Tips for growing grass

jellybean529

Have any of you successfully planted grass in your yard (and is that even the right wording)? We're renting a house that had been vacant for almost a year, and there are only patches of grass in our back yard. I want to fill in the bare spots, but I've never had to do that before since we've always lived in an apartment. The back yard is almost completely shaded, and I live in Florida where it's really hot. I was looking at the Scott's Turf Builder Sun & Shade mix, but I don't know what other tools I might need.

TIA (And I hope this question makes sense!)

~NB~

The only shade-tolerant turfgrass that grows here in zone 7 is creeping red fescue. Not sure about what will work where you are.

Basically, grass requires 2 things above all else: sun and water. If you don't have sun, I hope you have a LOT of money to spend on water... and fertilizer, and weed killer....

jellybean529

Thanks! Gardening/landscaping is something completely new to me, I looked up the zone and it looks like I'm in 9 or 9B. I may have to do some research on what type of grass grows best here. Good to know about the issue I'll run into with shade/lack of sun as well...I'll have to think about whether or not it's worth the effort if it doesn't take.

~NB~

Where in FL are you?

jellybean529

Central Florida, Seminole County...just outside of Orlando.

~NB~

You're lucky to be in FL.

UF is a top-notch environmental horticulture research facility. They are VERY well funded. I have some dear friends and colleagues in Gainesville, and I visit at least twice a year for workshops and symposia.

UF has one of the best websites anywhere for user-friendly environmental horticulture. Here's what they have to say about turfgrass:

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/yourfloridalawn/

Go Gators!

HTH

 

jellybean529

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! You've been so helpful! I'm going to bookmark and study this site when I get home from work tonight, hopefully we can find a solution for our back yard

LolitaC

And dont purchase anything with grass seed in it until you know what kind of grass you're going to use.  I have st augustine and I cant stand the patches of bremuda grass that grows where previous ownders filed in holes with seed.