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New turfs thicker, more dense
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As we talk about the new generation of turf-type buffalograss, their most promising characterisitc is a thicker, more dense turf. This is accomplished with shorter internode length, which gives more plants and roots closer togehter.
 These newest varieties produce a darker green color, which many homeowners are looking for. Their shorter height means longer time between mowing, or, for a more natural appearance, NO MOWING. Its more dense turf keeps weeds out, leading to a chemical-free, low maintenance lawn. This grass has also been bred for faster first-year cover.
This year, supplies of Cody are good; Bowie is available in limited supply. Both varieties will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
 Buffalograss has become very popular as a low-maintenance lawn grass. This hardy grass greens up two-to-three weeks later than Kentucky Bluegrass in spring, and stays green all summer with little or no care. It goes dormant at the first killing frost and turns a beautiful buff color until it breaks dormancy again in the spring. Buffalograss is a fine-leaved native grass species that has prospered on the Great Plains for centuries. It has survived severe weather extremes and has evolved into a water-efficient, sod-forming grass of incredible durability. The photo to the right is CODY Buffalograss planted outside the Lake McConaughy Visitor Center in Ogallala, NE.
Small shoots have hairs on both sides and edges of leaves. The leaf sheath is hariless. Buffalograss has both mail and female plants with the male plant having a flag-type pollen head above the stem. The female plant produces the seed toward the base of the plant.
Unlike many native grasses, buffalograss grows as much as 5 inches within 50 days after planting! In nature, buffalograss germinates very slowly, but after a non-toxic priming with potassium nitrate to break down dormancy, germiniation can occur within 14 days. Dye-colored seed designates it has been primed.
 With proper weed control, buffalograss spreads fast on runners or stolons (like strawberry plants), but is not a pest. Each node on these stolons sends down a root, which creates another plant. This holds the runner in place.
Buffalograss requires six to eight hours of sunlight and does especially well on hot, droughty sites where bluegrass dies out. It requires sunlight and well-drained soil and is often used for erosion control. (learn about erosion control netting here)
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