yard for kids but I'm done fighting it. 

Plus seeing butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visit my native plants I already have is good for my soul.  

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Posted (edited)
14 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Total novice here, but had our whole backyard redone last fall. Laid down zoysia sod and about 75% of it came back this spring, but along the north side of the fence (right side in the photo) I don’t think is going to make it. Just too shady I guess. Wondering what I could put there in terms of ground cover that would do ok in mostly shade. Don’t want to go full on bushes or shrubs, as I’m trying to keep it semi-open for the pups. Small backyard as it is. 
 

Any advice appreciated, including surly snark  


image.thumb.jpeg.0f666b8b0d8c0d4e63b7681cb94c4c01.jpeg

Fescue is the next step down in shade tolerance. Dwf mondo/monkey grass works well in deep shade too. The drawback to the fescue is that you will have to keep the dogs off of it until it's tough enough to withstand them. It's also not the best time to germinate cool season grasses in Texas. Maybe throw up a temporary fence and try a spot. Move fence and repeat until it's done.

 

Edit: also be sure that the fungus didn't take out the zoysia rather than lack of sun

Edited by cactusflinthead
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Posted
6 hours ago, Post Oak said:

I've decided next fall and spring I'm gonna rip out my front lawn and plant a native prairie. Need to make it look contained and planned but I'm done with grass. Brings me nothing but stress.  Still gonna have a lawn in back yard for kids but I'm done fighting it. 

Plus seeing butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visit my native plants I already have is good for my soul.  

I knew a guy that had a yard like that. It was mostly native, but he had some adapted stuff like rosemary, some oakleaf hydrangeas, and a few big hollies he left in there. It was in a post oak area so he had those as a base and filled in the gaps. Maintenance was negligible. It's not hard. Kinda fun really. You get a chance to start a collection of stuff and experiment. If it fails or you don't like it, rip it out and try something else. The annuals will start to reseed on their own and after a couple of seasons the perennials take off like crazy.

Posted
On 5/7/2025 at 6:58 PM, Not that Bob said:

My house is Austin stone with Tyvek under. How much do I need to fret over sprinklers that hit the stone? I have tried to point them away from the house but wind blows some spray on the stone. I know rain gets on it but it's never going to rain again.

It's not a big deal. Wind happens. 

Posted
1 hour ago, Post Oak said:

Yeah.  I'm gonna order some native wildflower seeds and plant them around some salvias, milkweeds, sages lantana, and mistflower. 

 

First read of that and my brain read “sativas.

 

  • Like 2
Posted
On 5/14/2025 at 11:19 AM, Post Oak said:

I've decided next fall and spring I'm gonna rip out my front lawn and plant a native prairie. Need to make it look contained and planned but I'm done with grass. Brings me nothing but stress.  Still gonna have a lawn in back yard for kids but I'm done fighting it. 

Plus seeing butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visit my native plants I already have is good for my soul.  

Currently building a new home out in the country and looking to plan for next spring.   Sitting on top of a hill with no trees currently planted so I have a blank slate.  Will be running off well water and do not to be constantly having to water all summer.   I was looking at the Habiturf blend developed by the LBJ Wildflower center which is a blend of  Buffalograss, Blue Grama, and Curly Mesquite.  Looks to be everything I am looking for.  Native, not requiring much watering, can go dormant in drought and will come back with rain, does not require much manicuring, but I cannot really find any real life reviews of it.   Has anyone had any experience with this stuff?

Posted
4 hours ago, cab948 said:

Currently building a new home out in the country and looking to plan for next spring.   Sitting on top of a hill with no trees currently planted so I have a blank slate.  Will be running off well water and do not to be constantly having to water all summer.   I was looking at the Habiturf blend developed by the LBJ Wildflower center which is a blend of  Buffalograss, Blue Grama, and Curly Mesquite.  Looks to be everything I am looking for.  Native, not requiring much watering, can go dormant in drought and will come back with rain, does not require much manicuring, but I cannot really find any real life reviews of it.   Has anyone had any experience with this stuff?

I'd recommend that from native American seeds..based in Junction. Same blend but those guys are awesome.

https://seedsource.com/thunder-turf/

They also have other grass mixes for sun, shade or graded areas 

https://seedsource.com/native-seed/seed-mixes/

My buddy used it but small yard and has had great success. But again v small yard, less than 500 Sq ft.

Genuinely id call NAS and ask those guys.

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Posted

Have any Austin folks done a build-out/leveling to a sloping native backyard? Mine is dirt and rocks backing to a greenbelt. I want a level area big enough for the kids to play and a putting green would be nice perk. Do I start with a landscape architect to get plans and a budget estimate? Any recommendations for such a person? 

Posted
2 hours ago, drewlaws said:

Have any Austin folks done a build-out/leveling to a sloping native backyard? Mine is dirt and rocks backing to a greenbelt. I want a level area big enough for the kids to play and a putting green would be nice perk. Do I start with a landscape architect to get plans and a budget estimate? Any recommendations for such a person? 

I've done several of these types of projects with my former business over the years.  It can revolutionize the space, but costs can balloon pretty quickly depending on access, how much material you need to bring in and infrastructure / hardscape needs.  I have a few landscape architects I can recommend, depending on budget.  Feel free to shoot me a DM with details, and I can provide some contact info.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

YMMV but for the lawn folks that test thier soil, check out your local county ag extension office. Surprised as shit there was one in our small beach town. They can test PH for free and other nutrients  at a better cost than apps etc . 

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Posted
On 5/22/2025 at 9:33 AM, cab948 said:

Currently building a new home out in the country and looking to plan for next spring.   Sitting on top of a hill with no trees currently planted so I have a blank slate.  Will be running off well water and do not to be constantly having to water all summer.   I was looking at the Habiturf blend developed by the LBJ Wildflower center which is a blend of  Buffalograss, Blue Grama, and Curly Mesquite.  Looks to be everything I am looking for.  Native, not requiring much watering, can go dormant in drought and will come back with rain, does not require much manicuring, but I cannot really find any real life reviews of it.   Has anyone had any experience with this stuff?

I don't see any good reviews. They are even asking each other at TexAgs about it, but I have had enough aggy for today. It's primarily buffalograss(62%). The main problem with native grasses is too much water. It can get the same root rot that the others get, but it's usually operator error. You can try a patch this summer, but I would concentrate on a late summer/fall seeding to see if you can mimic its natural cycle. 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
57 minutes ago, Tailgate said:

Anyone have a good store/location for bulk mulch? I have a few areas that need quite a bit. South Austin. Appreciate any thoughts.

Whittlesey Landscape Supply is your best bet.  They deliver or you can pick it up if you have a truck and/or trailer.  South Austin location is near the airport on Dalton.

https://www.989rock.com/

Posted
On 5/22/2025 at 9:33 AM, cab948 said:

Currently building a new home out in the country and looking to plan for next spring.   Sitting on top of a hill with no trees currently planted so I have a blank slate.  Will be running off well water and do not to be constantly having to water all summer.   I was looking at the Habiturf blend developed by the LBJ Wildflower center which is a blend of  Buffalograss, Blue Grama, and Curly Mesquite.  Looks to be everything I am looking for.  Native, not requiring much watering, can go dormant in drought and will come back with rain, does not require much manicuring, but I cannot really find any real life reviews of it.   Has anyone had any experience with this stuff?

What are the existing conditions like?  I'm three years into a similar situation.  I had about 3 acres of open pasture with good soil with established native grasses.  I also took out about 2 acres of THICK Cedars and that's been a process.  This is the first year where that area is starting to take shape.  Lots of manual work getting thistle, horseweed, croton, and sticker burrs out.  Where native grasses were present, they're finally filling in those areas where Cedar was removed.  In other areas that were absolutely barren, I had lots of luck with Austin Hydroseed.  I think I spent about $5K and did a few different blends including their "Damaged Earth Mix".  The first year I thought it was going to fail, but it's really taking shape now.  They have both native grass mixes and wildflower mixes.  Great customer service and I thought the pricing was fair.  

https://austinhydroseeding.com/

It seems like the wildflowers weren't the best this spring, but my front pasture is thick after recent rains.  There's some verbena, antelope horn and Indian paintbrushes, and I'm getting a ton of Mexican hat popping up in recent weeks as well.  It's so awesome to sip coffee on the front porch and watch rabbits and deer.  We had two fawns that were bedded down in that pasture this spring as well.  Definitely seeing mother nature do her thing.

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