Getting Started

Buffalograss is native to Colorado and much of the North American High Plains. It is our best alternative to traditional cool-season turfgrasses like Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, and fescues. These are the types that are likely already in your yard and in public spaces. They require significant watering and possess varying heat tolerance, but remain green most of the season. With the exception of Kentucky Bluegrass, when they die due to extreme heat or lack of water they don't regenerate leaving your lawn with unsightly bare spots. Buffalograss, on the other hand, is a warm-season grass that stays green May-September and turns brown during its dormant phase in winter. It has exceptionally low watering requirements. Unlike many common turfgrasses, it spreads through stolons - root stems that spread horizontally above the soil and take root every couple inches, sprouting new grass heads along the way. This gives them the ability to "self-heal" from foot or pet traffic as well as speeds up area coverage. Some buffalograss cultivars are uniquely resistant to pet urine, making them excellent choices for dog owners.

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The CSU Extension and Plant Select® have excellent learning resources on buffalograss:

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Link: CSU Buffalograss Lawns

Link: Plant Select: Dog Tuff

In order to ensure that a new buffalograss lawn establishes well you have to completely kill your existing grass. This is often done with a glyphosate application. While commonly sold under the Roundup brand, a stronger, cheaper generic version is available from online retailers. Despite the stigma attached to this herbicide it is very safe when used with the appropriate attire (pants, long-sleeved shirt, nitrile gloves, and cloth mask). Glyphosate temporarily resides in the top several inches of your soil but dissipates quickly. It works by preventing the plant from photosynthesizing which leads to death of the leaves and root system within 1-3 weeks. Usually, a second application 1 week after the first ensures total success.

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For those that are unwilling to use a chemical herbicide, a strong 20-30% vinegar solution can also be effective but requires more applications, is more expensive per square foot of lawn, and may not kill all grass or weeds completely. Here are some links to both products as well as a battery-operated sprayer for applications:

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Buffalograss, like Kentucky bluegrass, is notoriously difficult to establish with seed and best results are achieved with store-bought grass plugs. Plugs are available from several online nurseries and there are many buffalograss types to choose from. My personal experience has been with Dog Tuff™ grass plugs and is what we'd recommend. While technically a member of the Bermuda grass family, it exhibits less of the unfavorable characteristics of that grass type (click here for more info).

Dog Tuff™ has the benefit of being pet resistant, grows only several inches requiring infrequent watering and mowing, and has a pleasing light to bright green color during summer. It also doesn't suffer from many of the typical drawbacks of other buffalograsses; it is more dense, has very fine, soft leaves, and tolerates foot traffic much better.

Plugs should be planted after the last frost and before it gets too hot (generally mid May-June). They are planted 12 inches apart. You can buy these directly from several online retailers. It is best to do so January-March since supplies tend to be limited:

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https://dogtuffgrass.com/shop

https://www.highcountrygardens.com/

Whichever buffalograss cultivar you choose you must follow this step to ensure the plugs survive the first several weeks after planting. The plugs should be watered every day until the ground is soaked for the first week, every other day the second week, and every week thereafter until one month after planting. Once the plugs are established, you will see extensive spreading by the stolons and complete coverage of the area will be complete by Summer's end. Coverage will look even fuller the following season.

Most buffalograss needs very infrequent watering (generally 90% less than cool-season grasses) and mowing. While it will go dormant and brown if not watered, established buffalograss will green up shortly after it gets moisture so watering is essentially optional if you don't mind some browning in the heat of summer. Turf-type buffalograsses typically grow between 4-6 inches tall so depending on what is aesthetically pleasing to you, it might only need mowing every month or so. This has been my experience with Dog Tuff™. Fertilizing and soil amendments are still recommended, but are far less necessary than with traditional turfgrasses; buffalograss does perfectly well in poor soil with little nutrients. As with initial planting of the plugs, it is recommended to apply a pre-emergent herbicide (see purchase link below) in spring to prevent nuisance weeds from taking root.

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There really isn't one, but perhaps some considerations. Buffalograss will only work well in full-sun (at least 6 hours per day) so shady areas will require shade-tolerant grasses like your traditional tall or fine fescues. If your lawn is quite large but you lack an in-ground sprinkler system you may have to either concentrate on planting smaller areas over several seasons or invest in a above-ground sprinkler setup. 

Buffalograss is meant for our locale, and does well here for that reason. You will find that its spreading stolons tend to choke out weeds too, so less effort is necessary to keep the lawn looking tidy.