Buffalograss has survived for millions of years, through droughts, floods and insect invasions with no help from man or his chemicals. It is the only turfgrass that is native to the United States. Buffalograss has a very low water requirement and a deep root system that grows several feet into the soil. This root system allows it to draw water and nutrients from a large area. Buffalograss thrives on 1/4 inch of water per week, resulting in up to a 75% reduction in water consumption. These varieties thrive on a fraction of the amount of water needed for most turfgrasses, with watering not needed in most parts of the country and other areas seeing a substantial reduction in water usage. Over one million gallons of water can be saved on every turf acre every year by replacing a high water use turfgrass like bluegrass with buffalograss. The timing of your natural rainfall will dictate when, and if, additional watering will be required.
**Buffalograss is eligible for water rebates in many cities with limited supplies of water. Since Buffalograss varieties use a fraction of the water of most turfgrasses, many cities offer rebates if you plant these water conserving grasses. Check with your local water board or city officials to see if you qualify.
Buffalograss is highly resistant to common turf insects including; grubs, webworms and billbugs, reducing our dependence on chemicals. Using less chemicals is significant because you can protect the environment and save money in the process. Every year millions of dollars are spent applying insecticides to control turf damaging insects. While this allows us to have beautiful grass, it also kills beneficial insects in the soil. Buffalograss is resistant to most turf damaging insects so the need for an insecticide is rare. While you may need chemicals to control some weeds in a highly manicured lawn, our turf-type Buffalograss is very dense and aggressive, making it more difficult for weeds to infest the turf. The environment is a definite winner with Buffalograss.
We feel the conservation of water is a must for all of us, but we must also reduce our dependency on chemicals and the need for the weekly ritual of mowing. Lawnmowers are one of the worst polluters of the air we breath. Buffalograss varieties require mowing only once every 2 to 3 weeks. Since these varieties have such a short maximum height, many people choose to leave their lawns un-mowed. Buffalograss has a slow vertical growth habit. Legacy will only grow to a height of 3 to 5 inches. Prestige will grow to a height of 4 to 8 inches and UC Verde will grow a height of 4 to 6 inches. Generally, the lower maximum height will be in drier climates, whereas the higher height will be in areas with annual rainfall of 30 or more inches. We do recommend that you mow at least one time per year.
Buffalograss is the turfgrass choice for a pollen reduced landscape. People with allergies and asthma should consider a landscape with low pollen plants. This creates a more comfortable environment and reduces the amount of medicine needed for those who suffer from allergies or asthma. The American Lung Association recommends using plants which have a pollen rating of 6 or less. Legacy and Prestige Buffalograss have a rating of 1. UC Verde has only a slightly higher rating.
During the 1980's, turf managers saw the need for a quality turfgrass that would be less costly to maintain. An effort was made to find a new, low maintenance grass for lawns because of the increasing population worldwide and the limited amount of water to go around. As a result of this research, the first turf-type buffalograss varieties were released in the early 1990's. These first generation, seedless varieties were "609", Prairie, "315" and "378". Seeded types like Cody, Bam 1000 and Tatanka also came on the market. They also reduced mowing and the amount of money spent on fertilizer and chemicals each year. Turf-type buffalograss became the "protector of our environment." Even though seedless varieties had a definite advantage over the seeded types, they still lacked the overall density and color to compete with the looks of a traditional lawn.
Then in 2000, Legacy® Buffalograss, a second generation turf-type seedless variety, developed by the University of Nebraska, came to market. Legacy's soft, narrow blade made the turf an ideal choice for lawn activities. It had a dark blue-green color. The quality of Legacy Buffalograss surpassed all other types of vegetative and seeded buffalograss. The popularity of buffalograss soared. Legacy Buffalograss turf offered an exciting new dimension in turf maintenance. You could have a beautiful manicured lawn without the constant watering and mowing. Development of new varieties continued. It was unrealistic to think one variety would be the best grass for all areas and climates. In 2003 UC Verde® was released by University of California creating the ultimate grass for the heat of the lower valley of Arizona and California. Prestige™ followed in 2004 for the humid climates like the south and southeast United States.
All three varieties are seedless, or vegetatively reproduced. Vegetative varieties offer many advantages over seeded types. They establish faster. Our accelerated growth plugs should give you a lawn in 2 to 4 growing months instead of 3 to 5 years required for seeded types. While vegetative varieties produce a few pollen heads under certain conditions they do not produce the massive quantities that the seeded varieties do. Seeded varieties need to be mowed regularly to remove these unsightly heads. Vegetative varieties are generally considered pollen free, creating a improved environment for people and pets with allergies. The establishment window for seeded types is very short. Seeded types must be seeded during early summer when temperatures are high and weeds are prevalent. The use of chemicals during establishment is very limited. Plugs and sod have a planting window from spring until fall and can be treated with chemicals to prevent weed growth during establishment.
