Landscaping and water usage/conservation (Denver, Colorado Springs: 2009, leases, buying)

[Shuffler]

Buffalo grass sounds like a great option. Now I need to find where to get sod and how best to prep my soil.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by Shuffler

Buffalo grass sounds like a great option. Now I need to find where to get sod and how best to prep my soil.

One place I know of:

www.turfmastersod.com/colorado_buffalo.html

[lalahartma]

There's also grammagrass:
Using Grama Grass in the Garden: High Country Gardens

[xeric]

High Country Gardens also sells buffalo grass plugs (I think it's about $40 for a flat of 70 plugs). A couple observations about buffalo grass:

1. It tends to be a lighter green then bluegrass but to my mind that looks more natural then the golf-course green of bluegrass (at least in an arid/semiarid environment).

2. You really don't need to mow it, since it doesn't grow higher then 4 inches.

3. Newer hybrids have been developed that have better cold tolerance. (Check the HCG site above).

4. It doesn't do well in shade.

5. It spreads via above ground runners, which I think are very interesting to observe over the course of a growing season.

6. I've tried blue grama, but I don't like it. It does need to be mowed but since it is a bunch grass, the mowed look and feel is similar to a grass "stump" which isn't particularly soft on your feet.

[Josseppie]

I still prefer Kentucky Blue Grass my self...

[reginhild]

Kentucky Blue Grass is more cold resistant than Buffalo Grass. Buffalo grass might work well in Pueblo where the temperatures are 10 deg higher on average than Colorado Springs.

Kentucky Blue Grass does require more water to stay green but it survives the cold and goes dormant in the heat. That is why you see Kentucky Blue Grass used almost exclusively in Colorado Springs. It is a pain to reseed or resod every year with other grass types.

Blue Grama is a grass that is probably better suited to Colorado weather than Kentucky Bluegrass. Blue Grama needs very little water and is more cold resistant than Kentucky Bluegrass while being heat resistant as well. However, Blue Grama grows in clumps and tends to be better for landscaping than for a smooth traditional lawn. You can regularly mow Blue Grama and it will look very nice and smooth when viewed from the street. However, when you walk on the yard you will notice the clumpiness.

If you want a traditional smooth lawn in areas of Colorado with cold weather, go with Kentucky Bluegrass. The best thing to do is to have a good soil prep before putting in Kentucky Bluegrass:

1. Put down a 1-2" layer of good soil amendment/rich topsoil. If you want to spend more also add moisture retaining crystals - you can get them at large landscaping supply yards.
2. Till that good layer into the existing soil to a depth of 6". Tilling is very important. If you just layer a couple inches of good soil without tilling, you will have problems.
3. Pack down the tilled soil with a tamper and water to help settle more. (if you don't do this you can still lay sod on top but walking on your lawn the first year will be like walking on a waterbed)
4. Lay Bluegrass sod. - now your watering requirements will be cut by a huge amount compared to having Bluegrass on top of unimproved Colorado dirt.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by reginhild

Kentucky Blue Grass is more cold resistant than Buffalo Grass. Buffalo grass might work well in Pueblo where the temperatures are 10 deg higher on average than Colorado Springs.

Kentucky Blue Grass does require more water to stay green but it survives the cold and goes dormant in the heat. That is why you see Kentucky Blue Grass used almost exclusively in Colorado Springs. It is a pain to reseed or resod every year with other grass types.

Blue Grama is a grass that is probably better suited to Colorado weather than Kentucky Bluegrass. Blue Grama needs very little water and is more cold resistant than Kentucky Bluegrass while being heat resistant as well. However, Blue Grama grows in clumps and tends to be better for landscaping than for a smooth traditional lawn. You can regularly mow Blue Grama and it will look very nice and smooth when viewed from the street. However, when you walk on the yard you will notice the clumpiness.

If you want a traditional smooth lawn in areas of Colorado with cold weather, go with Kentucky Bluegrass. The best thing to do is to have a good soil prep before putting in Kentucky Bluegrass:

1. Put down a 1-2" layer of good soil amendment/rich topsoil. If you want to spend more also add moisture retaining crystals - you can get them at large landscaping supply yards.
2. Till that good layer into the existing soil to a depth of 6". Tilling is very important. If you just layer a couple inches of good soil without tilling, you will have problems.
3. Pack down the tilled soil with a tamper and water to help settle more. (if you don't do this you can still lay sod on top but walking on your lawn the first year will be like walking on a waterbed)
4. Lay Bluegrass sod. - now your watering requirements will be cut by a huge amount compared to having Bluegrass on top of unimproved Colorado dirt.

WOW you and I actually agree on something!

[EscapeCalifornia]

Does anyone there use underground drip systems in their lawns? It seems like they'd save a lot of water.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Does anyone there use underground drip systems in their lawns? It seems like they'd save a lot of water.

I don't use one, but I saw one being put in up the street when our street was new. The landscaper said if you have one of these, and water restrictions are put into effect, you may still water the lawn if you have this type of system.

I'm sure they cost more but seem hugely efficient compared to the normal sprinkler systems.

[xeric]

Originally Posted by reginhild

Kentucky Blue Grass is more cold resistant than Buffalo Grass. Buffalo grass might work well in Pueblo where the temperatures are 10 deg higher on average than Colorado Springs.

I think you're missing the point of this thread. It's about water conservation, which implies alternatives to Kentucky bluegrass. I have buffalo grass in my back yard in Fort Collins (my front yard is all xeric perennials, shrubs, and ground covers) and it is a great alternative to bluegrass provided it is in an area with full sun.