Desert Grass and Weeds

Buffalo Grass

• Buffalo grass is a native grass of North America. This warm season grass spreads by runners. It requires sun and survives on about twelve inches of natural rainfall per year. During the warm months, it is gray-green in color. After a few frosts, it goes dormant and is tan until spring. Buffalo grass grows in sandy, rocky or limestone soils. Mowing this grass about twice a year is sufficient. It is disease free with few insect problems.

Blue Grama Grass

• Blue grama grass is another native grass found throughout the American Great Plains planted frequently with buffalo grass. Often used as a decorative plant, since blue grama grass lacks runners, it will grow up to twenty inches tall. When it flowers, the blooms look like crescent moons. After flowering, it leaves a seed head that gently blows in the wind. Blue grama grass is extremely drought and cold tolerant and thrives in various elevations. Use it as an ornamental grass or as an attractive turf grass that does not need mowing.

Desert Grasses Considered as Weeds

• A number of desert grasses appear attractive, but are viewed as invasive weeds instead. This is because they crowd out native plants and produce thousands of seeds per year. Seeds of these invasive species can remain dormant for up to ten years. These non-native grass weeds come from comparable climates in Europe and Asia. Some examples are desert broom, buffelgrass, cheat grass, medusahead and red bromegrass.

Weed Prevention

• It is always preferable to prevent weeds from invading desert grasses. Apply a layer of pebble or rock mulch after planting specimen or bunch grass. This mulch will block a considerable amount of sunlight needed for weed growth. Applying a pre-emergence herbicide to a desert lawn twice a year also helps. Apply once in the fall to prevent winter weeds and once in early spring to deter summer weeds.

Weed Removal

• If the weeds have just begun to grow, manual removal is possible. If there are not many weeds, hand-pulling, cutting or hoeing emerging weeds can be effective. Otherwise, using a post-emergence herbicide is an alternative. These herbicides work with mulches and pre-emergence herbicides by providing a way to kill weeds without disturbing the mulch or soil surface. They also reduce weed seed production and therefore lessen future work of the homeowner.