Home › Forums › Costa Rica Living Forum › Where to get grass seed and what kind?
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June 29, 2011 at 12:00 am #201892GEEGEEMember
We just cleared 2 acres of land and building on half of it.
We have been looking for grass seed to do the other acre.
Like Bahia or simular. We are in Grecia. Does anyone have any
knowledge where to get the seed and what kind it best.Thank You,
GeeGee (Fla)June 29, 2011 at 4:24 pm #201893baontheriverMember[quote=”GEEGEE”]We just cleared 2 acres of land and building on half of it.
We have been looking for grass seed to do the other acre.
Like Bahia or simular. We are in Grecia. Does anyone have any
knowledge where to get the seed and what kind it best.Thank You,
GeeGee (Fla)[/quote]Good Luck,
I have only been able to find a kilo at a time and it is very expensive. The Tico’s and my Gringo friends tell me that it is darn near impossible to grow from seed since the ants and other insects take it all away. I can believe this since I have seen it first hand and wasted some good seed. The best thing is to get “Americano” sod and tear it into chunks and spread it throughout the yard and step it in. It grows very quickly and then you can cut up chunks of that and continue the process. We sodded the area outside our door 100% for our dogs paws but the yard is around 20%. It has doubled in size in about a month. The sod costs about $20 US for 12 square meters.
Your other choice is to go with Tico grass which is a weed that spreads very quickly and can be pulled from one area and thrown down in another. It literally grows like a weed and we covered our cabina yard in less than a month. The Tico’s know how to do do this so it is worth paying them for this work. I have been in landscaping for 35 years so can understand your frustration.
June 29, 2011 at 5:51 pm #201894GEEGEEMemberThank you so much. I was begining to think I just was not
looking in the right place. What area do you live in?
Would that Tico grass come into the already acre of sod we
have put down and take over it?I have another question. Vetiver….( I think it is or the same family) I have seen beautiful curly green Vetiver and I have seen straight ragged Vetiver.
ARE THERE TWO KINDS? The land scaper says no only one kind.I have 3 terrices I need to plant to hold the ground.
HATE, HATE THAT CORN PLANT STRAGLY THING MOST PLANT TO
FENCE IN OR HOLD DIRT. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?THANKS,
GEEGEE
[quote=”baontheriver”][quote=”GEEGEE”]We just cleared 2 acres of land and building on half of it.
We have been looking for grass seed to do the other acre.
Like Bahia or simular. We are in Grecia. Does anyone have any
knowledge where to get the seed and what kind it best.Thank You,
GeeGee (Fla)[/quote]Good Luck,
I have only been able to find a kilo at a time and it is very expensive. The Tico’s and my Gringo friends tell me that it is darn near impossible to grow from seed since the ants and other insects take it all away. I can believe this since I have seen it first hand and wasted some good seed. The best thing is to get “Americano” sod and tear it into chunks and spread it throughout the yard and step it in. It grows very quickly and then you can cut up chunks of that and continue the process. We sodded the area outside our door 100% for our dogs paws but the yard is around 20%. It has doubled in size in about a month. The sod costs about $20 US for 12 square meters.
Your other choice is to go with Tico grass which is a weed that spreads very quickly and can be pulled from one area and thrown down in another. It literally grows like a weed and we covered our cabina yard in less than a month. The Tico’s know how to do do this so it is worth paying them for this work. I have been in landscaping for 35 years so can understand your frustration.[/quote]
June 29, 2011 at 6:06 pm #201895crltdMemberdear geegee,
the “mani” plant with the yellow flowers is good but not for close to the house as it brings the leaf cutter ants.
take care,
bob[quote=”GEEGEE”]Thank you so much. I was begining to think I just was not
looking in the right place. What area do you live in?
Would that Tico grass come into the already acre of sod we
have put down and take over it?I have another question. Vetiver….( I think it is or the same family) I have seen beautiful curly green Vetiver and I have seen straight ragged Vetiver.
ARE THERE TWO KINDS? The land scaper says no only one kind.I have 3 terrices I need to plant to hold the ground.
HATE, HATE THAT CORN PLANT STRAGLY THING MOST PLANT TO
FENCE IN OR HOLD DIRT. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?THANKS,
GEEGEE
[quote=”baontheriver”][quote=”GEEGEE”]We just cleared 2 acres of land and building on half of it.
We have been looking for grass seed to do the other acre.
Like Bahia or simular. We are in Grecia. Does anyone have any
knowledge where to get the seed and what kind it best.Thank You,
GeeGee (Fla)[/quote]Good Luck,
I have only been able to find a kilo at a time and it is very expensive. The Tico’s and my Gringo friends tell me that it is darn near impossible to grow from seed since the ants and other insects take it all away. I can believe this since I have seen it first hand and wasted some good seed. The best thing is to get “Americano” sod and tear it into chunks and spread it throughout the yard and step it in. It grows very quickly and then you can cut up chunks of that and continue the process. We sodded the area outside our door 100% for our dogs paws but the yard is around 20%. It has doubled in size in about a month. The sod costs about $20 US for 12 square meters.
Your other choice is to go with Tico grass which is a weed that spreads very quickly and can be pulled from one area and thrown down in another. It literally grows like a weed and we covered our cabina yard in less than a month. The Tico’s know how to do do this so it is worth paying them for this work. I have been in landscaping for 35 years so can understand your frustration.[/quote][/quote]
July 2, 2011 at 1:02 am #201896baontheriverMember[quote=”crltd”]dear geegee,
the “mani” plant with the yellow flowers is good but not for close to the house as it brings the leaf cutter ants.
take care,
bob[quote=”GEEGEE”]Thank you so much. I was begining to think I just was not
looking in the right place. What area do you live in?
Would that Tico grass come into the already acre of sod we
have put down and take over it?I have another question. Vetiver….( I think it is or the same family) I have seen beautiful curly green Vetiver and I have seen straight ragged Vetiver.
ARE THERE TWO KINDS? The land scaper says no only one kind.I have 3 terrices I need to plant to hold the ground.
HATE, HATE THAT CORN PLANT STRAGLY THING MOST PLANT TO
FENCE IN OR HOLD DIRT. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?THANKS,
GEEGEE
[quote=”baontheriver”][quote=”GEEGEE”]We just cleared 2 acres of land and building on half of it.
We have been looking for grass seed to do the other acre.
Like Bahia or simular. We are in Grecia. Does anyone have any
knowledge where to get the seed and what kind it best.Thank You,
GeeGee (Fla)[/quote]Good Luck,
I have only been able to find a kilo at a time and it is very expensive. The Tico’s and my Gringo friends tell me that it is darn near impossible to grow from seed since the ants and other insects take it all away. I can believe this since I have seen it first hand and wasted some good seed. The best thing is to get “Americano” sod and tear it into chunks and spread it throughout the yard and step it in. It grows very quickly and then you can cut up chunks of that and continue the process. We sodded the area outside our door 100% for our dogs paws but the yard is around 20%. It has doubled in size in about a month. The sod costs about $20 US for 12 square meters.
Your other choice is to go with Tico grass which is a weed that spreads very quickly and can be pulled from one area and thrown down in another. It literally grows like a weed and we covered our cabina yard in less than a month. The Tico’s know how to do do this so it is worth paying them for this work. I have been in landscaping for 35 years so can understand your frustration.[/quote][/quote][/quote]
There is also peanut grass for slopes that has yellow flowers and another purple flowering groundcover. The ants also like the purple flowering groundcover but you can get some poison bait to feed to them. Our gardener fed it to them and they were gone within two days. I am going to be planting coffee plants on one of our big slopes. They say that coffee plants can be great for stabilization and if you look around your area I would say that they are right. We are up the mountain from Dominical and several of our neighbors are doing the same. With coffee prices continuing to go up, why not. We also have a bunch of fruit trees planted on the slope and they are suppose to be able to grow well together.
July 2, 2011 at 12:45 pm #201897costaricafincaParticipantThe problem of planting coffee on the slopes, is when trying to pick it! You really need to terrace the slope to allow for easier walking.
And the cost to plant and maintain your coffee will be more than you will receive, if and when you sell the beans.
Planting the Mani or the peanut grass is much simpler.July 2, 2011 at 1:34 pm #201898baontheriverMember[quote=”costaricafinca”]The problem of planting coffee on the slopes, is when trying to pick it! You really need to terrace the slope to allow for easier walking.
And the cost to plant and maintain your coffee will be more than you will receive, if and when you sell the beans.
Planting the Mani or the peanut grass is much simpler.[/quote]That is why I see that they are planted a few feet apart and stagered. This way you can use the base of the plants as foot holds for easier picking. I don’t see much of an additional cost to maintain the slope since we already have a chopper that maintains it. We are going to plant it with small 12-18 inch tall plants or about 100 plants. We don’t plan on selling the coffee, just growing for us and maybe some friends in our valley. For about 50 cents a plant that will produce for years and be a great slope stabilizer I think that we are ahead.
July 2, 2011 at 2:42 pm #201899costaricafincaParticipantWe had a successful coffee farm, and I am just passing on what we learned.
You should plant 2 seedlings together, and they will need fertilizer and removing the weeds …. not just ‘cutting’. The only ones who make any money from a small production is the pickers! And from 100 plants you will not get much coffee, once they are processed, washed and dried, but they are attractive plants and interesting to have. One thing you must take into consideration, that the picked coffee [b]must[/b] be processed within 24 hours.
We did plant some here, but solely for ornamental value. -
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