Progress of Buffalograss Sept. 19, 2013

Buffalograss planted June 6, center of picture,
plugs planted on Aug. 15, 2013 at bottom.

The buffalograss planted 15 weeks ago on June 6, 2013 (middle of picture) has spread nicely and there are no gaps. It looks thick like the grass planted in August 2012 (top of picture). The bottom of the picture shows buffalograss plugs planted on August 15 (5 weeks ago). All these plugs were planted one foot apart. The plugs planted one foot apart will spread to completely cover an area if planted early enough in the growing season.

The buffalograss growing at the edge of the building has completely covered the burlap fabric. It looks like I didn't put enough topsoil along the edge of the building where it had eroded so badly. Next summer, I will gradually add topsoil to that edge until it is slightly higher than the soil that didn't erode away. The grass should slowly grow into the topsoil.

Next summer we plan to plant our buffalograss plugs 18 inches apart because the ground is more level in that area. That way, we will need about 56% fewer plugs. We'll see if the buffalograss plugs can spread and cover the area next year. This summer, we have been irrigating the area where we will plant new plugs next summer and spraying the weeds as they germinate, hoping to lessen the terrible weed invasion we had last year after we planted our new grass plugs.

September Weeds in Buffalograss

I have discovered a way to spray pesky wild morning glory (field bindweed) in our buffalograss even if the temperatures are still hot.

Field Bindweed held in place with a clothespin over plastic ice
cream bucket lid.

I take old lids from ice cream buckets, put them down on the buffalograss next to the bases of the weeds, and drape the morning glory over the top of the lids. I pinch the stems and the edge of the bucket with a clothespin then spray Trimec over the weed. I let it dry and carefully remove the clothespin and bucket lid. So far, there appears to be no damage to the buffalograss when I do this, even when it is above 85 degrees. I am very careful to spray only the weeds. Try not to damage the stems of the weeds so the poison will absorb into the leafs and go down into the roots. In a few days, the morning glory begins to wilt and curl and eventually dies.

Progress of Buffalograss

Buffalograss July 21, 2013

Buffalograss just after being mowed.

July 11, 2013 Buffalograss

Buffalograss plugs planted about June 6 at bottom, established grass at top.

     The buffalograss continues to grow quickly. It has spread nicely and is very thick in the established area planted last August. There are just a few small bare spots. The newly planted (about June 6) plugs at the bottom of the picture are spreading very well also. I put 1/4 teaspoon Osmocote from Scotts Miracle-Gro company (resin-coated controlled-release fertilizer) in the base of each hole before I put the plugs in place.
   I have spot-sprayed 2-4 D on the wild morning glory as it pops up through the bufffalograss, but the 2-4 D has yellowed the buffalograss where I sprayed, even though I've been careful to not spray unless the temperature is under 85 degrees. Use caution with 2-4 D!
     We haven't mowed the buffalograss yet this summer but we think we might mow it the next few days. We'll see how that works. It is only 6 inches high at the thickest areas because it spreads horizontally and doesn't get much taller than about 4 inches.

June 15, 2013 Buffalograss

New Buffalograss plugs at bottom, Buffalograss planted last August at top.
Burlap covering topsoil along the base of the building on right side.

     During the late fall and early spring, we sprayed the grass-like weeds that were still green after the buffalograss went dormant. This worked great. We no longer have those weeds competing with the buffalograss. There are only a couple of spots where thick-bladed grass is growing. I will carefully paint some Roundup on those with a small paint brush, being careful not to get any Roundup on the buffalograss.
     The buffalograss came out of dormancy about a month ago. It has really started spreading now that the weather has warmed up. I have been spot spraying using a household spray bottle with lawn weed killer with Trimec herbicide, 4 tablespoons per gallon of water to kill broad leaf weeds. Always be sure to read the instructions on all herbicides you use. Buffalograss instructions say not to spray 2-4 D products when the temperature is above 85 degrees, because it may harm the grass. We really had a bad infestation of field bindweed, or wild morning glory, especially in the back area of the picture and the 2-4 D has really killed it well.
     I spread lawn fertilizer, 25-5-10 with slow-release nitrogen, 1 pound per 1000 square feet about a week ago. I will spread some more again in late July or early August.
     We sprayed Roundup on anything green in the area in November and again until early April. After spraying in early April, I looked closely at the buffalograss and it looked like it was coming out of dormancy. I was really scared that we had killed the buffalograss with our last spray of Roundup, but in May it really began to turn green so we hadn't killed it! Phew!
     We don't want to over water the buffalograss, so we have only watered it twice since it greened up.
     Water runs off our building and eroded a lot of the dirt away since last summer. There was a depression about 8 to 12 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep all along the building at the base. To remedy that, I bought  burlap fabric, 3 feet wide and 20 feet long and topsoil at Walmart. They also sell burlap at Home Depot and Lowe's. I put one side of the burlap down into the hole and dumped the topsoil into the depression. Then I folded the rest of the burlap over the top of the topsoil and pushed landscape pins into the burlap every couple of feet. So far, it has kept the soil in place and hasn't eroded anymore. The buffalograss is starting to grow into the burlap and the burlap will eventually decay away, hopefully after the buffalograss spreads its roots into the soil so it doesn't erode anymore. That's the plan, anyway.