A little background:

We bought this house last January. It had been a rent house for years & years with absolutely no maintenance. The only groundcover was weeds and rocks. We spent all spring & summer pulling up weeds & sifting the rocks (literally - you couldn't see the dirt for the layer of small limestone rocks *everywhere*). I've gotten most of the rocks up - at least, as many as I'm going to :lol There is also some old concrete paths, I suppose you could call them, where the top layer has broken off. I've cleared those as much as I can. I have a loverly HUGE pile of little limestone rocks, if anyone wants them (though why you would, I dunno). I'm now battling weeds again - I'm not sure what to do. If I had the $$, I'd get that black weed cover stuff, but that's just not an option. I'm looking into the vinegar thing & will probably go that route - they are EVERYWHERE.

Now, to the main question: How do I know what kind of grass to plant, what form (seed, sod, plugs) and when?

My preference is St. Augustine - it looks like that's what's in the front yard. However, the back yard is quite shady with only a few patches getting full direct sun every day. Most sections get a little sun each day, but I'm not sure if it's enough to sustain St. Augustine. And I really *detest* bermuda (don't know why, just don't like it).

Any and all suggestions welcome!

You're in luck bermuda won't grow there anyway. St. Augustine is finebut needs lots of water and sometimes has problems, not so much if organic. Probably the best and most economical thing would be to buy sod and make a checkerboard in your yard with the squares. Then mulch in between. Heck if you really have more time than money take plugs out of your front yard and plant them in the back. Just tell your neighbors you think you have gophers.

Also look into ground covers. There are many that grow well in shade and spread fast. Check out Howard's book "Plants of the Metroplex" for a great selection.

Here's the problem with killing the weeds that are there and not planting something. Nature hates bare soil. Those weeds move in to cover it up until something is planted. Heck leave the weeds and plant anyway. With tlc the weeds will die.

Happy planting!

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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

@ gohers!

There's a few places I'd feel safe in snagging some plugs from the front yard - I'm hesitant to do too much pillaging there, though: Dallis grass is all over the neighbor's yard (another rent house) and has begun making inroads into ours.

I like your suggestion to give up on the weeds

consider pine straw mulching large areas to reduce the need for sod,,,,then later start adding some landscaping if you want to those areas!

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if it aint broke, it will be!