# best grass central texas hill country



## grazer73 (Jan 15, 2011)

what are my best options in central texas hill country for planting fields with permanent grass.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Fortunatly at the Blackland Research Center 254 774 6000 Extension side 
254 770 6500 USDA side both have knowledgable people.

The are building a few acres of native grasses to look at and and form opiniions.

Then there is a NRS Retired Range Management Specialest who may be able to provide on site advise, for a fee. James Alderson, [email protected]

As a it is there is no single best grass, but there are some excellent mixtures.

For a single best grass, you are looking at one of the "imroved" forages. Several bermudagrass types & some non native blue stems, that may fit your wants. 
You should be able to contact your County Agent for a list of forages and or your Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS i.e. the old soil conservation service)


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

grazer73 said:


> what are my best options in central texas hill country for planting fields with permanent grass.


Welcome to HayTalk. If you haven't already realized it, you will find this is an excellent site wherein you can obtain answers from people who have on-the-ground experience in forage production, harvesting, machinery, etc.

In order for someone to answer your question about the best perennial (permanent) grass to plant in the Central Texas Hill Country, you will need to provide more information regarding your planned use for this grass. For example, will it be used strictly for grazing? Haying? What soils are on your place? Will you manage this grass for high yield under your hill country rainfall conditions, or will you plant it and give it minimal attention afterward. If you plant a warm-season grass strictly for grazing, will you want to overseed it in fall with a cool-season grass like ryegrass for late winter early spring grazing, if soil moisture is adequate?

Hay Wilson mentioned the hybrid bermudagrasses. The best of these for your area might be Tifton 85. This grass has a high nitrogen and potash requirement to be productive. If you are unwilling to provide these nutrients in the amounts needed, you shouldn't plant Tifton 85.

You can get excellent advice from the locations and people listed by Hay Wilson. Usually, if you seek advice from a rangeland ecologist, likely you won't get a recommendation for sprigging Tifton 85, but will most likely be advised to plant mixtures of native grasses. Whichever way you go, the choice will be yours and you will want to be satisfied with it. Research it thoroughly, as you have started above, before making your decision.


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## hmcohay (Jul 27, 2010)

We have some Tifton 85 in one field and it has proven to be a really good choice. Hearty, drought tolerent, good hay yields. We are looking at sprigging another 60-70 ac of farm land. Probably going with Tifton over Coastal. One knock on the Tifton is it is too coarse for horse people. I am a cow man and sell all my hay to cattle people. They love the stuff!


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