Comments on: Buffalo Grass http://www.lawncareguide.org/lawn-care-basics/grass-types/buffalo-grass/ Helping you Grow it Greener! Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:29:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bob Oakley http://www.lawncareguide.org/lawn-care-basics/grass-types/buffalo-grass/comment-page-1/#comment-964 Bob Oakley Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:00:43 +0000 http://www.lawncareguide.org/lawn-care-basics/grass-types/buffalo-grass/#comment-964 Where did you learn your history? Over grazing of buffalo grass had nothing to do with the dust bowl, and most of the Great Plains are covered with varieties of bluestem, not buffalo grass. The dust bowl of the 30's was caused by tillage practices, not grazing. At the time, farmers plowed and tiled in straight lines and did not follow the contours of the land or use terraces. Additionally, they used the disc and harrow to the extreme, pulveerizing the soil to a fine dust. These practices along with an extended drought led to the dust bowl. With the fine soil, even when rain fell, it simply compacted the soil and simply ran off. The result was massive soil erosion and dust storms. The dust bowl ended and has not reoccured because of a change in farming techniques. Terraces and contour farming, planting of wind breaks, minimizing tillage, and keeping more crop residue on the land all keep more moisture in the soil and the soil in place. Thus, no more dust bowls! Where did you learn your history? Over grazing of buffalo grass had nothing to do with the dust bowl, and most of the Great Plains are covered with varieties of bluestem, not buffalo grass. The dust bowl of the 30′s was caused by tillage practices, not grazing. At the time, farmers plowed and tiled in straight lines and did not follow the contours of the land or use terraces. Additionally, they used the disc and harrow to the extreme, pulveerizing the soil to a fine dust. These practices along with an extended drought led to the dust bowl. With the fine soil, even when rain fell, it simply compacted the soil and simply ran off. The result was massive soil erosion and dust storms.

The dust bowl ended and has not reoccured because of a change in farming techniques. Terraces and contour farming, planting of wind breaks, minimizing tillage, and keeping more crop residue on the land all keep more moisture in the soil and the soil in place. Thus, no more dust bowls!

]]> By: Marianne Townsend http://www.lawncareguide.org/lawn-care-basics/grass-types/buffalo-grass/comment-page-1/#comment-576 Marianne Townsend Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:26:02 +0000 http://www.lawncareguide.org/lawn-care-basics/grass-types/buffalo-grass/#comment-576 This is my first year with Buffalo grass which has been chewed down by the rabbits. Will it come back, there is a lot of loose on top, should I rake it? This is my first year with Buffalo grass which has been chewed down by the
rabbits. Will it come back, there is a lot of loose on top, should I rake it?

]]> By: Tom Ogren http://www.lawncareguide.org/lawn-care-basics/grass-types/buffalo-grass/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Tom Ogren Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:18:53 +0000 http://www.lawncareguide.org/lawn-care-basics/grass-types/buffalo-grass/#comment-17 My favorite thing about buffalograss is that it is a dioecious species...i.e. it is separate-sexed...hence one clump of the grass may be all male, or all female. Buffalograss planted from seed will be a mix of the sexes, however there are cultivars of buffalograss that are all female....such as 'Legacy' and '609'...and there are some others besides. A great thing about these female cultivars (which need to be established as either plugs or as sod) is that they grow lower than male plants and thus need even less mowing...but the best part of all is that being female, they do not produce viable pollen....which makes them excellent choices for people who are allergic to grass pollens. My favorite thing about buffalograss is that it is a dioecious species…i.e. it is separate-sexed…hence one clump of the grass may be all male, or all female.
Buffalograss planted from seed will be a mix of the sexes, however there are cultivars of buffalograss that are all female….such as ‘Legacy’ and ’609′…and there are some others besides.
A great thing about these female cultivars (which need to be established as either plugs or as sod) is that they grow lower than male plants and thus need even less mowing…but the best part of all is that being female, they do not produce viable pollen….which makes them excellent choices for people who are allergic to grass pollens.

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