we could use some rain right about now (Austin: car, place)

[ScoPro]

Most of the St. Augustine front lawn died after 4 years of drought, brown patch, & chinch bug, so we just finished xeriscaping it with 10 yards of 2" Brazos River gravel and a mulch bed. The wife intends to add another planter pot & maybe an agave.

[eileenkeeney]

My St. Augstine grass survives drought really well. I didn't water it at all for one of the years of drought.
It is still thriving.

I did consider landscaping with lots of rocks, but rocks get much hotter than grass or dirt.
I think that mulch and local plants would be better than all of those rocks.
But the rocks are nice looking.

Personally, I am content to have my grass not grow quickly, as it did during those weeks of heavy rain.
The weed grass (that stuff that grows faster and seeds faster) did increase.

I also have some sort of weed ground cover taking over parts of my yard. Whatever it is I really like it (so I guess that makes it not a weed?).

[ScoPro]

The rocks are shaded all day except for about one hour in mid afternoon.

[ericsami]

The Rock stuff looks good.

I will soon have to make decision regarding my "lawn".
It is now all weed.
If I decide to replant grass.
I am not sure If I should just bring a guy with a bobcat.
to dig the whole ground up and make sure these weeds roots are totally out and then add layer of soil and then plant the pallets.

or should I just come in with terrible round up type of product kill the weed and then use a machine to aerate the soil and then plant the new lawn.

by the way what's the best time to plant a new grass lawn? Fall, Spring?

[ScoPro]

Instead of Roundup, use the vinegar solution to spray on the weed/grass roots. That's what my son used after he weedeated (weedate?) the remaining grass down to the dirt before covering it all with landscaper cloth.

[camelian]

Originally Posted by mickey65

All that rain we got and now all the dry = major cracking in the dirt all over my yards!

That means the dirt under your foundation is drying up too. Make sure you keep it from drying out too much

[mickey65]

Originally Posted by camelian

That means the dirt under your foundation is drying up too. Make sure you keep it from drying out too much

I've got the soaker hoses running twice a week around the house.

[camelian]

Originally Posted by mickey65

I've got the soaker hoses running twice a week around the house.

Nice! How many hours do you run it each time? I never know how long to run it so I've just been doing about 2.5 hours once a week

[ScoPro]

That's a bit of overkill, IMO.

[cBach]

Well it looks like the normal pattern of dryness has returned. For those of you new to Austin, this is typical Austin summer weather, and usually starts about a month earlier than it did. I see the vegetation is browning up at the side of the roads, making for fuel for fires should they come this fall.