How to Plant Texas Tuff Grass

Prepare the soil during the early part of April. This will allow the soil to be ready to accept the seeds during April 15 to May 1, whenever soil temperatures reach 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ensure your lawn receives full sun, and is well drained. Tuff grass will not grow in shaded, clay soils.

Test the soil pH of the lawn. The ideal pH range is between 6 and 8. Add more lime to the soil if the pH is too low. Alkaline soils are preferred over acidic. Acidic soils will not provide the nutrients that the grass needs.

Loosen the top 6 to 8 inches of soil with the roto tiller. Rake the area when finished to even the lawn.

Prepare the seeds for spreading. Mix 5 parts sand with 1 part seed. This helps the seeds spread properly, rather than clump together in odd looking patches across the lawn. Only open the spreader 1/8th of an inch. The seeds are extremely tiny, and the spreader will place too many in one spot if a larger opening is used.

Use 5 lbs. of grass seed per ½ acre. If you have more or less land, adjust the measurements accordingly. Slowly spread the seed across the lawn.

Follow the seed spreading with a lawn roller to press the seeds into the ground.

Water the soil after rolling the lawn. Water for about 20 minutes over the entire lawn. Until seeds sprout, keep the surface of the soil moist. Once seeds sprout, reduce watering to one to two times a week.

From May to October, fertilize the lawn once a month with a slow-release grass fertilizer of 17-17-17. Use 125 pounds of fertilizer per ½ acre.

Allow the grass to grow 18 inches tall or more if you plan to use the grass for livestock feed. If the grass is used as a lawn cover, then keep the grass at 3 to 4 inches tall the first year.