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Is anyone maintaining buffalo grass? I'm going to look into if it can be successfully grown in my area. I'd like to try it in a section of my own lawn, and reduce my mowing time at home. I would enjoy reading any reports of it's installation and maintenance, although I believe I'm in the outskirts of, or beyond it's range. Thanks.
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What are you looking for, a low to no maintenance type grass??
WoodyWoody
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That's part of it. Then too, to put in an area of prairie plants and grass, sort of a naturalized setting. Maybe it goes as deep as, I miss Kansas, you know... 'theres no place like home'. I though I'd like to put in some small mounds. I like the way prairie grasses wave in the wind.Comment
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I would stay away from buffalo grass if you want something green more than half the year. It doesn't green up until early summer. If you are just doing a small section, do turtle turf. If you want a tall grass, go with a fescue (not tall fescue), but not buffalo grass.Comment
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They say buffalo grass should be drilled for best results and in late spring. the seed is considerably larger than other seed. The grass it is a wonderful, delicate gray/blue/green color unlike any other grass and it is native to the prairie. don't know how it does farther north of here. I see a lot mixed in with bermuda grass, seems to like the same conditions. it does spread a little by itself via self seeding, but has trouble competing with other grasses like bermuda. also-- buffalo grass doesn't really get over 8 inches tall--they say you don't have to mow it but it looks a little more trim when mowed. and it needs less water than about anything else, it is native to the prairie so has an advantage over the cool weather grasses. unfortunately I have yet to see a lawn of PURE buffalo because of the competing grasses and difficult installation but it would be an awesome sight. Maybe the silky blue tendrils are best used in certain landscaping applications or smaller lawns that are easier to manage ??? I hope to do some experimenting myself next spring,
good luckComment
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I also wonder how well it would do that far north. My own b-g down here is green from March to October and tops out at 5-6" (if I wasn't too lazy to control for weeds, I could probably get by with a couple of mowings per season). The biggest problem is competing turf from my rural neighbors. A native grass expert suggested that it would do much better than the bermuda and other grasses if I eliminated watering and fertilizing. Haven't done either for about 12 years (did I mention the part about being lazy?) and it has continued to more than hold its own. Good luck...Comment
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I'd try astro-turf.
BlakeComment
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I did but no matter how much water and fertilizer I poured to it I couldn't get it to grow to the six to eight inches I was looking for.
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I'm still searching for more info about it, but it may not be an option for my area. I don't expect to get a good lawn with it, although that would be nice. I hoped I could use it as at least a cover for bed areas with some wildflowers, elephant amaranth and mexican sunflower mixed in. My lot is long and narrow and I want to get rid of the bowling alley look by adding some low maintenance beds. It would only have competition from mostly KyB and some mixed fescues.
The Sears corporate center built here about 10-15 years ago was landscaped with a large part of it naturalized. I know they used buchloe d. there, so I'll have to go out and see how well it did.
Thanks for the replies so far and any more that post.Comment
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