Question
I live deep south Texas.  Where I live most houses don't have green lawns since it tons of water to grow them. What grass would you recommend that would grow without to much water in temperatures of 90 F to 100 F year round.

Answer
You may have heard that Tall Fescue is a good drought tolerant Grass.  That's NOT for you, sir.

Fescue is a great choice ... in other climates.  REAL Experts will tell you that Bermudagrass, Buffalo, St Augustine and Zoysia 'require about one-third less water than Tall Fescue grass.'  Read what the pro's at the Las Vegas Valley Water District (where it NEVER rains) say about these Less Thirsty Grasses here:

'http://www.lvvwd.com/html/news_coolseason_grass.html

Golfers play all over Las Vegas on Bermudagrass and Bentgrass greens.  Actually, Bermuda is the Grass Of Choice on MOST golf greens, prized for its trademark heat and low water demands -- key features for YOU even in Texas.  If you're not sold on this yet, think about this: here up North, Bermudagrass is aggressive enough to be a Weed that drives us nuts.  We can't grow it when we want to because it won't survive our Winters.  But down South, people who use it for a Lawn NEVER have Weed troubles.

If you can point to anything about Bermudagrass, it's the AMAZING  ne plus ultra drought tolerance.  See what they say at the Turfgrass Trends website article, 'Drought Tolerance of Six Bermudagrass Cultivars':

www.turfgrasstrends.com/turfgrasstrends/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=156340

Their tips for tip-top turfgrass: Mowing your Lawn high 'allows for a deeper root system leading to a more water efficient turf.'  Longer roots reach farther for water.  Low mowing leads to low roots because root systems as a rule grow only as long as the Grass.  Interseting, huh?

There's more.

When it comes to feeding your Bermudagrass, they point out, 'Excessive fertilization can adversely affect water uptake and high Nitrogen application promotes increased shoot growth at the expense of root growth.'

Translation: Nitrogen fertilizer makes the Grass grow taller -- NOT the roots.  Stay away from the Grass-growing N fertilizers.  You need drought tolerance.  Not tall Grass with weak tissues.

My favorite game of golf is played on the world class Resort Course at La Cantera in San Antonio, designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish.  6,896 square yards of thick, lush Bermudagrass Greens and Fairways.

San Antonio's 18-hole Brackenridge Municipal Golf Course, second oldest golf course in Texas, grows Bermudagrass Greens and Fairways.

At the private San Antonio Country Club, built in 1908 --- a century old this year: Bermudagrass Greens and Fairways.

At Scottish-links style Quarry Golf Club, built by Keith Foster in 1993: Bermudagrass Greens and Fairways.

See a pattern here in South Texas?

Grass of Choice: Bermudagrass.

Hot Season Grass.  Give it your best shot.

17 miles south, Lake Las Vegas Resort plants its golf courses with Tifway 2 Bermudagrass Fairways and Tees and Crenshaw Bentgrass greens.

Top Bermudagrass performers in one study: 'Celebration' and semi-dwarf 'Aussie Green'.  Data showed the Celebration root system was better developed in response to the drought than the other Grasses tested.

'Aussie Green' is a high-end hybrid Bermudagrass bred by the Greg Norman Turf Company:

http://www.shark.com/gnturf/aussie_green.php

'Celebration' is a horizontal Bermudgrass hybrid from Australian breeder Rod Riley:

http://www.celebrationturf.com/

You can mow horizontal (prostrate) Bermudagrass once a week; most other hybrids need a 2x cut.

What's does current research say is best way to water your Lawn?  As one researcher reported, 'Previous field studies indicate turfgrass quality increases as turf is irrigated in two- and four-day intervals rather than daily.'  However, more recent research has found that 'irrigating in 10- and 15-day intervals has negative effects.'  Bottom line: Soak, then stop, in 2- to 4-day cycles.

Turfgrass Trends researchers point to careful fertilization as a key to adapting any Grass to dry conditions.  Your Soil must have just the right amount of Iron, Manganese, Potassium and Calcium.   Great Soil is the key to strong drought tolerance, they say, because it promotes deep roots and efficient mycorrhizal activity.

Which brings us to my favorite subject.  Soil testing.

Get yours tested.  THIS is going to give you the data you need to build first rate Soil.  And as I've said before, you need first rate Soil to grow first rate Grass -- at its most drought-tolerant best.

Thanks for writing.  Keep me posted.