Extension Spotlight

Want to water less? Want to mow less? Then here are some newer options of turf grass for you to try.

Just how much water does buffalo grass need to survive? How much water does Kentucky Blue grass need to survive? These figures might surprise you. Buffalo grass needs from 0 to 20 inches a year and if you want it to stay a nice green, water weekly during the season. Kentucky Blue grass needs 16 to 30 inches and can still be watered every few days. If you apply more than that in a season, you are overwatering your turf.

Not everyone can have Buffalo grass because it does not hold up well to heavy foot traffic. But for those who have turf areas that do not get a lot of traffic then Prestige, 609 and Turfallo are recommended. These varieties are more winter hardy. Sundancer, Cody and Bowie are still good but just not as winter hardy as the other varieties.

There are still other varieties such as SPF 30. It is a cross between Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis and Texas bluegrass, Poa arachnifera and it is well suited for bluegrass turf applications for improved heat and drought tolerance. SPF-30 will increase density, provide brown patch performance and aid in drought stress recovery. It does well with a lot of foot traffic. Chewing Fescue is also a good variety to consider because it has good shade tolerance. This fescue has a fine blade. It can be watered well every two weeks. Just remember that when the grass is out of water, this fescue does not go dormant, it just dies.

Tachoma 31 is a very winter hardy Bermuda grass. The name “Tachoma” comes from the Native American word that means “frozen water.” It is a warm season grass that can be aggressive because of its creeping rhizomes underground and its stolons above ground. Tachoma 31 cannot be purchased as seed, but rather sod, sprigs and plugs. It stays low and it hardly needs to be mowed. It is used on sports fields, the turf racetrack at Church Hill Downs and the National Mall of the U.S. Capital. It has great color and density. It has lower disease pressures than other cool season grasses and it stays greener longer than other Bermuda grass. It will be the first to green up in the spring. Another Bermuda grass is Dog Tuff, a Plant Select™ Plant and that is only sold as sod, sprigs or plugs. However, Riviera and Yukon are other varieties that you can purchase seed as a Bermuda grass.

If you do choose to seed with Buffalo grass, when you plant the Buffalo grass seed, use Turf Builder Starter by Scotts applied the same day that the grass seed is planted. If there are bare spots of soil, there will be weeds. This works on the weed seeds and not the grass seed. You will not be fighting weed seeds while the grass is growing in if you apply it the same day you plant the grass seed.