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norcal2015

We’re back from the Norcal Show and lots of landscapers had the chance to see California Buffalograss up close and personal! We heard some stories of happy customers and I got to meet some current customers 🙂

Here are some of the most asked questions:

  • This looks like it has runners like Bermuda, is this invasive too?
    • Answer: California Buffalograss is not invasive like Bermuda. It does spread by sending out runners, but unlike Bermuda, they stay above ground. You can see exactly where California Buffalograss is going. There will be no surprises shooting up from underground!
  • Is this like those other drought grasses that get really tall and then flop over?
    • California Buffalograss grows to a maximum height of 6″, which gives you the option to not mow! If you want to maintain a manicured look you can get away will mowing only every 3-4 weeks. We do recommend at least once a year mowing in winter to remove the old growth.
  • Does this go dormant?
    • California Buffalograss will go dormant in winter, but it goes into dormancy later than other warm season grasses and comes out sooner – around late November, early December and comes out in mid to late February. During this time you can stop watering it; apply a grass colorant once during the winter to keep it looking green until the new growth returns to green.
  • Can I buy it in seed or sod?
    • Because California Buffalograss produces very few seed heads and if there are some they will be sterile female seed heads – seed propagation is not an option. It’s root system also goes down very deep which will not allow for it to be produced in sod form.
  • Is it meant for foot traffic?
    • Yes, it’s meant for regular foot traffic, so feel free to treat it like a regular lawn – kids and pets and all

If you have any questions you want to ask, feel free chat us up at our new Facebook group or visit our website at www.californiabuffalograss.com!

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Want to get in the know with other California Buffalograss homeowners? Then come and join us at the new California Facebook Group! It’s a place where you can chat with others to get first hand insight on California Buffalograss. Ask questions, give advice, post pictures – come and join us, we hope to see you there!

Yay! Another update from an installer…We love updates! 🙂

“This is an installation in north OC, California…any of you could do the job in a few days, provided you prep your soil well. The jobsite had existing marathon sod which was removed, but underlying soil was heavy clay. I wanted to breakdown the clay and also fortify the soil and opted for Seaweed Extract and it worked beyond my expectations. Coverage of California Buffalograss was incredibly fast, which I must attribute to the Seaweed Extract, but perhaps Takao Nursery can put in their two cents. Photos are after the first week, after 4 weeks, and after 7 weeks. Never saw faster coverage using 12″ on center pattern. Also the Seaweed extract keeps the critters away (in case any of you have rabbits out there). Also used Orhomax Nutsedge killer to spot treat sprouting nutsedge. Worked better than Sedgehammer IMO and didn’t harm the California Buffalograss plugs at all.”

After Week 1:

IMG_0250After Week 4:
IMG_0303After Week 7:
IMG_0434

comparison.bottles
Every now and then we get questions about organic ways of getting rid of your weeds. We told you about ways to remove your existing lawn without using chemicals with sheet composting and soil solarization, and now we can share our mini trial with some organic weed killers!

In our comparison we trialed a couple organic herbicides, Biosafe Weed Control and Avenger Weed Killer, both were purchased online at Amazon, but you can also try your local garden center.

Both had a citrus-y sort of smell which wasn’t too bad at all! We sprayed 5 pumps of each onto California Buffalograss, and two types of weeds. Here are the results:

comparison.day1.4hours
After just 4 hours Biosafe was already showing signs of browning on the grass and it had totally killed the weeds. At the same time, Avenger did not show any effect on California Buffalograss, but it did have a good effect on the weeds, although they still had a bit of green in them compared to Biosafe.

comparison.day1.4hours.weeds
After several days ( with no additional applications), the results were even more obvious. Below is the effect on California Buffalograss from the initial spray 4 days prior.

comparison.day4

After 4 days, both sprays yielded similar results from the initial application:

comparison.day4.weed
Biosafe sprayed on with a “soapy” sort of liquid that seemed to stay on the foliage longer, while Avenger had more of a milky liquid appearance.

biosafeavenger
We found both Biosafe and Avenger to be effective as an organic weed killer on all sorts of weed types, unfortunately it will also effect your California Buffalograss. But it does offer you an organic way to spot treat your weeds!

hardpan

Are you looking at hardpan in your garden?

California Buffalograss is known for breaking up hard soil so water can penetrate and with more yards there is a decent chance it will do it with this. But if you’ve got really tough stuff, don’t worry! You can still go with California Buffalograss, it will just require a little extra watering since it won’t be able to go as deep as it usually does!

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kmph_ucverde

kmph_ucverde_aarontakao

Rich Rodriguez from KMPH 26 News likes California Buffalograss and so should you! 🙂 Like us on Facebook! We were featured on the local news during the Fresno Home & Garden Show as a great drought tolerant lawn alternative! Especially right now with California in a severe drought!

ucverde_homeshow

Well we’re back from the Fresno Home & Garden Show and California Buffalograss drew lots of interest! Here are some of the most common questions we were asked:

  • Can you mow it? Of course! Mow it every 3 weeks to maintain a manicured look or you can leave it unmowed for a natural meadow look since its maximum height is just 6″!
  • Is it safe for kids and pets? It’s perfectly safe for dogs to nibble on and it was developed for regular foot traffic, so you’re A-Okay! And it is highly resistant to pests and diseases, so even better!
  • Will it fill in or will it look clumpy? It should fill in within 3-4 months and look just like a regular lawn. No clumpiness!
  • Is it like Bermuda? Sorta…it’s like Bermuda in that it spreads by sending out runners – but California Buffalograss’s runners stay above groundit is not invasive and does not send runners underground like Bermuda. It also goes dormant in the winter, from around November to February, but come spring it will green up again! Also, during dormancy you can get away with watering it just a few times in the winter or not at all!
  • Can I get it in seed or sod form? Nope sorry, California Buffalograss produces hardly any seedheads – so no seeds to speak of (which also makes it great for those with allergies though) and because it has such a deep root system reaching down 6-8 feet, it is also not available in sod form.
  • How often will I have to water it? Initially, you’ll water it every day to encourage it to spread, slowly reducing watering after approximately 4 weeks. And once it is fully established in 3-4 months, you should be down to once a week watering to keep it green!
  • Is it good for shade? Unfortunately, California Buffalograss has very delayed to little growth in very shaded areas. We only recommend it for full sun locations. It needs 6-8 hours of sunlight daily to grow well.
  • Where did this grass come from?  California Buffalograss was bred by UC researchers from Davis and Riverside specifically for the hot, dry climates of California and Arizona.
  • Are you from UC Davis? No, Fresno State is my alma mater! Go Dogs! 🙂

For more info visit us at www.californiabuffalograss.com and don’t forget to like us!

ucverde_aug2012_takaonurseryIf you’re a local, be sure to stop by the Fresno Home and Garden Show this weekend and say Hello! We’ll be there sharing the wonderful water saving UC Verde Buffalograss and we’ll also be sharing some special show-only promotions! And the most important part?!…they’ll have fair food there…like the cinnamon rolls…mmmmm…

We told you about using sheet composting to remove your old lawn without using chemicals…but, there’s yet another way – soil solarization! Basically, you’re going to use the sun and plastic to cook the crap out of your lawn until it’s no longer living!!

There is an excellent how-to on it here by Nan Sterman!

“After six weeks or so, your lawn will be gone with a minimum investment of time, energy, money, and, best of all – no herbicides!”

Now how awesome is that!?!

(Read about using Sheet Composting to Remove Your Lawn without Using Chemicals here)

Winter watering

watercan

During the winter months you can drastically reduce the watering of your California Buffalograss there during the winter months. Especially this year when winter seems to have never quite arrived! It’s been unseasonably warm this winter for us here in Fresno which I know isn’t good for our drought situation, but I have to admit that I am totally loving it! It’s almost like I live in southern California!…almost 🙂

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