Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, Centipede, Bahia, Paspalum, etc
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dbtothayard
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Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by dbtothayard » August 30th, 2018, 4:43 pm

I've read a few posts about drought tolerant grasses on here but wanted to get some clarification on best grass/practices for my yard in the San Fernando Valley. The drought and heat have really baked this yard.

The front yard is mostly drought tolerant desert plants, but there's a median/parkway of maybe 8'x50' that is currently grass. There is 0% shade and an explosion of bermuda grass that I have given up on. My first question is, should I just let the bermuda grass take over and let that be my parkway? It seems like the most water efficient way to deal with the problem.

The back yard is a different story. It is about 20'x40' which gets full sun from about noon to 5pm, the rest is partial shade from different angles. Some corners of the yard are quite healthy while others are bald. Some of this is due to sprinkler placement but I think mostly due to sun exposure. When I moved in, it was already set to water Sun/Tues/Thurs evenings for 5mins each station. I changed that to Sun/Thurs for about 10mins per station. The yard improved just a touch this year compared to last year but still not great.

I don't know what type of grass is currently there, it is thick and hearty, sharp blades. A landscaper that saw it said it's not the most drought tolerant type. So I patched the bald spots in October with Scotts Drought Tolerant Sunny mix in one spot, and with Pearl's Premium in another. The Scotts did quite well, while the Pearl's died in the first week of heat. It is now the end of August and I'm considering what to use next. One neighbor said to use Marathon, so I have just now began patching one spot with Marathon 2 to see how it goes. Yes I have random patches with different grasses but at this point I'm just trying the different varieties out to see what will work and what I like. When I settle on something I will use it exclusively and re-seed everything. The Pearls was really nice and soft (ie great for kids) but it just couldn't take the heat despite claiming 1ft long roots.

Anyways, just checking to see if anyone knows if there is one grass that is reasonably soft enough for family, that can take the heat, and is low water so I can lower that bill. Thanks

ctrav
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by ctrav » August 30th, 2018, 5:29 pm

I use to live in the Valley not to far of Shermain Way...its a small world :)

I have bermuda which does well in heat but Im not an expert to give advice. One of these knowledgeable folks will be more specific for sure...

dbtothayard
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by dbtothayard » August 31st, 2018, 2:28 am

Yeah, not too far off...temps hit over 116F for a day or two this summer, stayed at 96+ for nearly the whole time. Just now cooling off, barely.

bpgreen
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by bpgreen » August 31st, 2018, 10:37 am

I don't know a lot about warm season grasses, but from what I've read, Bermuda needs a lot of sun to do well, so it's probably not a good choice for the back.

I've researched drought tolerant native grasses for my lawn. I know more about cool season natives than warm season natives, but I do know a little about some warm season natives.

Buffalo grass is native to much of the US and is extremely drought tolerant, but I think it needs almost as much sun as Bermuda. If you research buffalo grass, make sure you don't look at sites from Australia. What they call buffalo grass in Australia is what we call St Augustine grass in the US.

Blue grama is another warm season native that is very drought tolerant. It doesn't need nearly as much sun as buffalo grass, but I'm not sure whether it's adapted to your area or not. You could try planting a small amount in a test area to see how it does. One drawback to it is that it is a bunch grass. It will spread slowly via tillers that grow right next to the original plant, but it doesn't send out stolons or rhizomes, so if you get bare spots, you may need to reseed. You'll probably need to water for a short time a couple of times per day for a couple of weeks to get it to germinate, but once it germinates, you can gradually cut back. Once it's established, it requires very little water (I've seen some native blue grama on the side of the road that was green in late summer when we hadn't had any rain to speak of for several months).

You could check with an extension service to see if blue grama will grow in your area.

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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by gardenpants » August 31st, 2018, 3:51 pm

dchall used to live in SoCal and will be able to give you a good answer. I seem to remember that he doesn't recommend Marathon, and prefers St. Augustine.

As far as traditional warm season grasses go, St Augustine has the best shade tolerance. Given the description of a partially shaded backyard, that is probably your the best choice. It's barefoot friendly. Granted we're not as dry in my part of TX as in Cal, but I can get by with watering my St. Aug once a month, in summer temps in the high 90's. Buffalograss and blue grama may be more drought tolerant, but they also both do better in full sun.


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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by andy10917 » August 31st, 2018, 3:59 pm

Pinging David (DCHALL) to the thread...

dbtothayard
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by dbtothayard » August 31st, 2018, 4:17 pm

Thanks, folks. I should actually clarify that I'm only considering the Bermuda grass in the front parkway area. I really don't like the look of Bermuda grass (I even catch myself yanking it from the sidewalk cracks around the neighborhood haha). But it seems to be the only thing that "wants" to grow in full sun. The back yard is where I'd like to pick a good seed. That said, if I find something that can take the extreme heat, I'll put it in the front parkway.

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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by gardenpants » August 31st, 2018, 5:26 pm

If you really don't like the bermuda in the parkway strip, something like buffalo or blue grama would be perfect. UC Verde, a buffalograss cultivar, was even bred specifically for the California climate. It requires less water than bermuda and can be left unmowed if desired, because it only grows to about 6" high.

If you're willing to consider a turf-like groundcover, you might also look at Kurapia. I have it in my parkway strip, and I've never needed to water mine, outside the first couple of weeks when it was planted. It also stays low without any mowing, just the occasional edging. In some locations, it qualifies for a turf removal rebate.

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Dchall_San_Antonio
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » August 31st, 2018, 6:26 pm

Okay I'm here. Thanks Andy.

California has a really good option for your front yard. It's UC Verde Buffalo grass developed at both UC Riverside and UC Davis. Call around to find it. You may have to go to Orange or Riverside County to get it, but it's the bomb. It has all the advantages of a hybrid bermuda without the need for continual doses of nitrogen. UC Verde spreads quickly and becomes very dense to choke out weeds. I know it can be mowed high, but I've seen other improved varieties of buffalo mowed at putting green heights and thrive. I'll post pictures of another variety.

Going to Marathon is going the wrong way. If you lived in an area where the temps stay in the 70s all year, then sure, go for Marathon. Generally that is west of the 410 freeway. The problem with Marathon is it needs water just about every day with temps in the 90s. It might be the chief cause for the water shortages in SoCal. Whereas any southern weather turf will need water only once a week or less frequently. Marathon belongs in the north, near the beach, or at altitudes around 5,000 feet (Lake Arrowhead).

In your area though, go with something like UC Verde, bermuda, or St Augustine. For the back yard, you could try the UC Verde, but it will thin out considerably if it is too shady. It will not grow up against a building, fence, tree, shrub, or even a free standing mailbox unless it is on the south side of such feature. If you don't want to chance it with buffalo in the back, then don't chance it with a hybrid bermuda either. Best bet for any shade is St Augustine. If budget is a consideration you can place a few pieces of St Aug in some shady spots and they will spread. St Aug spreads about 15 feet per year in my area. It spreads fastest with temps in the high 70s, so the longer you have those conditions, the more it will spread for you. It spreads by sending out single runners above the ground. The second year those extended runners will completely back fill to make a dense turf that chokes out all the other grassy plants including bermuda. It does well anywhere that you might have considered using Marathon.

Here are some pictures of the Turffalo hybrid buffalo grass which is no longer available. I think one of the reasons it is no longer around is that UC Verde is much better. This first pic shows the grass mowed very low.

Image

This next one shows the Turffalo against the west side a mailbox.
Image

Here's the difference between Turffalo and UC Verde
Image

bpgreen
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by bpgreen » September 1st, 2018, 12:20 am

I'm glad you got some good input from the warm season grass guys. I didn't realize that St Augustine was so drought tolerant. I also thought I'd read that blue grama is shade tolerant.

I agree that if you don't like Bermuda grass that buffalo grass
and/or blue grama (they're often planted together) would be a good choice. If you go that route, use seeds for blue grama, but only use plugged varieties of buffalo grass. You can use seeds, but seeded varieties will produce seeds and the seed heads can be unsightly. The pollen can also be problematic for purple with allergies.

dbtothayard
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by dbtothayard » September 1st, 2018, 12:36 am

This is good stuff, guys. Thanks! I'll give this some thought. I'm actually surprised to see that even just a little shade from a mailbox can cause patches. I may have to post a pic of the back yard to describe the shade situation. Starting to wonder if just one grass is going to do it for the back yard, as some parts have partial shade and some have zero.

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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by gardenpants » September 1st, 2018, 9:18 pm

Maybe it's a difference in varieties or cultural practices, but in my experience, buffalograss should be able to survive in the shade of a mailbox. I have a spot of "Sundancer" in my backyard where it is surrounded by fence on two sides, a raised garden bed with a 6ft tall vine on the third side, and a compost bin on the 4th side. It grows as a solid stand.

Please note that these photos show buffalograss that has intentionally NOT been mowed or given any irrigation all summer. It looks tired and rangy compared to a typical lawn, but I'm sharing these photos to show its density when planted next to low, man-made structures.

This shows the lay of the land. I'm standing in front of the compost bin to take the photo, facing south:
[img]https://s15.postimg.cc/pv5uy4cjb/IMG_0684.jpg[/img]

And a close up showing the density:
[img]https://s15.postimg.cc/ewz6t4v5z/IMG_0685.jpg[/img]

Buffalo will not grow under or near any trees or tall shrubs, but, in my experience, a mailbox by itself should not shade it out.

Also, St. Augustine does grow in full sun. When I mentioned my St. Augustine getting watered once a month, I was referring to an area growing in full sun. The part of my yard that has St. Augustine growing in part shade, that, I don't water at all. (I do maintain my St. Augustine traditionally--mowed weekly, fertilized 3X a year.)

BP, St. Augustine does have a reputation for heavy water use, but word seems to be getting out about its drought tolerance. This spring I attended a presentation given by the city on water saving landscaping. The presenter acknowledged that St. Aug was regarded as high water use. However, in 2011, TX experienced the driest year ever in its history. The presenter showed photos of her lawn taken at each of the four times in 2011 she watered her lawn. Her lawn was green in every photo.

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Dchall_San_Antonio
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Re: Best grass for drought in SF Valley

Post by Dchall_San_Antonio » September 7th, 2018, 1:23 pm

There is a distinction that keeps getting confused regarding watering requirements for various grass plants. Assuming they are planted in geographically appropriate locations, and assuming you want the grass to look alive (not wilted) , ALL grasses need about 1 inch of water per week in a hot summer with temps in the 90s. With St Augustine in particular, it needs no more water than bermuda to look like it is being well cared for. But if drought causes St Augustine and bermuda to not get watered for weeks or months at a time, then the bermuda will go dormant while the St Augustine will go dead. When the rain returns the bermuda will spring back quickly but the St Augustine will not. But St Augustine can go a long time looking bad and still come back. This is the only distinction between the two regarding water use. To say that St Augustine is a heavy water user is just bull-oney. Normal watering is all that is needed for all lawns.

What about this situation: temps in the 90s but you cannot water for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. Bermuda will wilt and look thin as the grass blades fold together along the length. St Augustine blades will fold together but it looks much worse than the bermuda, probably because St Aug is coarse bladed to begin with. But if you water them after 2 or 3 weeks, both will respond immediately.

If a St Augustine plant goes for many weeks with no water at all, it will become a golden yellow color. It is still alive and will spring back quickly with water, but it looks pretty bad. Perhaps you could call this a dormancy phase, but it is very close to the death phase. I could have taken pictures on my lawn this summer, but we just got 1 inch of rain every day for the past 4 days, so it's all looking very good. I'll take some pictures next summer to have them ready for the next discussion about drought tolerance.

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