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tucsontropicaldude

UC Verde or Legacy Buffalograss

tucsontropicaldude
17 years ago

I have read through past posts on the Legacy Buffalograss but saw little on the UC Davis Buffalograss and was wondering if anybody has grown it? Also for those that have either type how do you like them and how have they been holding up? Some people had questions about how it would feel on bare feet. Thumbs up or down on bare feet? I have wandering paths between vegetable and flower beds where I would like to place the grass and I do not want to mow it or if I do I want a grass that doesnt need to be mowed often. I'm looking for low maintenace. I want to spend more time on the veggies and flowers than the grass. Thanks for any feedback

Comments (9)

  • jaliranchr
    17 years ago

    I've never seen the UC Verde, but it is designed for your area and California, tucsontrop. Legacy was developed out of Nebraska and is a very nice buffalo grass but, with your heat, I'd say the UC Verde would do better in your clime than the Legacy. High Country Gardens sells both so you might get some more info from an article on their website below. Good luck!

    Here is a link that might be useful: HCG buffalo grass article

  • tucsontropicaldude
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    thanks jali,
    I found the HCG website and was comparing the two but wanted some opinions from people that have grown. I agree that the UC Verde sounds like a better fit for my area. To make matters even worse as far as deciding I found another type called Turffalo. Sounds like another good fit for Tucson.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Turffalo

  • jaliranchr
    17 years ago

    Tucsontrop, you might call the extension service and ask. I'd bet ASU has a turf management program with all the golf courses down there. They could probably give you some more info on the buffalo grasses. Good luck!

  • emagineer
    17 years ago

    I planted Legacy from HCG...the plugs. It took me forever to plant those things and forever to see them actually grow. There were also a lot of weeding that had to be done inbetween while they took hold. I finally bought a ton of seed from a company north and filled in between the plugs. It was the best for fast growth and didn't require having to pull weeds.

    Both types you are asking about require more information for your specific area. One of the things I didn't check on was the hardiness under certain conditions. For me, the name Buffalo grass sounded like it would put up with anything...."Don't those buffalos romp heavy?" I have two dogs and after reading more, found it is not a good coverage for heavy use, specifically dogs or a play area.

    On the plus side, all started looking great after two years with a lot of care/attention. I let it grow enough to see seed heads to take advantage of their reseeding and then would mow. It also spreads happily through runners. Be sure to use edging around the area.

  • lazy_gardens
    14 years ago

    I'm growing UC Verde in Phoenix with good results so far.

    Even at only 3 months old, it's only getting watered every 3rd day.

    Weeds are a problem, and I'm diggin them by hand. I should have used a pre-emergent, because it's too hot here to use herbicides.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My buffalo grass blog

  • bpgreen
    14 years ago

    I think Phoenix would be a great candidate for buffalo grass. Just wait until you amaze your neighbors by watering only slightly more often than the folks with the "lawns" made of green painted gravel.

    Only three days may seem infrequent to you, but I suspect one of the reasons you're seeing weeds is that you're watering too often. Buffalo grass should be able to stay green with about 1/2 inch of water every other week or so. That's for established buffalo grass, but I think you should be slowly cutting back on the frequency of your watering. Are you waiting for the grass to start to show signs of stress before watering? If not, I think you might be surprised. I'll bet that even though it is fairly new, your buffalo grass can go longer than you think without water.

    Since you get pretty extreme heat, the 1/2 inch every two weeks might not be enough, but I'd go with 3/4 inch every two weeks rather than going with 1/2 inch every week. Watering less frequently but watering more deeply will let you use less water because more will soak into the ground and not evaporate. The goal is to help the buffalo grass develop the deep roots it's known for.

    A couple of other comments on buffalo grass. It doesn't require much fertilizer. Fertilizing too much gives the other grasses and weeds a chance to compete. I wouldn't use more than 1/2 lb of actual N per 1000 sq ft per year. The second thing is that it will probably do better in the long run if you mow it fairly high. Mowing does encourage spreading, but you eventually want to get to a point where you're keeping it tall.

  • bpgreen
    14 years ago

    I read the full blog (good job, BTW) and I see that you're already planning to reduce the frequency of watering over time.

  • lazy_gardens
    14 years ago

    bpgreen -
    It's growing quite well ... watering every 4th day, getting 75% of the water of an established Bermuda lawn and not too stressed out over the 110+ temps we've been having. If we were having a "normal" monsoon season with temps in the 101-105 range, I'd probably be watering every 5th day.

    Next year when it comes out of dormancy with a full load of roots we'll get on the deep and infrequent watering program

  • bpgreen
    14 years ago

    It's really looking good. Have any of your neighbors noticed that you don't water as often? If not yet, they surely will next year once it's established.

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