We Have Buffalograss Answers
Transcription
We Have Buffalograss Answers
We Have Buffalograss Answers Why should you choose Buffalograss? It was native Buffalograss the settlers drove their wagons over when they crossed the Missouri River heading west. It was on these Buffalograss prairies that the Native Americans found buffalo that provided them with food, clothing and implements for their ceremonial rites. Buffalograss is the only turfgrass that is native to North America and at one time, it was prevalent from Canada to Mexico. Today, this great grass is making a comeback! Pressures that range from water conservation to the demand for low maintenance lawns are bringing Buffalograss back into the picture in a big way as landscape architects, golf course superintendents, landscape contractors, and homeowners seek the many attributes this fine turfgrass offers. For the Pioneer Plaza in Dallas, Michael S. Kendall, ASLA, (American Society of Landscape Architects) noted that Buffalograss was used for several reasons. “The entire theme of the project was to be native and Buffalograss was native to this part of the country before civilization moved in. Besides that, we wanted the grass to grow just as high as it wanted to and let the people create natural paths.” He added, “Within the family of grasses, Buffalograss gave us the look we wanted, demands one-fourth the amount of water, and doesn’t need to be mowed. It is also a tough grass that grows in hard soils which is what we had on the site. We’re extremely pleased!” Water conservation was one of the prime reasons why Larry Clark, ASLA, vice president of Bender, Inc. of San Antonio, chose Buffalograss at La Cantera, the development in which Fiesta Texas is located. “We chose Buffalograss for all the areas outside Fiesta Texas because it is a beautiful grass without irrigation. In many places irrigation was not feasible, especially along the parkway and medians running through the development. Besides that, the low fertilizer needs attracted us because the area is in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone and heavy fertilization can cause problems,” Clark Stated. Buffalograss’ low maintenance is a beneficial attribute to highway departments when considering vegetation types for projects. Dr. Milton C. Engleke, Professor of Turf Grass Breeding, Genetics, and Management at Texas A&M University, states “Buffalograsses are absolutely the most drought tolerant grasses available to turf managers. The species avoids drought and severe heat by entering dormancy until sufficient moisture is available to sustain growth. The shallow root system and stoloniferous growth permits the species to take maximum advantage of brief summer rains.” Why Buffalograss? Because it answers the needs of those who deal with the design, planting, and maintenance of turf grasses because of its drought tolerance, rapid growth, ability to cover quickly, and its low maintenance characteristics. LARGE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS Low maintenance and less water requirements make Buffalograss the preferred turf grass for large commercial projects. These projects range from large corporate campuses to solar farms. Buffalograss is far preferable above Bermudagrass, St. Augustine grass, or fescue in commercial settings due to the lower input and maintenance requirements. PARKWAYS AND MEDIANS - The fact that it is virtually impossible to get water to parkways and medians, the need for these areas to be green with normal rainfall, and the need to reduce maintenance costs to near zero gives Buffalograss the “edge”. Should you use seed or sod? If cost is no object and instant green is a requirement, then sodding is the only way to accomplish the feat. In instances where cost is of the essence seeding Buffalograss is the solution. Buffalograss seeded lawns are less than 5 percent the cost of sodded Buffalograss lawns. In addition to the cost difference in seed and sod, the labor involved in installing the sod is an expensive venture that doesn’t exist when seeding Buffalograss. The labor involved with seeding Buffalograss can vary depending on the type of installation method. Seeded Buffalograss can be sewn with a grass drill, broadcasted, or hydromulched into place as long as the seed bed is firm (not compacted). In any instance the cost of installing seeded Buffalograss is far less than the cost of installing sodded Buffalograss. GOLF COURSES – The “roughs” can be just that with Buffalograss. Recently, golf course designers and superintendents are opting to use Buffalograss in the fairways primarily because of its low water requirements, according to Bill Campbell of BDC, Inc. BDC is currently using Bamert Seed Company’s TopGun Buffalograss seed at The Field of Greens Golf Course in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In the Midwest and Southwest, US water, or lack thereof, is often a limiting factor to turf grass aesthetics. Buffalograss will stand up to weather extremes throughout… whether its heat, cold, or drought. JOGGING TRAILS AND PARKS – Areas where irrigation is nonexistent and maintenance by city crews is at a premium are ideal for Buffalograss. Standing only six inches high, the grass is not too tall to be left un-mowed in a park. When planted along jogging trails, the un-mowed look of Buffalograss offers great aesthetics for the joggers or cyclists to enjoy. Why are Bamert Seed Company’s Buffalograss varieties special? RESIDENTIAL – More and more homeowners are discovering Buffalograss. Gone are the days when everyone felt the need to spend valuable resources to have a beautiful yard. In many areas, city watering requirements have reduced irrigation rates for lawns to the point many traditional turf grasses will not survive. In addition to the water expenditure of traditional lawns, time is also a valuable resource invested in many traditional lawns. Buffalograss offers a solution to the high-input costs of traditional lawns. With Buffalograss you can expect a green and aesthetically pleasing lawn in areas with an average rainfall that exceeds 12 inches per year. Bamert Seed Company, one of the largest native grass seed producers in the United States, is proud to lead the industry in the release of the first two turf-type seeded varieties of Buffalograss – TopGun and Plains. Both varieties were entered in the National Turfgrass Evaluation Trials. In these trials the varieties are grown out and compared with seeded and sodded varieties in 22 locations throughout the United States. TopGun and Plains excelled in all categories, especially in color and density ratings. TopGun Variety TopGun is a high quality turf variety. The dark green color, quick spreading, and short growth make it a desirable turf-type Buffalograss. TopGun is the first Buffalograss to be approved under the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP) and is certified by the Texas Department of Agriculture. In the National Turfgrass Evaluation Trials, TopGun received a “high” rating for its leaf TopGun 2 Variety TopGun 2 is a unique high quality turf- Recommendations and Specifications Seeding Rate:..........................................2-4 lbs. per 1,000 square feet Days to Emergence:...............................7 to 21 days Days to Establishment:..........................60 to 90 days Where to Plant:......................................Areas receiving 6-8 hours of sun per day. All soils except sand. When to Plant:.......................................When surface soil temperatures average above 60 degrees F. How to Plant:.........................................Cover seed with ¼” to ½” of soil (via drill or broadcast) Watering: Establishment:.......................Frequent light waterings Mature grass:......................... Heavily soak less frequently Fertilization:........................................... 15 lbs. of 13-13-13 per 1,000 square feet per year Herbicides: First year .............................None Thereafter:...........................Products labeled for Buffalograss Mowing Height:....................................2-4 inches for best results type Buffalograss developed by Bamert Seed Company and the University of NebraskaLincoln. TopGun 2 has shown to have outstanding performance in turf plot test by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This new variety has taken and enhanced those genetics found in the original TopGun making it the ideal turf-type Buffalograss. TopGun 2 was developed for its dark green appealing color, rapid and long spreading stolons, height, frost tolerance, and maturity. TopGun 2 has shown to maintain 100% of its color as compared to those varieties that are completely dormant and brown. This new and better variety has proven to have excellent frost tolerance and keeping its color, making it the eye appealing, longer lasting, low maintenance turf-type Buffalograss. Plains Variety Plains is a taller, greener, faster spreading variety of Buffalograss that was released by Bamert Seed Company. Its upright growth of 5 to 7 inches aggressively shades out weeds and other competing grasses. Being slightly taller and having a more extensive root system makes it more desirable for roadsides and also in low maintenance areas for erosion control. In the National Turfgrass Trials, Plains was rated highest in color, spring green up, and frost tolerance. Other Native Grasses Buffalograss is not the only native grass produced by Bamert Seed Company. Bamert Seed Company also produces Bluestems, Grama Grasses, Indiangrass, Kleingrass, Lovegrass, Switchgrasses, Wheatgrass, Forbs, and miscellaneous other grasses. Bamert Seed Company can also supply your food plot and cover crop needs. Jerry Williams of Landscape Design, the contractor who planted Bamert Seed Company’s TopGun at Pioneer Plaza said, “We have bought a number of native grass seeds from Bamert Seed Company and we will continue to do so.” Our History It all started in 1951 when Carl Bamert began producing native grass seed for the farmers who had put their land in U. S. government’s sponsored “soil bank” program. This program required participants to take land out of crop production and plant it in grass. The farmers were paid for the land they did not plant in crops. Sideoats grama was the first native seed crop Bamert Seed Company planted and sold. Not only does Bamert Seed Company produce the seed on their farms, they utilize state-of-the-art custom-engineered cleaning and processing equipment. With the Food Security Act of 1985 came the Conservation Reserve Program [CRP]. This program made highly erodible land eligible to be planted back to native grasses to prevent further erosion. Bamert Seed Company had the types of grasses needed to meet the requirements of CRP. During the 1980’s Bamert Seed Company began producing Buffalograss and today they are the largest Buffalograss seed producer in the country. Bamert Seed Company furnishes Buffalograss seed to customers throughout the United States...from Disney World in Florida to homeowners on the coast of California. 1897 County Road 1018 Muleshoe, TX 79347 800.262.9892 806.272.5506 Fax 806.272.3114 [email protected] www.bamertseed.com