Good Reasons to Use Buffalo Grass
Buffalo grass by John Tann
If you’re a homeowner and you’re looking to beautify your front and backyard areas with rolling reams of lush green grass then you may want to consider the benefits of installing a quality lawn of Bouteloua dactyloides, more commonly known as Buffalo Grass .
A little history of Buffalo Grass
The humble Buffalo Grass variety has been used on Australian lawns for over 180 years with the earliest recorded cultivation being listed from the 1820’s. Gregory Blaxland was recorded as the first person to cultivate Buffalo Grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) at Brush Farm House, predating the first recorded cultivation in the USA by almost 60 years!
Buffalo Grass is said to originate from three main areas around the world; the Americas, Africa and the Mediterranean.
A Few More Thoughts on Buffalo Grass
Buffalo grass is a very short and grayish green grass. It will not need much maintenance at all, since it is very drought tolerant. You will need to water it at first very frequently when planting seeds or laying sod. Once the grass is grown, you’d really don’t have to water it anymore. Rainfall will most likely take care of whatever water it needs. You will want to make sure that it does gets around 10 to 15 inches of rain per year, if not you will need to water it.
Note: Foreign grasses, such as European mixes planted in Southern California, will take a huge amount of extra water to keep the lawn looking nice. Whereas buffalo grass planted in England would quickly die from too much water, just with the normal rainfall. Pick a grass that fits your local area’s weather.
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Buffalo Grass can be planted as a ground cover and is a low-maintenance solution to any lawn or meadow. It is extremely drought tolerant and will attract wildlife. Perennial. David’s Garden Seeds is a Veteran owned business that has been supplying quality… Read more…
Need a new building? Construction of McCully’s sod home was typical of that time. Using a flat shovel, he cut blocks of the thick Buffalo grass sod that grew about a mile north of his home site. He then used the 18-inch long buffalo grass blocks to form the walls.
Because buffalo grass don’t grow very high, it also seldom gets grass fungus. It requires little mowing and fertilizing and can survive a drought. Over-managing actually does more harm than good. Remains green during winter Although primarily a warm season plant, the buffalo grass will survive winters even when seldom irrigated.
Why choose Buffalo Grass?
For the harsh Australian climate Buffalo Grass is a perfect match. Most varieties do well in drought conditions and they have impressive wearing abilities as well as remarkable softness for their durability.
If you live in similar climatic area, consider buffalo grass.
What Buffalo Grass is right for your lawn?
If you have decided that Buffalo Grass is the right choice for your new lawn then the next step may be the hardest; what type of Buffalo Grass is right for my property? Buffalo Grass comes in a range of varieties that are well suited for broad and niche property types.
Below I have a compiled a list of the most commonly used Buffalo Grasses in Australia and the differences between them.
Sapphire Buffalo Grass
Sapphire Buffalo Grass is Australia’s most shade tolerant Buffalo Grass variety.
Benefits of Sapphire Buffalo Grass: Excellent winter colour, excellent sun and shade tolerance, fast recovery and rapid growth.
Palmetto Buffalo Grass
Palmetto Buffalo Grass has the following best traits; very high drought tolerance and recovery, lowest levels of thatch, seeds the least amongst Buffalo Grass varieties, holds the best winter color, and it is slower growing.
Benefits of Palmetto Buffalo Grass: Impressive drought resistance, low maintenance, rapid damage recovery, and hard wearing.
Shademaster Buffalo Grass
Shademaster Buffalo Grass is the slowest growing Buffalo Grass and will therefore require the least amount of mowing and maintenance.
Benefits of Shademaster Buffalo Grass include; excellent shade tolerance, hard wearing, ideal for high traffic areas, low price, and low maintenance.
Deciding on what to use for your lawn?
This article is not designed to give you a comprehensive look at Buffalo Grass varieties, but what it does aim to do is inspire you to go to your local turf supplier and sit down and figure out which Buffalo Grass variety is going to suit your landscape and budget.
Award Turf Supplies is a family owned and operated business with over 40 years of combined farming history. Our turf farm is operated on 100 acres of land located on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. We specialise in the cultivation and supply of quality weed free lawn. We take pride in the cultivation of our turf varieties .
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Considering Buffalo grass (6/15/13)
In this segment Dr. Dennis Martin discusses the benefits of using buffalo grass as a lawn and dispels several myths. For additional information: Factsheet HL…
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Buffalo Grass
