Seems like we didn't really answer your question. You don't want more of the same grass, and you want a groundcover that is low maintenance. I don't blame you. I googled Texas native groundcovers and Texas native grasses and got a bunch of hits. Good luck. I bet you can find something suitable. I think we all have to think about water conservation, as water availability is unpredictable. I think some native grasses in among some rocks and groundcovers would be great. Maybe keep some of the rocks. Even so, there will be some snakes and other critters (scorpions? and spiders) who will find your area appealing. Always look and poke around with a stick first, and teach your kids to be ever watchful. I've lived in the bayous of Louisiana, and we had plenty snakes and other critters. Laurie

MDob - I'm in a similar situation as yours in the 1.5 acres of lawn...but I only have 1 acre of "extra". My 1.5 acres of lawn is pretty much all grass (thanks to WeedBGone Max), but an unknown mixture of various grasses depending on where you are in the yard. The original owner who built our now 5 yr old house obviously went the cheapest route he could go to have 1.5 acres of "green". I also have my yearly battle with European Chafer beetles which is a costly battle. One question not asked here is what is your soil composition? Sandy? Clay? I ask because ours is so sandy that I can't keep the 1.5 acres properly watered...don't have a sprinkler system. There is NO WAY I could start my whole lawn from scratch and keep a newly seeded lawn from dying. Just too big. I guess what I'm saying is that "might" it be better if you WeedBeGone Max the lawn now, then slit seed it after the appropriate wait time? It's a chemical yes but you can't have your cake and eat it to can you? What do the experts here say? Between Mo Nature and me I think I could keep enough moisture on the seed to get it established before winter. Or maybe just do 3/4 acre now then 3/4 next fall. I'm confused and I hope I haven't confused you more!!!

Just a final follow-up on my sprayer search. Mark's (wheresmypension) comments about a backpack as a better alternative got me thinking, and I would up buying a really top quality SP2 4-gallon backpack from Northern Tool. I've now used it on two outings, and find it is extremely easy, highly flexible in that you just walk into whatever area you waant and control spray very tightly. The weight is really not at all bothersome, and the pumping is easy with a very short stroke with a nice steel lever that falls right to hand - pump about once every 5 seconds per book. Very high potential pressure (180pounds) for high trees, etc. although I won't be doing that much if at all. After my first use, I was on their web site and found that they offer a very interesting option - a boom to attach to the spray wand (in 20, 40 and 60 inch lengths). I have one coming now, and figure that will solve the question of covering the larger open areas of lawn with few passes, and possibly, I will just ride my LT around and hold the wand/boom :) One of my hangups with the tow-behinds was that the quality of the products in the under $400 range seemed pretty suspect, with various reviewers complaining about leaks, wiring issues and pumps going bad. The SP products really do appear to be top grade, and the package of sprayer, wand, boom, spray shield for control in tight quarters, will total up to something less than $200 delivered.

Congrats on being the steward of your new land! At that size you are pretty much at the agricultural scale. Keeping one species (basically a monoculture) will always be labor intensive. Allowing native species to stay in a diverse lawn is easier. But to get a total and temporary kill on those weeds would require a tilling using either a plow or rototiller. You would also have to immediately introduce a new species(s) both to crowd out the weeds which would germinate and to protect your soil health. That does require a bit of skill. A low growing ground cover would also be competing with the native species and the natives will almost always have an advantage over time. A somewhat longer term option would be to plant some trees like say pines or fruit trees if you want to put that land to food use. There would be years of maintenance as the trees were making a canopy though. Another option that many people might not choose for obvious aesthetic reasons in a neighborhood would be to just fallow it. Grass also doesn't need to be mowed weekly. I mow a 1/2 acre at a time with a scythe about 4-5 times a year (when there is adequate rainfall, less in drought). If you or your husband are athletic it is great exercise and with the right technique it is not as strenuous as it sounds. There is no engine maintenance and a lot cheaper than a mower. You do have learn to maintain the blade. It could be a fun activity in two. Sorry to report but there is no maintenance free way that is also as aesthetically pleasing as a neatly trimmed suburban lawn to plant on an open or mixed acre. The easiest thing to do for now would be to mow every month or more adding some grass seed or pasture mix if you can see any soil in there. The mowing when the grasses are about 8-10 inches high will actually increase the health of your soil if you leave the clippings where they fall and you do not cut it too short. Certain weed species will disappear under that management. You might be also be able to have a farmer make hay from your land for his/her own use. No money is usually exchanged in that situation. And your land may be too small for a farmer to bother but maybe you have some homesteaders nearby that want it. As you make your decision, those dandelions are pumping minerals up to the top of the soil using their deep taproots! They make great free culinary additions to a kitchen too! I hope this gives you some ideas. Godspeed