Buffalo grass won’t grow well here

TO OUR READERS: Dig It is a weekly column produced by the master gardeners of Colorado State University Extension in El Paso County.

QUESTION: I’ve heard good things about buffalo grass as an alternative to Kentucky bluegrass. Will it grow here?

ANSWER: Buffalo grass, a warm-season grass, has gotten good press recently because of its low water requirements vis-a-vis other turf grasses. While this grass does well as a turf grass in other areas in the state, including Denver, our growing season is just a bit too short for it to thrive here.

A better choice for a lowwater grass in our area is the native blue grama grass, which is hardy in Zones 4 to 8. You can see a nice planting of it at Colorado Springs Utilities’ Xeriscape Demonstration Garden (4855 Mesa Road).

Although this grass can take some traffic, it’s not a good choice for children’s play areas or any area often walked.

If you have an area of full sun where you want to plant blue grama grass, first eliminate weeds with a nondiscriminate weed killer — a product such as Round-up that will kill everything it touches. Then wait until late May or early June to plant the seed.

It’s crucial to lightly water and then do what’s known as rolling the seed to make sure it gets adequate soil cover. To roll seed, you can either use a special tool called a roller, running it back and forth where you seeded, or just take a basic leaf rake and drag it back and forth across the seeded area.

Then, be vigilant about keeping the seed moist until it sprouts, usually 10 to 12 days after planting. Keep weeding the area as needed as the grass gets established.

Because this grass does not green up until late May, consider planting small bulbs, including crocus, miniature daffodils and tulips in it in late fall and enjoy the colorful show the next spring. By the time the bulbs’ foliage dies down, the grass will green up.

One other thing to note: Bermuda grass, St. Augustine and zoysia grass are not good grass choices for Colorado Springs. These turf grasses do well in areas of the country with longer growing seasons, mild winters and moderate-to-high rainfall (think Texas and Florida).

To contact the Master Gardeners from Colorado State University Cooperative Extension in El Paso County, e-mail CSUmg2@elpasoco.com or call 636-8921.