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Buffalograss
has survived for millions of years,
through droughts, floods and insect invasions with no help from man
or his chemicals. It is the only turfgrass that is native to the
United States. Buffalograss
has a very low water
requirement
and
a deep root system that grows several feet into the soil.
This root system
allows it to draw water and nutrients from a large area. Buffalograss
thrives on 1/4 inch of water per week. Water
savings with buffalograss is astounding. Over one million gallons of
water can be saved on every turf acre every year by replacing a high
water use turfgrass like bluegrass with buffalograss.
The timing of your
natural rainfall will dictate when, and if, additional watering will be
required. Buffalograss is highly resistant to common turf
insects including; grubs, webworms and billbugs.
During
the 1980's, turf managers saw the need for a quality turfgrass that
would be less costly to maintain. An effort was made to find a
new, low maintenance grass for lawns because of the increasing
population worldwide and the limited amount of water to go around.
As a result of this research, the first turf-type buffalograss varieties
were released in the early 1990's. These first generation,
seedless varieties were "609", Prairie, "315" and "378". Seeded
types like Cody, Bam 1000 and Tatanka also came on the market.
They
also reduced
mowing and
the amount of money spent
on fertilizer and chemicals each year. Turf-type buffalograss
became the "protector of our
environment."
Even though
seedless varieties had a
definite advantage over the seeded types, they still lacked the overall
density and color to compete with the looks of a traditional lawn.
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Then in
2000, Legacy® Buffalograss, a second generation turf-type seedless
variety,
developed by the University of Nebraska,
came to market. Legacy's
soft, narrow blade made
the turf an ideal choice for
lawn activities. It had
a dark
blue-green
color. The quality of Legacy Buffalograss surpassed
all other types of vegetative and seeded buffalograss. The
popularity of buffalograss soared.
Legacy Buffalograss turf offered
an exciting new dimension in turf maintenance.
You
could
have a beautiful manicured lawn without the constant watering and mowing.
Development of new varieties continued. It was unrealistic to think one
variety would be the best grass for all areas and climates. In 2003 UC
Verde®
was released by University of California creating the ultimate grass for the
heat of the lower valley of Arizona and California. Prestige™
followed in 2004 for the humid climates like the south and southeast United
States.
Todd Valley Farms owns the
exclusive right to all three of these remarkable grasses. All three are
seedless, or vegetatively reproduced. Vegetative varieties offer many
advantages over seeded types. They establish faster. Our accelerated
growth plugs should give you a lawn in 2 to 4 growing months instead
of 3 to 5 years required for seeded types. While vegetative varieties
produce a few pollen heads under certain conditions they do not produce the
massive quantities that the seeded varieties do. Seeded varieties need to
be mowed regularly to remove these unsightly heads. Vegetative varieties
are generally considered pollen free, creating a improved environment
for people and pets with allergies. The establishment window for seeded
types is very short. Seeded types must be seeded during early summer when
temperatures are high and weeds are prevalent. The use of chemicals during
establishment is very limited. Plugs and sod have a planting window from
spring until fall and can be treated with chemicals to prevent weed growth
during establishment.
We feel the
conservation of water is a must for all of us, but we must also reduce
our dependency on chemicals and the need for the weekly ritual of mowing.
Lawnmowers are one of the worst polluters of the air we breath. Our
buffalograss varieties require mowing only once every 2 to 3 weeks.
Since these varieties have such a short maximum height, many people choose
to leave their lawns un-mowed.
Ask for these grasses at
your local garden center or order online. We are also contracting with sod
farms throughout North America to better serve those who wish to sod instead
of plug.
For
more information on a distributor in your area go to the
Buffalograss Grower and Distributor Page
or place an
order online
for plugs to be shipped directly to you.
Which
Buffalograss do I choose?
It
is unrealistic to think that any one grass is perfect
for all locations.
That is why we offer several
cultivars of buffalograss to fit your climate and
region.
The
following is a general geographic guideline for planting
of each one of the three varieties. These are only
guidelines. There are always exceptions. You may
want to use more than one variety in your landscape to
create a contrast in looks. These grasses are
great for lawns, border plantings, street plantings or
as a short ornamental garden. Ask for these
grasses at your local garden center or order online.
We are also contracting with sod farms throughout North
America to better serve those who wish to sod instead of
plugging. For
more information on a
distributor in your area go to the
Buffalograss Grower and Distributor Page.
Developed by
the University of Nebraska and released for sale in 2000, Legacy® changed the way people look at buffalograss turf. It has a dark blue-green
color and only grows 3 to 5 inches high. Its dense canopy of fine leaf
blades creates a very soft carpet which is perfect for lawn activities.
Legacy also shows better shade tolerance than previous varieties. Legacy
will grow in shade, but it is not as aggressive and will not spread as well
as in full sun. It is cold hardy to Zone 2. Please refer to the
USDA Plant
Hardiness Zone Map if you are not familiar with which zone you live in.
The University
of California released this remarkable grass in 2003. UC Verde™
produces a dense turf of soft, bright-green, very fine leaf blades. It is
excellent for the adverse conditions found in the lower valley of the desert
southwest and California. UC Verde will grow to a maximum height of 4 to
8 inches in most locations. UC Verde is available only as accelerated growth
plugs.
Prestige™
is the latest release from the University of Nebraska. It outperforms all
other varieties of buffalograss in the southern and southeastern United
States. It has exceptional disease and insect resistance. Prestige also
has fine soft blades with a stunning green color and grows to a height of 4
to 6 inches.
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 Todd Valley Farms
buffalograss varieties give
up to a 75% reduction in water
consumption, therefore saving you money. These varieties thrive on
a fraction of the amount of water needed for most turfgrasses. With a root
system extending several feet into the ground, watering is not needed in most
parts of the country. The rest of the country will see a substantial
reduction in water usage. In gallons this means about one million
gallons of water per acre can be saved by using Legacy, Prestige or UC Verde. This allows water
to be used for other necessities, like drinking.
 ROOT
DIP
If
you are purchasing buffalograss plugs and are concerned
about watering requirements to establish the plugs, you
should also consider purchasing Zeba Root Dip.
The ONE
OUNCE PACKET will dip approximately 1000 plugs, for only
$5.99!
·
Helps protect root systems from drying out after
planting.
· Decreases plant stress for improved stand development.
· Holds 400 times it’s weight in water.
· Slowly releases just the right amount of water to the
roots as needed.
·
Gives you higher plant survival rates and consistently higher quality plants.
Buffalograss from
Todd Valley
 Farms reduces or eliminates mowing,
saving you money and protecting the quality of air we breath. Lawn mower
engines are one of the worse polluters of our atmosphere. Buffalograss
has a slow vertical growth habit. Legacy will only grow to a height of 3
to 5 inches. Prestige will grow to a height of 4 to 8 inches and UC
Verde will grow a height of 4 to 6 inches. There is no set mowing schedule for
Buffalograss. Just mow
for the look you are trying to create.
For a manicured turf, you will need
to mow once every two to three weeks. Todd Valley Farms Buffalograss only grows 3
to 8 inches so it never looks unsightly. Generally, the lower maximum
height will be in drier climates, whereas the higher height will
be in areas with annual rainfall of 30 or more inches. We do recommend
that you mow at least one time per year.
Buffalograss from
Todd Valley Farms is the turfgrass choice for a pollen reduced landscape.
People with allergies and asthma should consider a landscape with low pollen
plants. This creates a more comfortable environment and reduces the
amount of medicine needed for those who suffer from allergies or asthma.
The American Lung Association recommends using plants which have a pollen
rating of 6 or less. Legacy and Prestige Buffalograss have a rating of 1.
UC Verde has only a slightly higher rating.
"Legacy® Buffalograss is a true pollen-free sod lawn grass and is
highly recommended for allergy-free gardens and landscapes. On the
OPALS/TM scale, where 1 is least allergenic and 10 is worst, Legacy®
Buffalograss well deserves the highest rating of #1. I recommend it also
for use as a drought-tolerant, no-mow, attractive, grassy
groundcover."
Thomas Leo Ogren,
author of Allergy-Free Gardening.
 Buffalograss reduces our dependence on chemicals.
Using less
chemicals is significant because you can protect the environment and save money in the
process. Every year millions of dollars are spent applying insecticides to control turf damaging insects. While this allows us to have
beautiful grass, it also kills beneficial insects in the soil. Buffalograss is resistant to most turf damaging insects so the need for an
insecticide is rare. While you may need chemicals to control some
weeds in a highly manicured lawn, our turf-type Buffalograss is very dense and
aggressive, making it more difficult for weeds to infest the turf. The environment
is a definite winner with Buffalograss.
Turf Type Buffalograss adapts to a wide range of
landscapes:
From the
prized, front yard of a million dollar home...
to the neighborhood park...
to an installation of plugs on the roof top of a downtown
building...
...turf-type Buffalograss will provide the
desired look. Buffalograss can be used as the only turfgrass in
your yard or in conjunction with traditional turf grasses to create a distinctive
landscape. Every landscape has areas where Buffalograss will fit,
giving the opportunity to expand the usable turf area, yet reduce maintenance
costs. Flower bulbs can be planted into Buffalograss in a median
on a city street or in your front yard to give an early spring burst of color
that will give way to green grass as summer approaches.
Buffalograss can be installed on a green roof to purify the air, control
rainwater runoff, insulate the building and dramatically extend the life of the
roof. The use of Turf-type Buffalograss is limited only by your
imagination.
Legacy and Prestige Buffalograss have
excellent sod strength. Unlike other buffalograss varieties, they
are able to be harvested
as sod and installed with ease.
Water Rebates
Buffalograss is eligible for water rebates in many cities with
limited supplies of water. Since Todd Valley Farms Buffalograss varieties use a fraction of
the water of most turfgrasses, many cities offer rebates if you plant these water
conserving grasses. Check with your local water board or city officials to see
if you qualify.
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"Year Round
Color" Options
So why doesn’t everyone use turf-type Buffalograss?
The environmental and economic traits of turf-type buffalograss
cannot be disputed. A typical homeowner will save hundreds of
dollars a year on lawn maintenance costs. Large turf
installations can save thousands of dollars.
The only apparent drawback of Buffalograss is that its’ growing
season is shorter than bluegrass or fescue. We have been
told that the longer the growing season for grass the better.
But the longer growing season also costs time and money. So how
do you have a green lawn everyday of the year with Buffalograss
if it’s season is shorter.
In the warm southern climate of the United States, Turf-type
buffalograss from Todd Valley Farms can be over-seeded with
ryegrass during the fall, the same way Bermuda is over-seeded.
This will give you a green and growing winter lawn during the
winter and when temperatures increase the next spring the
ryegrass will die in the heat and the buffalograss will once
again give you a low water use turf with minimal mowing.
Over-seeding with ryegrass should only be done in areas where
the summer weather is severe enough to prohibit the survival of
the ryegrass. Check with your local extension horticulturist
before proceeding with this option.
Another option available to all areas is turf painting. The
density and upright nature of our turf-type buffalograss enables
it to be “painted” during the normal dormant cycle allowing you
to have a green lawn 12 months out of the year. Special
turf colorant is available to spray on the grass with a back
pack sprayer or by a lawn service with their regular chemical
application equipment. If the turf colorant is
unavailable, you can also use regular latex paint from your
local paint store. Thin the paint with enough water to allow it
to be sprayed through the sprayer. For the best coverage
paint twice with the second application applied at a 90º angle
from the first application. It is simple and inexpensive
to do and one application should last the entire winter.
In the spring the grass will start growing and the paint will be
mowed off. We suggest you use green paint, but, of course, that
is up to you.
Our Turf-type
Buffalograss Can Give You
a Green
Lawn
365 Days a Year!
The simple application of
turf colorant or paint can turn
dormant Legacy®
Buffalograss into a green winter carpet.
Painted Legacy® Buffalograss
By painting the
Buffalograss you can have a dark green lawn even
with snow on it.
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Sales in
Hawaii
Hawaii is also in need of conserving water. A growing population is creating increasing demands on the
islands water supply. The Honolulu Board of
Water Supply has initiated a conservation program
that is meant to preserve the islands underground
water supply before it is to late.
Over 50 percent of Hawaii’s water use goes toward the outdoor landscape. Turf-type buffalograss in lawns can substantially reduce the
gallons used on maintaining grass throughout Hawaii.
This savings will help ensure an adequate water
supply for future generations. The Honolulu Board of
Water Supply encourages the residents of Hawaii to
incorporate Xeriscape principles into their outdoor
landscapes. These principles promote the use
of separate and functional turf areas.
Buffalograss is the recommended Xeriscape grass. In the summer of 2005 Todd Valley Farms will be installing UC
Verde™ and Legacy® turf-type buffalograss in the
Halawa Xeriscape Garden in Honolulu. This
planting will enable Hawaiian citizens to see first
hand the elegance of these grasses that can save the
islands millions of gallons of water every day.
Hawaii also has a Weed Risk Assessment [WRA] program that analyses
plants as to their risk of becoming invasive and
threatening native plant life in the islands.
Buffalograss is the only turfgrass that is on the “OK to Plant” list. All other turfgrasses are considered invasive. The WRA is another
valuable reason to plant UC Verde or Legacy.
Todd Valley Farms now has local production of Legacy and UC Verde on the
island of Oahu. This facility will supply all
of the Hawaiian Islands as well as other Pacific
Islands.
To order call toll free: 800-869-8544.
EXPORTS
The need to conserve water is not
confined to the United States. As the world
population increases, water consumption for basic
human needs increases. This leaves less water
for our lawn and landscape areas. Turf
areas are very important to our quality of life and
in order to preserve this quality we must use
grasses that preserve our water supply.
Buffalograss has a wide range of adaptation and is
native to many parts of the world. Legacy®,
Prestige™ and UC Verde™ make it possible to match
the best buffalograss cultivar to your individual
climate. Todd Valley Farms is able to export
its vegetative buffalograss to most foreign
countries. To learn more about export or production
possibilities in foreign countries contact Wayne
Thorson via email at
wayne@toddvalleyfarms.com.
If you are
interested in our buffalograss cultivars, you might
want to visit the pages below:
Zeba Root Dip
Bradfield Organics
Organic Plugs
Online Store
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