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Patio Grass
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Posted by
jdog4411 Ohio (
My Page) on
Wed, Feb 22, 12 at 18:29
| I'm having an addition put on to my existing patio and will have a section cut out in the middle for a small section of grass. I would like to plant and maintain the type of grass used on putting greens but wasn't sure if it would hold up in the winter. Could anyone please give me some suggestions on what would be the best type of grass to plant. I live in Northwest Ohio and the area where this will be located is shady to partial sun. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Patio Grass
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| Most putting greens in Northern Ohio are creeping bent grass. Maintaining creeping bent is not a simple matter of cutting it short, there are many factors such as soil composition, a special mower, having enough sun, antifungals for disease on such short grass, etc. To be honest it's not a great idea. The winter isn't an issue as bent can tolerate winters. How much sun does the area get? If it's shady, then most of the cool season grasses that can be cut short (Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye) aren't going to do that well either. How many hours of direct sun would you say the area gets on a sunny summer day when the trees are all leafed out? |
RE: Patio Grass
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| Shady is a bugger in this situation. Fescue might be your only hope. |
RE: Patio Grass
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| The direct sun in the summer is probably at most three to four hours. We live on a wooded lot which I have found makes growing just about anything difficult. I annually trim the trees to try and create more light. My yard is mainly a mix of rye grass and fescue. Our soil is very sandy. |
RE: Patio Grass
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| 3-4 hours is not enough for creeping bent (even if it was I would argue against it), perennial rye, and most culitvars of KBG, especially if you want to keep it on the shorter side. There are a few KBG varieties that could probably get by with that amount of light however, but it's not ideal. Tall fescue can do fine in that amount of sun, if you choose the right cultivar. Fine fescues would also do well in that amount of sun, but some people don't like the appearance of fine fescue grass. You could also go with poa supina. Poa supina's color is lighter than KBG or TTTF, more along the lines of a golf course fairway. Poa supina spreads agressively, which TTTF doesn't, is pretty disease resistant, very cold hardy, and will be growing earlier and later than most cool season grasses, and is very shade tolerant. It doesn't do well in dry conditions, and it prefers soil that stays moist, so you might have to amend the sandy soil if you go that route. Poa supina seed is expensive, but if the area you are planting is small, then it shouldn't break the bank (figure about $60-$90/1000 square feet). |
RE: Patio Grass
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| I have sprinklers that go off daily during the summer so moisture is not an issue. My question would be how do I keep the grass short? My mower only goes down to 2 inches I believe. Would I have to hand cut this area? |
RE: Patio Grass
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| Reel mower. There are a couple push/manual greens mowers. Mclane and Hudson Star off the top of my head. Hudson Stars, the few I've seen online, are EXPENSIVE. And the Mclanes are far from cheap. I would start my search on craigslist or ebay. Just remember that you are looking at used machines. Some golf courses are good to their equipment, some not so good. Buyer beware, and just know that you will probably have to perform some maintaince to get it into tip top running condition. Reel mowers are a different beast than a rotary, but not impossible by any means. Just a lot more fine tune maintainence. |
RE: Patio Grass
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| I also live in Northern Ohio (southern Cuy. County) and have a putting green (penncross bent) in my backyard. If you are keeping it at 1/2" (very high for a green) you'd need to mow at least 2-3 times weekly. I have 6 hrs.+ of sun, though. Also planted Midnight II bluegrass in front yard. Can be kept at 1/2" I've cut that with my Jacobson Green's mower, but cant keep up with it. Midnight II may be an option. |
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