How to Have a Beautiful Buffalo Grass Lawn

How to Have a Beautiful Buffalo Grass Lawn
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance grass that could fail if overmanaged, then using Buffalo
grass for your lawn or turf may be beneficial. This grass can survive through extended periods
of drought, although it may lose its color if it goes dormant. This grass is great for a variety of
different climates, and it looks good wherever it’s planted.
A Brief History of Buffalo Grass
This grass is the only species that is native to North America. In the fossil record, it has been
found that this species was in existence up to 7 million years ago. It got its name because it was
often one of the main forages for buffalo, or bison, who made their home in parts of the U.S.
The grass would often grow thick and be matted, so it was used as sod by early settlers in the
construction of their homes. Since then, different varieties of Buffalo grass seeds have been
developed, but most of them still retain many of their original qualities that allowed the grass
to survive on the prairie.
Establishing a Lawn
This species is a warm-season grass, and it spreads above-ground stems that are called stolon’s.
It is best adapted to full sun, but if it only receives 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, it will still grow and
become acceptable turfgrass. It is tolerant to heat and drought, and it has a better cold

tolerance than many of the other warm-season grasses. However, the different cultivars that
exist will have various tolerance levels to cold. If this is an issue, you’ll need to find some zoysia
grass seed that will be able to withstand colder weather.
When establishing a lawn, this species can either be started from Buffalo grass seeds or using
sod or plugs. It does best when planted in early summer or late spring. If using plugs, they
should be placed at least 2 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches deep. They can be planted on 6- to
24-inch centers. This will depend on how fast you need the area to be covered.
If using seeds, it’s important to plant them at a rate of 1-3 pounds per 1,000 square feet. If
seeded at the higher rate, the lawn should be covered in one season. The zoysia grass seed
should be placed at a depth of 0.5 of an inch or less.
Once the seeding has been completed, adding straw or other mulch of one bale per 1,000
square feet will be beneficial. The area will then need to be watered lightly every day if there
isn’t any rain. After the seedlings emerge and develop, watering can be reduced, but keep an
eye on the lawn to ensure that it doesn’t develop drought stress.
Maintaining the Lawn
It does not take much to maintain this species of grass. It will need enough water so that it
doesn’t become drought-stressed and/or go dormant and having plenty of sunshine will keep it
lush and happy. Adding some fertilizer of nitrogen at 1-2 pounds per 1,000 square feet can be
advantageous.
When it comes to mowing this grass, if you desire moderate- to high-quality turf, then you’ll
want to mow once per week and keep it at a height of 2-3 inches. For areas that are more low
maintenance, it can be mowed every 3-4 weeks at a height of 3-4 inches.

If you want a low-maintenance grass that is tolerant to drought and heat, then Buffalo grass
may be just what you’re looking for. For seeds to get your lawn started, get in touch with Stover
Seed today.
Source: http://stoverseed.inube.com/blog/8237502/how-to-have-a-beautiful-buffalo-grasslawn/