Someone recommended alternative lawns to me for their water savings and low maintenance. These are ‘UC Verde’ Buffalograss, ‘Kurapia’, and Ruschia ‘Nana’. Has anyone had experience with these? I want to make my yard kid friendly, to play soccer and I am planning to put together a playhouse with a slide, etc. Will these be durable for kid play? I am in Southern California.
Opinions on alternative lawn
- Thread starter axescot
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2014
- Messages
- 2,794
- Reaction score
- 3,989
- Location
- central Texas
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Country
I've only had experience with Buffalo Grass. It is a prairie grass, not intended to form a lawn of itself. It mixes readily with other grasses and weeds. I volunteered in the horticultural department of a local college that had planted a section of Buffalo Grass. After two years they gave up on trying to have it as a display area--too many weeds, too much rye grass, and one volunteer who emphatically said, "Enough!"
Lawn alternatives are wonderful for many purposes, but not for a playing field or play area. Your only living plant solution is turf. Even turf grass takes a lot of abuse under those conditions. That's why professional playing fields have dedicated turf managers.
I guess I should have specified, my kids are under the age of 5. No professional soccer players (yet). When I read the Buffalo grass website it says it is durable. But that is coming from the seller.
The right turf grass will depend on your environmental conditions (climate, soil, water availability), as well as your needs and wants.
Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides) is a great choice for a drought tolerant lawn, and that is important in now-constantly drought-stricken California. Many people have gotten rid of their lawns. I know I did...
The downside to Buffalo Grass is that it has a tendency to be lumpy and uneven, and will brown out in winter.
The newest Buffalo Grass (Buchloe) turf cultivars, such as 'UC Verde', are bred to alleviate these factors, but with only partial success. There are tradeoff. To keep your lawn greener in winter you need to mow it less, particularly in fall. This will also make the lawn lumpier, but it will almost eliminate mowing labor. Also, unmowed lawns can use less water, because they aren't encouraged to grow as quickly by being constantly cut.
Will your children want to play on such a lawn. Perhaps, but keep in mind that constant foot traffic of any sort will lead to bare spots.
Buffalo Grass (Buchloe dactyloides) is a great choice for a drought tolerant lawn, and that is important in now-constantly drought-stricken California. Many people have gotten rid of their lawns. I know I did...
The downside to Buffalo Grass is that it has a tendency to be lumpy and uneven, and will brown out in winter.
The newest Buffalo Grass (Buchloe) turf cultivars, such as 'UC Verde', are bred to alleviate these factors, but with only partial success. There are tradeoff. To keep your lawn greener in winter you need to mow it less, particularly in fall. This will also make the lawn lumpier, but it will almost eliminate mowing labor. Also, unmowed lawns can use less water, because they aren't encouraged to grow as quickly by being constantly cut.
Will your children want to play on such a lawn. Perhaps, but keep in mind that constant foot traffic of any sort will lead to bare spots.
What part of California are you in? I'm in San Diego where winter is pretty much 2 months a year. So maybe those trade offs aren't so bad.
Does the dirt get lumpy or the grass because it hasn't been mowed?
Buffalo Grass might work well for you, particularly 'UV Verde' which is now the standard turf variety anyway. The best thing to do is ask your lawn installer to point out local examples of different types of lawn before you choose yours, so you can judge for yourself how they look and feel at different times of the year.
If you grow a lawn from direct seeding, you will likely buy a blend of different grass seeds. The thought behind this is that the most adaptable variety will grow in the immediate local conditions (sun or semi-shade, sand or clay, moderate water or frequent water, etc).
If you go with sod, that selection process is taken away. You plant grass that grew well under the sod producers conditions.
One other thing about sod. If you choose sod, make sure the turf mesh is either biodegradable or if plastic, removed before installation.
Dealing later with buried plastic sod mesh is needless and aggravating pollution of the soil.
When I say a lawn can get lumpy, I mean the grass will not cover evenly, but rather have a tendency to form tufts
If you grow a lawn from direct seeding, you will likely buy a blend of different grass seeds. The thought behind this is that the most adaptable variety will grow in the immediate local conditions (sun or semi-shade, sand or clay, moderate water or frequent water, etc).
If you go with sod, that selection process is taken away. You plant grass that grew well under the sod producers conditions.
One other thing about sod. If you choose sod, make sure the turf mesh is either biodegradable or if plastic, removed before installation.
Dealing later with buried plastic sod mesh is needless and aggravating pollution of the soil.
When I say a lawn can get lumpy, I mean the grass will not cover evenly, but rather have a tendency to form tufts
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2017
- Messages
- 6,997
- Reaction score
- 5,128
- Location
- Birmingham, AL USA
- Hardiness Zone
- 8a
- Country
The grass likes to clump together as would a lot of fescue grasses tend to do when not reseeded every year.
Exploring alternative lawns for water savings and low maintenance in Southern California is a wise choice, even though this thread is two years old. 'UC Verde' Buffalograss, 'Kurapia,' and Ruschia 'Nana' are still relevant options to consider.
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2019
- Messages
- 1,796
- Reaction score
- 726
- Location
- Riverside/Pomona CA
- Hardiness Zone
- 9
- Country
If you mow Kurapia it will bloom less and attract fewer bees. That's its biggest drawback. We have some we only water once a week late Spring to mid-Fall and mow once a month. It blooms like crazy and "hums" with bees but if mowed more often would be quieter. We've never grown the other 2. What I've heard about Buffalograss is that it can go dormant twice a year, Summer and Winter, if it doesn't get enough water.
However, in addition to these, you might want to explore creeping thyme. It remains an attractive choice that can withstand light foot traffic, making it suitable for play areas. The aromatic fragrance it brings to your outdoor space is an added bonus. Combining these alternatives can still create a kid-friendly and eco-friendly lawn that's both functional and visually appealing.