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Features
- Superior tolerance to drought and cold
- Tolerates alkaline soil
- A native prairie grass
- Minimal maintenance
- Still being tested for its adaptability outside of the plains
- Ideal pH 7.0 to 7.5
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Area Suitable for Buffalograss ? |
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Type |
Warm season |
When to Fertilize |
Spring |
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Light |
Full sun |
Mowing Height |
3 to 4 inches |
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Planting Method |
Seed, sod, plugs |
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BUFFALOGRASS IN THE LANDSCAPE Back to Top |
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A native grass of the Great Plains, buffalograss is a newcomer to home lawns. New and improved selections work wonders in unwatered lawns from Central Texas to Nebraska. However, buffalograss is still being tested for is usefulness in other parts of the country. A dry climate is needed, because buffalograss cannot compete well with the weeds that thrive in climates with moderate or high rainfall. It grows well in areas that receive only 15 to 30 inches of rain per year. |
Buffalograss thrives under hot, dry conditions too extreme for other lawngrasses. |
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Buffalograss will grow in light dappled shade, but it is best adapted in full sun. |
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A strong buffalograss lawn will survive prolonged droughts and green up again after a soaking rain. |
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Buffalograss is naturally a medium blue-green color and should be fertilized less often than other lawngrasses. Buffalograss is more drought-tolerant than many weeds, which is one of the secrets to its success. |
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BEAUTIFUL BUFFALOGRASS, SEASON BY SEASON Back to Top |
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You can have a beautiful buffalograss lawn by following an easy Vigoro Ultra Turf Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program. Together with proper mowing and watering, these measures will help buffalograss grow strong and healthy.
Buffalograss spreads by short above-ground runners called stolons, but it depends on strong upright growth as its main way of preserving its vigor. Never scalp a buffalograss lawn by mowing it at less than 3 inches. Instead, use your mower's maximum height (usually 3-1/2 to 4 inches). |
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VIGORO ULTRA TURF STEP-BY-STEP ANNUAL LAWN CARE PROGRAM Back to Top |
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Little is needed to maintain buffalograss, but you should still give it some thought during every season of the year. If you are starting a new buffalograss lawn, follow the Vigoro Ultra Turf Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program shaded in purple. To maintain established buffalograss, follow the Vigoro Ultra Turf Step-by-Step Annual Lawn Care Program shaded in blue. You can start the maintenance program during any season, but the key is to complete a full year. After a year you will see marked improvements in your lawn. When applying any lawn care product, always read the entire label first and follow the directions. Be especially careful with weed control products and use only products labeled for use on buffalograss. |
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Planting Buffalograss |
Maintaining Buffalograss |
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Step 1: Apply in late early spring
- Vigoro Ultra Turf Starter Fertilizer. For planting sod or seed.
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Step 1: Apply in late winter or early spring
- Vigoro Ultra Turf Crabgrass Preventer (without fertilizer), if needed
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Step 2: Apply in late spring or early summer
- Vigoro Ultra Turf Turf Fertilizer
- Insect Control, if needed
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Step 2: Apply in late spring or early summer
- Vigoro Ultra Turf Turf Fertilizer
- Insect Control, if needed
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Step 3: Apply in late summer or fall
- Vigoro Ultra Turf Winterizer
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Step 3: Apply in late summer or fall
- Vigoro Ultra TurfWinterizer
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PRODUCT |
DESCRIPTION |
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Vigoro Ultra Turf Crabgrass Preventer |
Keeps crabgrass seeds and other grassy weeds from germinating. Crabgrass Preventer with Dimension® keeps on killing crabgrass up to 4 weeks after it sprouts. Dimension® also prevents the sprouting of many broadleaf weeds, such as spurge, chickweed, and henbit. |
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Vigoro Ultra Turf Turf Fertilizer |
Should contain a combination of fast-release nitrogen to green the lawn quickly and timed-release nitrogen to feed grass for up to 2 or 3 months. |
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Vigoro Ultra Turf Winterizer |
Contains timed-release nitrogen and extra potassium to help lawns endure winter stress and green up quickly in spring. |
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Vigoro Ultra Turf Summer Fertilizer with Insect Control |
Is important for the control of white grubs, fire ants, fleas, cutworms, and other major lawn pests. If these have been a problem in your lawn, apply Insect Control early, while the pests are still young. You can also apply Vigoro Ultra Turf Summer Fertilizer with Fertilizer to combine feeding and control in one easy application. |
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VIGORO ULTRA TURF TIPS FOR BETTER BUFFALOGRASS Back to Top |
- Wait to fertilize until after your buffalograss shows renewed green color in the spring. As long as buffalograss is dormant, it cannot use the fertilizer.
- Some weed control products can harm buffalograss. Do not apply a weed control product to buffalograss if it is not recommended on the label.
- Never burn off dead growth from buffalograss in the spring. Instead, mow the grass low at 2 inches and allow the clippings to fall to the ground where they will suppress weeds and help retain soil moisture.
- Never mow buffalograss closer than 3 inches except in spring when many people like to give their buffalograss lawns a clean start by mowing at 2 inches. After hot weather begins, you can leave buffalograss unmowed or mow it high at 4 inches.
- Do not plant buffalograss from seed. Selections planted from seed produce bristly seedheads, but improved selections started from sod or plugs do not. bluegrass with a power rake in either early spring or fall.
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OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Back to Top |
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Working with Buffalograss
The best strains of buffalograss for lawns are planted from sod rather than seed. Three of the best selections include Stampede, 609, and Prairie, which do well in alkaline clay. One suggestion before planting sod is to install stepping stones in heavily trodden passageways as buffalograss does not withstand heavy traffic well.
Once the sod is planted, water well and continue watering once a week for about 6 weeks. Be aware that the watering needed to help establish the sod can also encourage weeds. Remove the weeds by hand as soon as you see them.
Once buffalograss is well-rooted, do not water it during dry spells that last less than three weeks. The combination of dry soil and a high mowing height works as a natural deterrent to weeds. In a prolonged drought, expect buffalograss to fade to a golden brown color. Monthly deep watering will keep it alive. When rain returns, mow off the browned grass at 3 inches to stimulate new green growth.
When buffalograss becomes dormant in late fall, do not mow off the top growth. The dried blades discourage winter weeds by shading the soil. |
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