What is Buffalo Grass?

Answer 1

Buffalo grass is native to the prairies and is the only truly native grass to be found in North America. It gets its name from the fact that it was one of the primary grasses that supported once large herds of buffalo that roamed the prairie. Due to the scarcity of wood on the prairie, buffalo grass provided the sod used by the early settlers to build their houses. It can withstand extreme environmental conditions, such as large fluctuations in temperature and prolonged droughts. Its durability, combined with its seed producing ability, enables Buffalo grass to thrive where other grasses could not survive.

For the gardener, Buffalo grass is the ideal grass if going for a more natural, or native, landscape. It has many other advantages, too. Buffalo grass thrives in even heavy clay soil. It requires half the amount of water as other grasses, and never needs to be fertilized. However, Buffalo grass will not thrive in shady spots, or in areas that receive heavy traffic.

Rather than starting from seed, it is better to start a Buffalo grass lawn from sod plugs, not less than 2 square. Depending on how quickly you want your lawn, the plugs can spaced anywhere from 6 apart, for quick coverage, to over 2’ apart, if you have more time or do not want to buy so many plugs. It is very important to keeps the roots moist as the plants can die if they start to dry out. Make sure the holes are deep enough to set the plugs with all of the grass above ground level, as a partially buried plug will die. The grass should be planted in early fall, spring or early summer, when moisture is favorable. Pack the soil firmly around the roots and make sure the plants are kept well watered after planting. Keep the soil moist and well watered for several weeks, thereafter, until the roots are firmly established.