With the growing interest in native plants for gardening, planting Buffalo Grass seed has become more common for lawns or even using as an ornamental grass in small areas of front yards. Buffalo Grass is a low-water native grass that grows naturally throughout the Great Plains and south into Mexico. It is a warm season perennial grass and because it grows to a fairly short height for a native grass (3 to 6 inches) is used in a variety of ways in many yards including for landscaping large areas like parks and schools.  In addition, because it grows from runners you can add wildflowers to it to create a meadow appearance with very little effort.

Another feature that makes planting Buffalo Grass seed so attractive is that this grass is cold and drought tolerant, making it ideal in the areas where water shortage is a true concern or in northern climates where cold can be a problem. Also- because there are no known problems regarding insects or disease, this is a very hardy grass that will require a minimum of attention once you have completed planting Buffalo Grass seed and it has matured to the point where you have eliminated competing weeds.

There are few limitations to where you can grow Buffalo Grass, but it does not do as well in sandy soil and it will not tolerate shade well, so keep those two limitations in mind when planning on planting Buffalo Grass Seed for a new lawn. As with any lawn planting; be sure to thoroughly till the soil before planting, eliminating any existing weeds. If you water and weed for about two weeks prior to seeding, you will have fewer weeds to contend with once you have seedlings coming up. If you continue to see weeds after two weeks, you might want to try solarizing the soil by covering it with a sheet of thick black plastic until the sun cooks the weeds remaining in the soil.

Don’t be surprised when you see the seeds for planting Buffalo Grass seed, as they are much larger than the common grass seed usually used for lawns. This is because the seeds, two or three of them usually, are contained in the burrs like a little natural package. When planting Buffalo Grass seed; keep in mind that it naturally germinates in the spring. You need to be sure that all frost is done and that your temperatures are close to 80 degrees during the day and no less than 65 degrees at night during the germination stage. Although mature grass will not need much water, you need to water young forming plants regularly until they have germinated and are thriving at a good rate. Here are some great books on planting to guide you in the process.

Once you have completed the initial stages of planting Buffalo Grass seed and it has grown to maturity, you will need to control the weeds that will inevitable show up. Because weeds grow faster than grass, you can control them most easily by watering about 1-1.5 inches per week and mowing the grass regularly, at least once or twice a year. After a year, you will find that you have your weeds under control and you can cut back on the watering and maybe mow once a year. It is a hardy grass that will thrive under the toughest conditions and will do fine without fertilizer unless you are trying to create a truly lush lawn.

All in all, planting Buffalo Grass seed is a great way to have a sturdy and economically and ecologically beautiful lawn that will grow and thrive under the harshest conditions for years to come. Play on it, ignore it, and it just keeps on coming. Just like it did for centuries on the Great Plains.

Originally from Europe, Rye grass seed is considered a winter grass seed. However, it can and is used in many areas of the country that are not considered generally for cool season grass seed.

It is a bunch grass, meaning that it does not send out runners and therefore this makes it a great grass seed to use if you are looking to fill in for a more lush lawn. Also, since it is available as either an annual or perennial you can choose how you want to plant your lawn. Many colder winter climates prefer winter rye grass seed because it is one of the first to appear in the spring.

Because it grows quickly, is highly adaptable and germinates fast, rye grass seed is often mixed with other grass seeds to give a longer growing time and faster stronger lawn or pasture.

You can also add rye grass seed as a fill-in for a already established lawn. Particularly if the other grass seed is a slow-growing grass seed, rye grass seed will help establish your lawn and create a stronger presence for transition zone area lawns.

Also used as a quick growing grass for temporary lawns in such situations as erosion control, reclamation sites, roadway shoulders or on new pastures when seeded with clover, small gains or other legumes.