The right grass depends on how much sun your yard gets, how much the kids and dogs use it, and how much you want to water. Here's how the three common North Texas sod types compare.
| St. Augustine | Bermuda | Zoysia | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Full sun to partial shade | Full sun only | Full sun to light shade |
| Foot traffic | Moderate | High, recovers fast | High |
| Water needs | Higher | Lower, goes dormant in drought | Moderate |
| Look and feel | Wide blades, thick and lush | Fine blades, low and tidy | Fine to medium, dense like carpet |
| Sod price | Moderate | Lowest | Highest |
The most common choice for Arlington front yards with trees. St. Augustine handles more shade than Bermuda and makes a thick, deep-green lawn that crowds out weeds. Raleigh is a popular cold-hardy variety in North Texas. It needs regular watering in summer and doesn't spread into flower beds as aggressively as Bermuda.
The toughest option for full-sun yards, kids and dogs. Bermuda recovers quickly from wear and handles drought by going dormant and greening back up when it rains. It's also the least expensive sod. The downsides: it won't grow in shade, and it creeps into beds unless you keep edges trimmed.
A dense, soft lawn that tolerates some shade and heavy use. Zoysia grows slowly, so it needs less mowing but recovers from damage slowly too. It costs the most up front and rewards people who want a manicured look.
On the estimate visit we check how many hours of sun each part of the yard gets, how you use it and how you water. Some yards do best with two grasses: St. Augustine under the trees and Bermuda in the open. Ready for new grass? See sod installation or what it costs.
St. Augustine handles shade best of the common North Texas grasses, with Zoysia next. No warm-season grass does well in deep, all-day shade, so heavy shade areas may be better as beds or mulch.
Bermuda takes the most wear and recovers fastest. Zoysia is also durable. St. Augustine works for lighter use.
They can share a yard in separate zones, sun and shade, but Bermuda will try to creep into the St. Augustine over time. A clean edge or a bed between them helps.
Yes. All three are warm-season grasses that go dormant and turn tan in winter, then green up in spring.
Tell us your address, the rough size of the yard and what you want fixed. A photo of the problem area helps. We'll reply with a clear, itemized estimate.
