- Buffalograss at a glance<\/a><\/li>
- What is buffalograss?<\/a><\/li>
- Pros and cons of buffalograss<\/a>
- Pros<\/a><\/li>
- Cons<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- How to establish buffalograss<\/a><\/li>
- How much does buffalograss cost?<\/a><\/li>
- Caring for buffalograss\u00a0<\/a>
- Mowing<\/a><\/li>
- Water<\/a><\/li>
- Fertilization<\/a><\/li>
- Dethatching and aeration<\/a><\/li>
- Disease, insects, and weeds<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul> \t\t\t<\/div> \t\t<\/div><\/div>
Buffalograss at a glance<\/span><\/h2>
Classification:<\/strong> Warm-season grass
Spreads by:<\/strong> Stolons
Shade tolerance:<\/strong> Very low \u2014 best suited for full sun
Drought resistance<\/strong> High
Foot traffic tolerance:<\/strong> Very low, but light use or rare heavy use is OK
Maintenance needs:<\/strong> Low mowing frequency \u2014 once per week or less
Mowing height:<\/strong> 2-4 inches or leave unmowed
Potential for disease:<\/strong> Good tolerance against diseases and insects
Soil pH:<\/strong> 6.5-7.5
Soil type:<\/strong> Native soils, not sandy soils<\/p>![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Buffalograss-infographic_800.jpg\")
<\/figure> What is buffalograss?<\/span><\/h2>
Native buffalograss thrives in the western and central regions of the Great Plains known as the shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies<\/a>. These regions are drier than areas to the east and have progressively shorter grasses. As you may guess, native buffalograss is a primary forage grass for grazing animals in this region, including the American bison. <\/p>
In true American fashion, breeders have sought to expand the reach of this native grass and developed turf-type cultivars that are well adapted for home lawns. If you know anything about native plants, you\u2019d think this is a good thing. Native plants are generally low-maintenance, are a boon to the local ecosystem, and require little if any supplemental water. Buffalograss checks a few of these boxes:<\/p>
- Low maintenance once established<\/li>
- Less water once established than other turfgrasses<\/li>
- Few insect and disease problems<\/li> <\/ul>
One major \u201ccon\u201d to buffalograss is its open growth habit. Turfgrasses with open growth habits will constantly battle weeds. Accept this as a way to increase the ecological diversity in your lawn or take up a regular weed control<\/a> program to fight them.<\/p>
Pros and cons of buffalograss<\/span><\/h2>
Although it is a native Plains grass (a plus for area homeowners), buffalograss for home lawns isn\u2019t without its challenges.<\/p>
Pros<\/span><\/h3>
\u2713 Establish via seed, sod, or plugs<\/a>, depending on the cultivar<\/p>
\u2713 No water once established, although it will go dormant in summer without some rainfall or supplemental irrigation<\/p>
\u2713 Low fertilizer requirement once established<\/p>
\u2713 No significant disease or insect issues<\/p>
\u2713 A soft barefoot grass<\/a><\/p>
Cons<\/span><\/h3>
\u2717 Not a fire-safe grass<\/p>
\u2717 Open growth habit means weeds are a constant battle<\/p>
\u2717 Higher seed costs and extensive water needs make establishing a lawn expensive<\/p>
![\"Buffalograss](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/buffalow-grass-patch.jpg\")
Forest and Kim Starr<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> How to establish buffalograss<\/span><\/h2>
Although buffalograss lawns are lower maintenance once established, the work you\u2019ll put in up front is substantial. Establishing buffalograss lawns<\/a> is not<\/strong> low-maintenance.<\/p>
To seed your buffalograss lawn<\/strong>, follow these steps:<\/p>
- Get a soil test (for the best results).<\/li>
- Seed in late spring or early summer when soil temps (not air temps) are 70 degrees Fahrenheit and above.<\/li>
- Level the ground, remove debris, and compact the soil if necessary. Spread the seed and cover with \u00bc to \u00bd inches of soil.<\/li>
- Keep the soil moist until the majority of seeds have germinated. At that point, start to ease off on watering little by little. Most treated seeds germinate in seven to 21 days.<\/li>
- Buffalograss<\/a> will need fertilizer as it grows. Two to three weeks after the seedlings come in, spread a turf fertilizer<\/a> (be sure it does not<\/strong> contain a weed preventer). Apply a second round of fertilizer in six weeks.<\/li>
- Mow once the seedlings have grown to 3 inches.<\/li>
- Keep weeds in check by hand-pulling, hand-seeding with more seed in thin areas, or spraying individual weeds with natural or chemical sprays. (Check to make sure they are suited for buffalograss.)<\/li> <\/ul>
If you\u2019re using plugs<\/strong>, prepare the soil as for a seeded lawn. Plant the plugs on 12- to 18-inch centers and use a starter fertilizer. Apply another round of fertilizer about six weeks later. Irrigate to keep the soil moist for seven to 10 days, using as many as five short periods of irrigation every day. Keep the soil moist going forward. <\/p>
It is safe to use pendimethalin (a pre-emergent) at the time of planting to keep weeds at bay. If the plugs turn brown, keep irrigating. They haven\u2019t died and will turn green again once new roots have formed.<\/p>
For sod<\/strong>, the process is much the same: prepare the seedbed, irrigate to keep the root zone moist, and keep irrigating even though it may turn brown. As with plugs, the green color will return once new roots have formed.<\/p>
![\"Buffalograss\"](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/3139246071_47110d3ef9_c.jpg\")
John Tann<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure> How much does buffalograss cost?<\/span><\/h2>
Buffalograss seed:<\/strong> Costs much more than other grasses. The seed is difficult to harvest, so this drives up the cost of seeding this grass type. On sale, it can easily cost $190 for a 5-pound bag. <\/p>
Buffalograss sod<\/strong>: Costs from $215 to $275 per pallet<\/p>
Buffalograss plugs:<\/strong> Costs about $60 for 70 plugs<\/p>
Caring for buffalograss <\/span><\/h2>
Mowing<\/span><\/h3>
There are three options for mowing your buffalograss lawn:<\/p>
- Higher-quality lawns: Mow every week at 2-3 inches<\/li>
- Low-maintenance lawns: Mow every three to four weeks at 3-4 inches<\/li>
- Unmowed lawns: Mow once per year in spring at 3-4 inches<\/li> <\/ul>
Water<\/span><\/h3>
Established buffalograss lawns go dormant (brown) without summer watering (rains or otherwise). However, it isn\u2019t likely to die and will green up again with sufficient water. If you want to apply supplemental irrigation to prevent dormancy, give it just enough to keep it healthy, about \u00bd to 1 inch per week in drought conditions. Too much water can weaken the grass and lead to increased weeds and disease. (Remember, it thrives in the native environment and doesn\u2019t mind going dormant until rains return.)<\/p>
Fertilization<\/span><\/h3>
For buffalograss, \u201cless (fertilizer) is more.\u201d Apply 0.5-2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year. Two summer applications six to eight weeks apart are usually sufficient.<\/p>
Dethatching and aeration<\/span><\/h3>
Not usually necessary for a buffalograss lawn.<\/p>
Disease, insects, and weeds<\/span><\/h3>
Disease:<\/strong> There are no significant diseases common to buffalograss. Bipolaris leaf spot<\/a> may occur but can be managed with integrated pest management and routine maintenance. <\/p>
Insects:<\/strong> Several insects may infest this grass, but most are kept at manageable levels by the numerous beneficial insects that live there. A few of these undesirables are:<\/p>
- Mealybugs\u00a0<\/li>
- Buffalograss webworms\u00a0<\/li>
- Mites\u00a0<\/li>
- Short-tailed crickets\u00a0<\/li>
- Buffalograss chinch bugs\u00a0<\/li> <\/ul>
Insecticides are not always available to control these pests in buffalograss, however. The best way to treat them is to take good routine care of the lawn.<\/p>
Weeds:<\/strong> Weeds are perhaps the most common deterrent for establishing a buffalograss lawn. No grass is perfect, though, so in many cases, you trade one drawback for another. If you like the low level of maintenance that an established buffalograss lawn will provide, there are a few ways to deal with the weeds. <\/p>
One way is to accept the weeds and mow over them. Weeds increase ecological diversity and provide a more diverse plant ecosystem in your lawn. Mowing the lawn regularly also will help reduce broadleaf weeds<\/a>. These weeds don\u2019t like being mowed over and will weaken over time.<\/p>
Another way is to try to remove them. You can do this by hand or through chemical or natural means. In spring, put down a pre-emergent<\/a> to prevent summer annuals; in late summer or early fall use a second application to prevent winter annual weeds. (Make sure the pre-emergents are safe to use on buffalograss.) To kill weeds once they\u2019ve sprouted, spot-treat with a product that is safe for buffalograss lawns. Glyphosate may be applied only when the grass is fully dormant<\/strong>.<\/p>
Some information taken from Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management, 5th ed. by Christians, Patton, and Law<\/em> and \u201cThe Benefits and Challenges of Using Buffalograss\u201d by OK State University<\/a>.<\/p>
If you think a buffalograss lawn may be right up your alley, contact one of our <\/em>local lawn care professionals<\/em><\/a>. They can help you select, install, and care for your grass so you can spend your free time doing what matters most.<\/em><\/p>
Main Photo Credit: Susan Harris<\/a> | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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- Water<\/a><\/li>
- Cons<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- What is buffalograss?<\/a><\/li>