Buffalograss

allthumbssomegreen says:

Interesting post. But incorrect. The lawn shown (and discussed, I believe) is mine. I can assure you, there is not a single blade of Bermuda grass in that thar UC Verde buffalo grass lawn! We put in the “plugs” about 14 months ago (March) on a bare dirt area. We have been carefully observing its growth and progress. Thearea went from bare to geometric “plugs” to what we now have. Patience paid off—within a few months we had a lush, soft, hardy, beautiful lawn area that requires little maintenance. The key: hot weather. Direct sun and warmth made it take off.
I want to emphasize that there was NO Bermuda grass before we planted, so what you saw was all buffalo grass. We had a little poa annua at first, but we kept up with it. We never had a Bermuda grass problem. Still don’t. Hopefully, won’t. Your tsk-tsing was for naught!
Thank you for this opportunity to clear up this misconception - buffalo grass simply doesn’t look like Bermuda grass, unless you were looking at a few straggler ‘runners’ that didn’t take and turned brown as a result.

Spread the word - UC Verde buffalo grass is the way to go green and not have to go without a lawn!

Posted on May 17, 2010 at 12:57 pm.

Loretta says:

Does the buffalo grass stay like the picture all year….lush and green once established…or does it go dormant like bermuda grass does?

Posted on May 24, 2010 at 7:25 am.

allthumbssomegreen says:

Loretta -

It goes dormant, but that’s what a native does. There’s a definite winter season to it. It gets a bit dull and brown but bounces back to this verdant green you see here within weeks come spring. I think it’s ok since there are indeed seasons, even in SoCal. The softness of the grass is what I like - it feels like a soft carpet.

Posted on May 24, 2010 at 7:52 am.

Cindy McNatt says:

I think a bit of brown in the winter is good, feels more like seasons that way. Especially love a brown-ish lawn when all the ornamental grasses are browned out, too.

Posted on May 24, 2010 at 8:00 am.

allthumbssomegreen says:

Agreed.

Nature: embrace it in all its many colors.

Posted on May 24, 2010 at 8:06 am.

Susan Ferrari says:

I understand if you fertilize in the fall, you can avoid the dormant period. Where do you purchase it?

Posted on July 14, 2010 at 9:50 am.

allthumbssomegreen says:

Susan -
We worked with Tom Hawkins at Live Roof - he is extremely knowledgeable. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 949-291-6057 mobile.

You can read up on this unique grass developed by scientists at UCs Davis and Riverside here:
http://www.ucverdebuffalograss.com

The FAQ page on the website says:
When is the best time to plant UC Verde Buffalograss? March to mid-September, will vary slightly depending on your area.

Does UC Verde Buffalograss go dormant? Yes, it goes dormant during the winter, here in California that means from around November to February. During that time it will lose color, but it is still alive and will return to its usual appearance around spring. While it is in dormancy you can eliminate the need to mow or water your lawn.You can also apply a grass colorant to make the lawn appear green. Contact us for our recommendations; the results are quite natural, the cost is inexpensive and can last up to 13-14 weeks. This is something you can apply yourself or there is a company that can apply it for you. Visit our Pics section to see images.

Another interesting tidbit: We don’t have a dog but Tom told me that UC Verde Buffalograss seems to hold up better to pet stains - urine burn marks on grass are not as severe.

Be sure to take a look at all the photos on the website - there is a lot of information there. Good luck!

Posted on July 14, 2010 at 10:12 am.