Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Thursday - April 23, 2009
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Grasses or Grass-like
Title: Special requirements for Density buffalograss in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Are there any special requirements for Density Buffalo beyond the requirements of other, more common, types of buffalo grass? Background: We live in NW Austin, and we recently installed density buffalo in our back yard (4/3/09). We put it into the ground the same day we received it, and even though it's been over 2 weeks, we are seeing almost no initial browning from shock, so things are looking really good. The grass is starting to grow some, and as far as I can tell, everything is good to go. The only other bit of information I think might be relevant is the type of dirt we put underneath it--it's half dillo-dirt, half sandy loam. I understand from your FAQ that this isn't the best dirt, but can work. I want to make sure this grass really succeeds, so wanted to know if you were aware of any special requirements or recomendations for Density Buffalo.ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants learns something every day from the customers. We had not even heard of this cultivar of native Bouteloua dactyloides (buffalograss) until your question. So, we went looking for information and found this article on Buffalograss Management Research by Dr. Kevin W. Frank, Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Science at Michigan State University. The research for the article was done while Dr. Frank was a graduate student at the University of Nebraska. Apparently this is a very fine grass for lawns or golf greens, and can profit, over time, from applications of nitrogen, as in lawn fertilizer. We could find no indication that the soils you used were inappropriate or would harm the development of the grass. Read the entire article referenced above for more specific information about the amounts of nitrogen to apply, and the results to expect.
More Grasses or Grass-like Questions
Cause of yellowing buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides)
June 07, 2008 - We are getting large yellow areas in our buffalo grass lawn and think this is probably due to grub worms. Are grub worms the likely culprit and if so, what is the best way to get rid of them? We don...
view the full question and answer
Possibility of using weeping love grass on property in Keller, Texas
April 19, 2008 - What do you know about "Weeping Love Grass"? We have heard that it does not require watering (once the roots are established, fertilizing, nor frequent mowing. So we decided to plant it on our 2-a...
view the full question and answer
Need to stabilize a south facing slope in Henderson, NC
April 30, 2010 - Hi, I have a south facing slope that is heavy clay with rock under it. It gets a lot of sun. I have planted a few bushes and some ground cover, but with all the snow and rain we had this past winter, ...
view the full question and answer
Assessment of Turffalo buffalograss
June 26, 2009 - Hi,
I'm in the process of planning what type of turf to get for a new home in NW Austin. Turffalo/Tech Turf has showed up as a great possibility and I saw some mention of it back on March 05, 2008...
view the full question and answer
Deer resistant plants for Pittsburgh PA
January 30, 2012 - What shrubs can I plant on a wet slope that gets partial sun that will help control erosion? They need to be something the deer won't eat! We have lots of deer.
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
