Buffalo Grass: A Low-Maintenance Lawn Option

Buffalo grass (Bouteloua dactyloides) is a warm-season grass native to North America. Its low maintenance and drought tolerance make it a good alternative to other types of turfgrass. As a warm-season grass, it even has relatively good cold hardiness.

For a more manicured look, mow buffalo grass infrequently. Or, for a natural look, leave it untouched. By abstaining from mowing, you allow the grass to flower and go to seed, attracting wildlife such as birds and butterflies. Either way, buffalo grass is an attractive lawn alternative that cuts down on irrigation and landscape maintenance.

What Is Buffalo Grass?

Buffalo grass (or buffalograss) is a perennial, warm-season grass that is a member of the Poaceae family. It spreads fast by seed and stolons, and it forms a dense sod. It forms dense clumps, reaching 8 inches in height and 12 inches in width.

Because it has long roots, buffalo grass is a good choice if you want to grow turf on a hillside for erosion control. Unlike buffalo grass, many other types of grass have shallower root systems and are ineffective at holding back soil.

Pros and Cons of Buffalo Grass

Planting Buffalo Grass

You will need to start from scratch if you want to switch from conventional turfgrass to buffalo grass. It is not possible to overseed buffalo grass in another turfgrass.

It takes a long time to establish a lawn of buffalo grass by sowing seed, so homeowners often start it from plugs or sod. If you do choose to start it from seed, there are some tricks you need to know:

• Buffalo grass seed will not germinate until the soil temperature has reached 60 degrees Fahrenheit. But it is okay to sow the seed a little ahead of time if you don't mind waiting.
• People generally sow buffalo grass seed from April to September.
• The seed needs light to germinate, and the soil should be kept moist (but not drenched).
• When buying, the seed package should say "treated." This indicates that you have seed with the maximum chance of germinating once the soil is warm enough.

If you choose the plug method of starting a buffalo grass lawn, there are spacing considerations. The lawn will develop faster if you plant plugs 5 inches apart. But if you want to save money and don't mind waiting for the lawn to grow in, space them up to 12 inches apart. Keep the soil moist until the plugs become established.

The sod method is the quickest, as you will simply roll out the sod. For sod, keep the soil moist but not soaked until the root system has taken hold.

No matter which method of planting you choose, most of the work will come in the form of preparing the soil ahead of time. This includes having the soil tested and adding the appropriate soil amendments.

Care and Maintenance for Buffalo Grass

Buffalo grass may be a lot of work to establish, especially if you use the seeding method. After that, you will have a very low-maintenance lawn. Even if you plan on mowing buffalo grass, it should be mowed higher (5 inches) than most grasses, which means you won't have to mow very often.

If you are attracted to buffalo grass because you do not want to mow the lawn at all, opt for a cultivar. There are seed, plug, and sod cultivars, but you are somewhat limited in your choices: Some types are available only as sod or as plugs and although you will pay more for these, they offer the best quality. Moreover, some of the cultivars stay shorter (ideal for a no-mow lawn). For example, while the species plant reaches 8 to 10 inches in height, the cultivar, 'Prestige,' matures at 4 to 6 inches tall.

Fertilize buffalo grass twice a year with 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet. Make one application in late May to mid-June; make another in late July.

Weed control is a bit trickier. It is safe to use a pre-emergent herbicide such as dithiopyr in spring. However, using post-emergent herbicides such as 2,4-D on buffalo grass during the growing season can damage it. A safer alternative is to wait until the grass is completely dormant and use glyphosate for weed control.

Cost of Buffalo Grass

The more work you have to put into the planting process, and the longer you have to wait for results, the less it will cost. Starting a buffalo grass lawn from seed is the most labor-intensive and requires the most patience, but buying seed is the best bargain of your three choices. Laying sod is a breeze, and the result is an instant lawn, so you will pay the most for that option. The cost for plugs falls in the middle of seed and sod.

• A pound of buffalo grass seed costs about $50 and covers about 330 square feet.
  
• The average cost of a plug of a quality cultivar of buffalo grass is $1. For example, you may buy a flat of 70 plugs for $70. If you don't mind waiting for a lawn and space the plugs 12 inches apart in each direction, they would cover 70 square feet.
  
• Sod is sold by the "pallet." For a quality cultivar, sod will typically sell for about $250 per pallet, which will cover approximately 450 square feet.