Michael Romine’s Weekly Update: Summer Planting Tips and Full Grass Inventory

July 21 — Houston Grass, Arcola, TX

Good morning from our office in Arcola! If you stopped by early this week and noticed the yard looking a little empty, don’t worry — we’re not closing up shop. We simply sold out of grass on Monday and are waiting on fresh-cut pallets from the farm. That’s a good problem to have, and it means the grass you pick up from us is always fresh.

Here’s what’s happening this week.

Yes, You Can Plant Grass in This Heat

There’s no getting around it: it is hot out there. A lot of folks ask us whether mid-summer is a bad time to install new sod, and the honest answer is no — it’s a perfectly fine time to plant, with one big caveat. You have to keep up with the watering.

New sod planted in July needs consistent moisture to establish its roots, which means you should expect a higher water bill for the first few weeks. If you can commit to the watering schedule, your new lawn will do just fine. If you have questions about how often to water new sod in this weather, give us a call and we’ll walk you through it.

Lawn Disease and Pest Report: Mostly Good News

I checked in with Beau and Shannon this morning, and the phones have been quiet on the problem front — which is exactly what we like to hear.

• Chinch bugs: Thanks to the rains we’ve had over the last few weeks, chinch bugs haven’t been an issue. Keep an eye out, though — they always become a threat when things turn really hot and dry, and next week’s forecast looks like exactly that.
• Gray leaf spot: We’re not hearing much about it right now, but this is the one I’m watching most closely. After all this rain, gray leaf spot loves to show up in shadier areas of the lawn. If you have St. Augustine in the shade, keep an eye on it over the next couple of weeks.

Grass Availability: Everything Is In Stock

We’ve got our full lineup available right now:

• Shade-tolerant St. Augustines: Cobalt is back! Both Cobalt and Palmetto are available in limited quantities. Pallet orders — one, two, or three — are no problem at all. If you need truckloads, just call ahead so we can check with the farm.
• Zoysias: All three varieties are in stock — Palisades, Emerald, and Cavalier.
• Bermuda grasses: We’ve got Celebration Bermuda (which has replaced Tifway 419 in our lineup) and TexTurf 10.

Watching the Gulf

We’ll be keeping an eye on the tropical system out in the Gulf this week to see whether it affects grass availability toward the end of the week. Right now, nothing looks too threatening — and next week is shaping up hot and dry.

Bottom line: we’ll be here, and we’ll have grass. If you’ve got any questions about planting, watering, or which variety is right for your yard, give us a call at 281-431-7441. We’re happy to help.