Everyone on the forum, mother earth, folks with downstream water rights, and me personally will stand and applaud your decision to go with buffalo.

I have a small bufalo/blue gramma play area (I seeded--ah the work! Wishing for sod here.) I have another 500sq.ft. that I will be making into buffalo as soon as (if ever?) Santa Fe makes planting or sodding grass legal again.

I grew up in S. Central South Dakota, and we had an area about the size you propose that was virgin (never ever tilled) buffalo grass, which was called "the parking". It was unwatered. Guests for supper or piano recitals (4 kids hammering away stuff mom wrote for us) would park their cars there. That was where the swingset was, and where we rode our ponies and washed the dog. It never showed the use.

It was springy under bare feet, a pretty blue-grey color, and never needed mowing (although we did run a mower over it a couple times a summer to tidy it up for said guests). More mat-like than SE-style turf-grass like, but IDEAL for a kids play area.

My tiny area I seeded last year is not yet robust enough for the kind of abuse "the parking" got, but I have my hopes. There is a buffalo grass lawn down the street from me on a home that is now a rental. It is utterly neglected and even occasionally parked upon. It looks great--its the best looking lawn in my neighborhood right now (my town has had mandatory water use restrictions for the last year that have decimated most lawns.)

I think buffalo sod is the best thing going--and I am jealous! My opinion is that its well worth the cost, even if you are tight on money, the reduces time/maintenence and especially water use. Not to mention frustration. The kids can play with abandon and neither they nor you has to worry about the effect of their play on your grass.

Go for it! And let us know how you like it!

Bravo! Look at it this way. You will save $ on water... big time, every year. You will save at least a hundred and fifty bucks on water annually. Second, you won't have to mow weekly. This will save you time (which is priceless in our over-rushed society), the cost associated with lawnmower operation and care and the cost to the environment of dirty two-cycle engine exhaust, noise pollution, etc. You'll save money further by not having to fertilize.

If you want rock-solid proof, the book "Waterwise Landscaping with Trees, Shrubs, and Vines: A Xeriscape Guide for the Rocky Mountain Region, California, and the Desert Southwest by Jim Knopf (Editor)" has various well-documented examples of xeriscape "payoffs." In some cases, you will break even in just a few years. I would consider this a sure-fire investment rather than an expense. If you install cheap lawn, you will be saddled with the negative economics of care, feed, water and waste.

But most importantly, buffalo grass is the right thing to do. As a kid, I used to play, hike and fish in the valley where the Little Dell Dam is now located. A beautiful valley was flooded to slake the thirst of growth. I learned how to flyfish in a stream that is now sucked dry to supply water to the spawling Provo-SLC-Davis County metroplex. Here in SW Colorado, we are in a multi-year drought. Even though we received snow (70% of normal) this winter, it's still dry. Will there magically appear more water for all the people and all the lawns? No, of course not. The point is, as you know, bluegrass for a large lawn in the intermountain west is inappropriate and wasteful. I salute your decision. You are a hero. I wish I had a neighbor like you who is balancing the need for a great yard and the need to conserve water.

(PS... be sure to plant some crocus bulbs/small iris bulbs in your lawn for interest spring color! It looks really cool!)

Way to go. You'll love the buffalo grass.

A less expensive alternative would be to plant buffalo grass plugs. The kids will have to play somewhere else the rest of the year, and maybe well into next year. But you could probably have a lawn for about $300.

As for cost/benefit analysis, consider a few questions: How long are you going to stay at this house? How much does it cost to aerate and fertilize and water bluegrass every year? How much time do you spend caring for the lawn, and do you enjoy it or dread it? How frequently do you replace lawnmowers - and what does it cost every year to run one and maintain it? Little costs add up. There will be some point at which the buffalo grass will have paid for itself.

I planted BG plugs in 2001, and am really happy I did. It's really green, I don't water it much, I never mow, and I'm not a slave to it like I was with KBG.

Blue grama grass is another alternative that you might want to look at. My wife's friend tried it and its worked ok (once a month mowing or NO MOWING if you want a more natural look--it stops growing after reaching about 5 inches, no watering after it's set in).

You can check out grama grass (as well as completely beautiful and extensive xeriscaped gardens) at the Salt Lake Water Conservancy's experimental gardens (open free to the public!) at 8200 South and just east of 1300 west. They've given me wonderful ideas about how to make a stunning looking xeriscaped yard that does NOT look weedy.

The only problems you may encounter is that buffalo and grama do not have rhizomes, like kentucky blue and the dreaded quack grass. What this means is, if a hunk of lawn gets tore out, you'll need to reseed or stick a plug back in to fill it back in. It won't grow back and fill in.

I wish I'd gone the buffalo/grama route with my lawn. Imagine the water and gas/mower savings! Also, it won't try to spread into your flower beds and it won't deprive your trees/ shrubs of water by sucking it out of the topsoil. I may experiment with it in my backyard by shooting RoundUp on my kentucky blue, rototilling, and replacing it with grama. I get SOOOO tired of pulling kentucky blue out of my flower beds (along with the perennials, such as columbine, that it has wrapped its roots/rhizomes around).

Xeriscape is eventually going to be the only way to go as the Wasatch front draws in more & more sprawling subdivisions (will the drought ever end?)! And ditto for the bulbs/ wildflower in the middle of it. You could go for the wildflower/meadow/ albion basin look. Just be careful that you don't go too wildflowerish or you could have neighbors whining about your "weeds".

Thanks for the nice comments and suggestions. Let me tell you a little bit about what I've found out and maybe ask a question.

Legacy buffalograss is available in my area as sod. One local sod farm started it as plugs about 4 years ago and now has a good supply. If you lay the sod it will immediately go dormant and must be kept wet for 4 weeks to start the rooting. In this area, I was told that it won't start growing until mid-May or we have some nice 80 degree days earlier. I was warned that it takes several years to get a thick root system that will keep out the weeds. Until then, you have to be careful because 2-4D will kill buffalograss. I was told that you can "weed" it chemically, even with roundup, while it is dormant in the Spring. I was a bit confused as to whether there were other herbicides that wouldn't harm it, does anyone know? I'll try the hand weeding, but with 2000 sq. feet, I'm worried that this will become a very large project. Any experience?

Here's the supplier's website:

http://www.lakemountainfarms.com/pages/tutorial_buffalo.html

OK, now I'm confused. High Country says that 2,4-D is OK on buffalograss. That clearly contradicts what the people at the sod farm told me.

OK, I did a little google research and found this from the University of Nebraska: See near the bottom on when to use 2,4-D on buffalograss.

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/horticulture/nf131.htm

Establishment Guidelines

Mowing

During establishment, frequent mowing will promote spreading of plug establishment plantings and increase density of sodded areas. Mowing will also decrease weed competition during establishment. Mow at 2-3". Avoid removing more than one-third of the turf height (i.e., for a 2" mowing height mow when the turf reaches 3"). Begin mowing on a plugged site as soon as the turf exceeds the desired mowing height and the plugs cannot be easily pulled out of the soil. On sodded sites, mow as soon as the sod is well "knitted" to the soil and the turf exceeds the desired mowing height.
Fertility
Apply 1 to 3 lbs N/1000 ft2. Use a slow release N carrier, such as sulfur coated urea (SCU), ureaformaldehyde or a natural organic fertilizer. Use a split application with the first application 3-4 weeks after planting, and the second application 4-6 weeks after the first. On sandy or low fertility soils and/or in high rainfall areas, use the upper end of the recommended rate. Overfertilization of buffalograss will result in higher weed pressure. Do not exceed the recommended fertility rate.

Irrigation

Irrigation is critical during establishment. Be sure the soil is moist before planting plugs or sod. Do not delay irrigation after planting is complete for more than 2 hours. Irrigate daily for 7-10 days wetting the soil to 6 inches. After 7-10 days, irrigate 1 to 1.5"/week in 2-3 irrigations, allowing the surface to dry out in the top 1/2" between irrigations.

Weed Control

The greatest challenge during buffalograss establishment from plugs is weed control. Sodded areas normally, because of immediate total coverage, do not show significant weed problems. The fertility and irrigation required for successful buffalograss establishment also promotes the more aggressive weed species. Limited information is available on herbicide safety of newly planted buffalograss. Do not apply any herbicides until the planting has been mowed twice at the previously recommended mowing frequency.
Remember to follow label recommendations; and when rates are not specific for buffalograss, use the lowest rate recommended for other warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass. Be sure to follow label application recommendations explicitly to maximize weed control. Currently, four preemergence products are labeled for use in buffalograss; Ronstar G, Dimension, Dacthal, and Surflan. Except for Dacthal, these products are only available to commercial turf applicators. These products will provide excellent preemergence control of annual grasses such as crabgrass, foxtail, etc., and many broadleaf weeds as well. Any annual grassy weeds that have germinated prior to preemergence application can be treated postemergence with arsenical compounds (DSMA, MSMA). Dimension will also control crabgrass postemergence up to the tillering stage. Broadleaf products that are cleared for use in buffalograss include a number of 2,4-D containing products. Buffalograss is very sensitive to 2,4-D when temperatures exceed 80 F.

Post-Establishment Guidelines

After turf becomes well established (up to 4 months for plugged areas; 4-8 weeks for sodded areas), a reduction in management inputs can be realized.

Mowing

The mowing requirement for vegetatively established buffalograss ranges from approximately every 2 weeks to once per year, depending on management level and aesthetic requirement. The recommended mowing height, when mowing is practiced, is 1 1/2 to 4". Shorter mowing heights will require a greater mowing frequency. Avoid removing more than one-third of the turf height (i.e., for a 2" mowing height, mow when the turf reaches 3") at any mowing. Removing clippings is optional and normally not required or recommended.

Fertility

Excessive nitrogen fertilization promotes weed populations in buffalograss. Exceeding the following recommendation defeats the low management concept of buffalograss and promotes weed invasion. Apply 1 to 3 lbs N/1000 ft2/yr in two applications (mid to late May and late July). On sandy or low-fertility soils, and/or in high rainfall areas, use the upper end of the recommended rates. Use a slow release N carrier such as SCU, ureaformaldehyde or a natural organic fertilizer. For phosphorous, potassium and pH adjustments, test the soil every 3-5 years.

Irrigation

The water requirements of established buffalograss are considerably lower than the commonly used turfgrasses. Excessive irrigation, much like overfertilization, promotes weed invasion. Irrigating buffalograss in many areas is not required. If natural precipitation is inadequate or untimely, supplemental irrigation may be required.

Weed Control

Once established and properly managed, weed pressure in buffalograss is minimal. If herbicides are required, follow label directions explicitly to maximize weed control. Ronstar G, Dimension, Dacthal, and Surflan are preemergence products currently labeled for use in buffalograss. Except for Dacthal, their use is restricted to certified applicators. A spring application for control of summer annual weeds, such as crabgrass, goosegrass and spurge, should be applied when soil temperatures reaches 50° F. A second preemergence application in late summer or early fall will control winter annuals, such as henbit, chickweed, and annual bluegrass.
Postemergence control of annual grasses is best achieved with arsenical compounds (DSMA, MSMA). Broadleaf products cleared for use in buffalograss include a number of 2,4-D containing products. Do not apply products containing 2,4-D if temperatures are expected to exceed 80° F on the day of application. Dormant buffalograss can be sprayed with Round-Up to control winter weeds. Fall applications can be applied after the first frost or when the buffalograss turns straw-brown.
Spring applications of Round-Up should not be applied to buffalograss if the dormant turf is showing any green color. Round-Up applications applied to semi-dormant buffalograss will significantly delay green-up and could severely injure the buffalograss.
Mention of product names is for informational purposes only. Mention of a product does not imply endorsement by the University of Nebraska nor non-endorsement of appropriate products not mentioned. When using pesticides, be sure to thoroughly read and follow label directions.

Herbicides - I've found that Roundup (which contains 2,4D) will kill buffalo grass (Leagacy - that's what I have). The grass was growing when I applied it. I don't think Roundup kills dormant plants.

Spreading - buffalo grass does spread, and will spread into other areas. That's how the plugs become a lawn - they spread via over-the-ground runners. I didn't need to re-sod or re-plug the areas I killed with herbicides.

Weeding - I had weeds aplenty the first two years. I just had to pull them out. But now, I'm sure that mowing would keep them at bay. (I still just pull them out; there aren't nearly as many this year.)

I guess a person could apply a pre-emergent fertilizer in the spring to keep weed seeds from sprouting. However, this would kill and bulbs in the ground.

Lori M, Roundup does NOT contain 2-4D but glosiphosphate (wrong sp), and kills everything, especially grass.
It is not a good idea to use 2-4D on any newly planted grass. Avoid it, at least during the first summer. It will seriously set back the growth, if not kill it. I have best luck by ignoring the weeds, pulling the big ones by hand, and mowing a lot.
I also wouldn't fertilize too much the first year, but that is going to depend a whole lot more on the qualitty of the soil. If you have junk, you need to amend the soil either through manure / peat, or something similar, and you might need a touch of something mild like miricle grow through a garden hose.
I would suggest, however, that you do do a fall fertilization, like at the end of October. For what ever reason the grass seems to do so much better if you do. Good luck!

Here is what Roundup is, according to Malcom Manners: "It is a water-based solution of the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate, with a detergent added as a wetting agent." As for the 2,4-D, I was thinking of Agent Orange.

I have planted buffalo legacy buffalo grass and am impressed with the way it is spreading (Plugs). Of course, this could be bad if you are not interested in keeping it trimmed back, from gardens, etc. The plugs have only been in the ground for about two months. I have seen with some buffalo grass that it produces "stickers." Is this the norm and will it happen with legacy? I and many others out there have kids and pets so stickers would ruin the experience of a lawn.

By "stickers" what do you mean? Are you talking about the prickly part of the stolon by which the grass spreads. Or, are you talking about some weed that invades the grass?

I believe the stickers were part of the grass (plugs) and they were at first softer and prickly, but then dried and dropped around the plugs. They are sharp and painful to touch. I have not yet seen this with Legacy, and hope that I do not see it since I have already covered a large part of my yard. Will the "prickly part of the stolon by which the grass spreads" be uncomfortable for bare feet?

When I visited the sod farm that's providing my Legacy sod, I walked on it and wondered about the stolons. They weren't bad on the bare feet, but the grass had just come out of its dormant period and perhaps they "harden" with time.

Lori has Legacy. I hope she can shed some light on the matter.

lgrobe, I asked someone about the "stickers" and they thought that this was probably the seed burrs that develop and harden from seeded varieties of buffalograss. This would not be a problem with Legacy because it is a seedless female grass. He says that Legacy is better to walk on than bluegrass.

I appreciate the info. I have had some distrations lately, so I have not been as concerned about landscaping. Now I am back on track and have done a little research too. I looked at some buffalo seed (Cody) at a local nursery and they are pretty prickly, though it did not seem that they would be too uncomfortable if stepped on. I guess they might be painful if a foot landed on the seed just right. Anyway, I am still a little concerned because we had a small area of buffalo grass plugs (Cody?) before we planted the Legacy. What the results will be (with the seed burrs)after cross pollination I do not know. We also have some blue grama seed mixed in, so I am curious to see how things progress. "Talk" to you again soon. Thanks.

I'll let you know how mine works. I keep getting my schedule pushed out on laying the sod. It's still a couple of weeks away.

Can anyone comment on the ability of Buffalograss to grow in shady areas? I have heard that it doesn't do too well and if that is so, is it possible to have bluegrass in shady sections of yard and buffalo elsewhere? Do the two transition well?

First let me say that I'm no expert and I'm in a state of investigation myself. From what I've heard, buffalograss needs a minimum of half the day in full sun. I'm planting mine next to blugrass but am making a border between the two. Blugrass will invade the buffalograss if you're not careful. I think a good way to prevent this will be by spraying the border with roundup in the spring when the bluegrass is growing and the buffalograss is dormant. Still, you can have a lot of invasion between dormant periods.

Canyon Home, I live in slc, where abouts is the local grower of buffalograss (is that the same as turtleturf?). We are looking to put some grass in soon, and I am looking around what to do.

I don't know what "turtleturf" is, but the grower that I am going to use is Lake Mountain farms. Stop by their outlet on about 100th South and State Street. They have a patch of buffalograss growing right out front next to their other sods. Here is a link to their website where you can learn something:

http://www.lakemountainfarms.com/pages/contactus.html

canyon, went to see the grass samples at 9900south state. My husband didn't like the buffalo grass too much, not sure what we are going to get now. I was wondering about the blue grama grass that trees4me mentioned earlier, where can you buy it? - did the water conservatory have that kind of grass shown there? - do you know the price per sq ft?

You can see examples of almost any type of turff grass including buffalo (both legacy and from seed mowed and unmowed), blue grama (mowed and unmowed), fescue, turtle turf at Salt Lake Water Conservancy's experimental gardens at 8200 South and just east of 1300 west. They open at 8:00AM and are open pretty much all day. The gardeners are quite helpful, and they have complete plant lists available. I stopped by last weekend because of a suggestion on this thread and was thrilled with the information I got. The gardner was happy to "give me the low-down" on what they liked and didn't like about all of the various turffs.

Blue Grama is native to the intermountain west. You can start it either from seed or plugs from High Country Gardens. (Though plugs are expensive because Blue Grama doesn't spread very fast so you need to place them close together.) I think that there are some other companies that sell seed too. It is a fine bladed grass that has a color closer to a bluegrass lawn than buffalo does.

CJ, was the buffalograss unmowed when you saw it? When I was there, it was shaggy. I guess we're all just conditioned to like the color of Kentucky bluegrass. Personally, I like the color of buffalograss and really believe it's the future for this area. At the present growth rates, it won't be long before we'll be rationing water even in non-drought years.

Given Colorado's severe drought situation, as well as the fact that mowing the lawn is no longer my favorite chore, last summer (2002) I decided to plug the front yard with Legacy Buffalograss plugs.

I had mixed results and decided that route would take more than my lifetime to fill in. So this year I hired a landscaper and had the front yard sodded with Legacy. The ONLY source of Legacy sod in Colorado is a company in Littleton.

The following URL will take anyone interested directly to the prime Legacy website where all of the authorized distributors (nation wide) may be found.

http://www.toddvalleyfarms.com/LegacyBuffalograssDistributors.htm

Several of my neighbors are waiting to evalute my yard (next year) before moving ahead, but I think I'm already going to be very happy with it. So much so that the back yard is next on the adjenda.

As to price, the Littleton source was about the same price as KBG sod.

To Canyon_Home:
I have been looking for a place that sells buffalo grass in Utah for quite some time. I know that your conversation here about this is old, but I would really appreciate the name and location and number of the farm that you bought your grass from.
Thank you for your time,
pyroandice@yahoo.com

Thanks for renewing this thread. I just called the Littleton company. They said they didn't think it would do well at 7500 feet because the soil temperature doesn't get hot enough.

Do any of you have experience with this?

The cost starts at 75 cents a square foot and drops with volume.

pyroandice,

The place has changed names. I just called them to make sure they were the same place. Now they are known as Biograss Sod Farms and they are on about 99th South and State Street. (801-562-9090) They have a patch of Legacy Buffalograss right there on State Street you can look at, but I'm sure it's still dormant and will be until temperatures warm up.

I live in Farmington, UT (about 20 miles north of Salt Lake), and I'm considering putting in some buffalo grass. I was originally planning to try a combination of buffalo and fescue, hoping for a fescue green spring and a buffalo summer, but I've been told that might not be a good idea.

Is it too late to plant buffalo grass? I ordered 1 oz of cody seed to plant a test plot (I have to get my wife's ok before doing the whole lawn). Can I still plant it, or is it too late?

For those of you who have planted from seed, how important is it to kill all the existing grass?

If you live in the Salt Lake Valley and have switched to buffalo grass, how often do you water, how often do you mow, how early does it go dormant, and how soon does it start to get green?

BPgreen,
I just posted my lawn experiment at the Lawn Care board under the thread recently started for experiences/regimens (something like that). I live in Denver. The specific seed I used was Ephraim - Champion Grass mix containing 67% Ephraim Crested Wheatgrass and 30% Champion Perennial Ryegrass. Both grasses are very, very similiar in look, very fine blades. The rhizomes I have 10 months later are THICK. The only complaint I have and this is my own fault, is that my dream lawn would require no mowing or watering. This seed I planted does grow naturally to about 18" long which is about 6 inches too high to never have to trim. I think the advantage to the seeds I used though is the green time which should be early spring through late fall. I think these seeds are available through a lot of garden centers now (not big box stores probably). I think it's worth your time to try. If you can't find it locally you can buy it through Rocky Mountain Seed 303-623-6223. Last pound I bought from them cost $5.00.

I did not kill the area prior to planting.
1. have dogs
2. I prefer no toxins & don't really believe the toxic manufacturers instructed stated safe time
3. figured surrounding areas have bindweed vine & seed already so I'd be fairly ineffective

If I had nothing surrounding the new area, no life to worry about feeding off the area (my dogs eat grass) and plenty of time to let the toxins dissapate I would probably kill the area. I've handweeded 3-4 times this year for the dandelions, thistle and some yellow flower weed, those I get the whole root so I feel effective. The bindweed is another matter, but when you have seed viability for 20 years and roots 12' long I don't know how effective the weed killers can be really.

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't really looked at wheatgrass, because I hadn't seen it listed as a turfgrass alternative. I noticed that you're planting this in your backyard, but I need something that will look good in the frontyard. I also plan to mow to a height of 4 inches or so.

Given these parameters, would a crested wheatgrass be ok?

One of my main considerations is that I want to reduce water needs, but I also need to have a lawn that my wife will be ok with.

Since you say that you didn't kill the existing grass, does that mean that this kind of grass blend could coexist with bluegrass and fescue (probably eventually crowding them out as I reduce watering)?

I read something about bindweed not too long ago that said that if you spray a broadleaf herbicide right before a killing frost, it can be more effective, because the plant pulls nutrients into its roots at the frost, and, if you apply a herbicide, that gets pulled into the roots, as well, killing more of the plant.

Bp,
I think this lawn will look very green, fine bladed and no seeds at the height you want. If you water it even some I doubt you or your wife would be displeased. I think these grass varieties are relatively new, developed maybe by Minnesota Agriculture, I may be totally wrong.
Do you plan to till in soil amendment? That is the one thing I did that I think helps me in drought, my roots must go quite deep. I tilled in a lot of aged manure to a depth of 8 inches average.
I think if you don't till or kill off the other grasses they will always co-exist. My grasses are rhizomes, isn't fescue a clump grass? I don't know who would win, probably still co-exist.
I guess if I had time and my main goal was to please my spouse I would grow a test area for this grass mix I speak of. A lot of the pictures online show this grass like I grew it to natural height with it's seed head. They don't at all show how green and fine it looks as a lawn, and I was impressed when I saw it firsthand.

Someone earlier asked about growing buffalograss at moderately high elevations...I live at 7500 ft just SE of Castle Rock, CO, and we have a native population of buffalograss and blue grama growing naturally here. Both take a while to green up, but they do quite well here even with our cooler summers.

Nancy

Thanks for the advice, Xcited.

I think Ephraim was developed in Ephraim, Utah (which is how it got its name).

I'm hoping to get by without tilling. I'm hoping to overseed my current lawn, with the most drought resistant grasses eventually doing the best, as I reduce my watering.

I think if I have to kill the existing grass and till, I'd probably be inclined to plant buffalo grass. I also read that manure is not a good idea for this area, because the soil tends to get salty over time due to watering, and manure tends to have salt in it. I'm not sure how true that is--I was a firm believer in using manure when I lived in the midwest, but I've cut back since moving here, after reading that the salt can be a problem.

Fescues are usually clump grasses, but there's a new variety out called RTF (for Rhizomatous Tall Fescue), sold in a blend as Water Saver. I've seen it at Home Depot, and their website (www.aboutrtf.com) lists Kmart as well. There are probably other places that carry it.

I like your idea of a test patch. I have several sections of grass between the sidewalk and the street, and I've designated one as my buffalograss test. I think I'll get some Ephraim crested wheatgrass and test a mix of it with the tall fescue in another section. The bluegrass in these areas already tends to go dormant (or die outright) because they don't get as much water, so that might be a good indication of how the lawn as a whole would look.

From what I've read, the wheatgrasses may rival buffalo grass for water need (or lack thereof), and don't have the problem of the slow spring greenup.

Have you grown RTF?

How do you think it would do if overseeded on an existing KBG lawn?

I'm in the process of slowly replacing my KBG lawn.

I grew up in the midwest, where there is generally quite a bit of rain. Even though there is more rain there, dormancy in lawn grasses is more expected/accepted than it seems to be here in Utah, where there is much less rain.

I water twice a week, and if an area gets too dry and the grass goes dormant, I will water that area deeply with a hose on a weekly or biweekly basis. I also note the areas that are going dormant so I can target them with RTF overseeding.

I started this approach before RTF was available, and simply used seeds that were labelled "drought resistant" etc and usually contained other fescue mixes.

I think this year was the first year I seeded RTF. I wasn't able to water the way they recommended, but I've currently got a lawn of mixed KBG and RTF, and it's pretty obvious where the RTF is--the green areas.

This fall, I plan to core aerate, then seed RTF. I'm also planting cody buffalo grass in one section, and a mixture of RTF and Roadcrest Crested Wheatgrass. Xcited recommended Ephraim, but when I researched wheatgrass, Roadcrest seemed a better choice.

In answer to your original question (I know I'm long winded) It should do fine in a KBG lawn. If you water daily, you will probably never notice a difference, except that the RTF has slightly wider leaves. If you water less frequently, the KBG will go dormant far earlier than the RTF.

I actually turned off one of my sprinkler stations because my lawn was getting enough (maybe too much) from my neighbor.

That's encouraging. I'm going to give it a try. I see K Mart is listed as the only retail outlet in our area for Water Saver. I'm going to stop by soon. My father has a lawn that's the perfect experiment for this.

K Mart is also the only outlet I see when I check the rtf website, but I originally found WaterSaver at Home Depot, so if the K Mart doesn't have it, try Home Depot.

bpgreen,

I was at the Home Depot on 21st South yesterday and they have lots of "Water Saver" on the shelves. I bought a 25 pound bag.

The instructions recommend mowing short, raking, spreading seed, covering with 1/4 inch peatmoss and then keeping damp.

Do you think the peatmoss layer is necessary?

Also, how do you spread the seed? I have a broadcast spreader but I worry about getting any sort of uniform coverage. Once when I did some reseeding, I mixed it with sawdust. Is this a good idea?

I would recommend visiting their website and reading everything there, and all of the posts in the forums before starting. I'll put the url at the bottom.

This is probably not a good time to seed RTF, because it's a cool season grass. Your best bet is to seed it in the fall or the spring.

I didn't mow short, but I concentrated on spots that had gone dormant due to low moisture. I used a "garden weasel" (like a rake/hoe/tiller) to stir the dirt, then spread the seed by grabbing a handful and tossing it on the ground. I wasn't too concerned with uniform coverage, because I figure that over time, I'll keep replacing the KBG with RTF.

I don't have objections to using peat moss (I know some people are concerned about environmental impact, but I found a Canadian website that said that it is replenishing faster than it is getting harvested). When I planted the RTF, though, I had a bunch of compost available, so I used it instead. If I had a lot of readily available sawdust, I would probably use that, although using sawdust may increase the need for nitrogen.

I was gone a lot right after I planted, so I set the sprinklers to run a few minutes each morning and evening until the grass sprouted. I then stopped watering.

I think I had some grass die because it didn't have a chance to get good roots before I stopped watering.

This fall, I plan to overseed with a mixture of RTF and Roadcrest Crested Wheatgrass in much of the lawn. I'll probably mow relatively short, then core areate, then seed, then spread some peat (no compost to speak of this year).

I'll probably use a spreader this year, since I'll be doing the entire lawn. I'll probably also repeat the process in the spring, when I'll be able to monitor the watering a little better (less travel, I hope), and in May, I'll be planting a patch of buffalo grass in another section of the lawn.

How invasive is the RTF? It is advertized to fill in bare spots really well, and my flower beds could be construed as bare spots.

Less invasive than KBG, but still will send rhizomes into bare spots - like flower gardens.

Hello - I would like to re-open this forum. I am in the process of buying new construction in Johnston CO (NE Co)and am thinking REAL hard about using BG on my small lot. However I don't want to wait for plugs to fill out because of the mess of no lawn & to placate my spouse. Where in Colorado can I now buy BG sod & does anyone have an idea about how much it costs in comparison to KBG? Also, if anybody else has done this, were there any reprocussions from neighbors/covenants/etc? Thanks in advance, Billgr

I'm with BillG reagarding re-opening this. I think buffalograss is gaingin in popularity and we'll see more and more of it as it gets better.

I'm in St Louis, MO recently moved from Fort Collins CO and have a large lot that was bare ground (new construction). I chose to go with BG because I didn't want to water every other day and we've got clay/rocky soil similar to what I had in Colorado.

I had it seeded a week ago, (June 05) and it's already got some good starts in some areas. It's looking a little thin right now, but I hope it gets a good grip as the weeds are not actively growing. Well, except for where I'm trying to save the KBG in the front yard by watering frequently.

I'll try to keep up with this thread, and post results.

Bill, as far as cost compared to KBG, it'll be more expensive going down, then much cheaper in the long run. My landscaper maintains a large BG lot for a treatment plant in town and he never waters it and mows maybe once a month, it looks pretty good out there and unless you're up close, I don't think most people would notive the difference unless the 2 grasses were side by side.

Has anyone in the Sonoran desert tried buffalograss? We get very little shade and intense afternoon heat, and our elevation is about 1100 feet. I've been looking for a way to give the toddler some play area outside without rolling out the sod. Our backyard is totally unlandscaped, all rocks and weeds with stickers. Any suggestions? (We are not huge gardeners.)