What makes buffalo grass a smart choice for modern family backyards?
This lawn from this summer is another losing battle. The weeds are taking over and are dying too. The kids do not play outside on this patchy lawn with prickly weed everywhere. They run outside with their bare feet on and within seconds they are on the ground crying in pain. The two corners of the lawn have been dug up by the hyperactive dog as well. The sprinkler system is set up to water the lawn twice a day as well. However, as you can see from the pictures above, the lawn is still loosing.
I have a particular image in my mind of a lawn that was loosing the battle of the weeds over the last 3 summers. The patches of dying grass made the back yard of this house less than desirable for the kids to play in with bare feet. The discomfort of the grass and the odd patch of dirt would deter them from playing in the back yard. On the odd occasion the dog would have a run around in the back yard he would dig up the corner of the lawn to create a mud pit. The sprinkler system was set to run twice daily and yet the lawn just continued to struggle.
The grass type question nobody takes seriously enough
The choice of wrong grass for climate and for lifestyle of family is very painful mistake. Same as with buying of wrong hiking boots for a beach holiday – they are just shoes after all.
Choosing the wrong grass for your lawn can be a major problem. It can cause you to have to constantly reseed your lawn every spring. In the winter, it can even cause scorching of the grass when there is a dry month. It can be very frustrating when you work hard to take care of your lawn and it does not turn out as planned. Most people do not put a lot of thought into choosing the right type of grass for their yard. They may choose a type of grass that is already in their yard. Others choose based on price. However, the best type of grass for your yard is one that is durable and can handle the conditions in your yard. There are many different types of grass, and each type has its own strengths and weaknesses. By doing a little research and choosing the right type of grass for your yard, you can have a beautiful and healthy lawn. In warm climates, it is best to use a type of grass that is durable and can handle a lot of traffic. Anchorlink
Another problem that faces many homeowners around the world is the type of grass that they have in their lawns. Many homes have been sold with already established lawns, so the homeowner has no idea what type of grass it is. The homeowner may do some research on the grass, but most people do not put that much thought into it. Instead, they go to the local garden center and purchase whatever grass looks good for the time being. It is not until later when the homeowner finds out that the wrong type of grass was chosen for their climate and the amount of use that the lawn will receive. In most cases, the homeowner is left re-seeding their lawn every spring in hopes that it will grow properly. It is not until later that the homeowner finds out that the grass they chose requires a lot of water and that it becomes a huge problem during dry months when there is not enough rain. Choosing the wrong grass for a lawn can cause a lot of problems, and it can be very frustrating. By choosing the right grass, homeowners can avoid these problems and have a beautiful looking lawn all year round.
What families actually want from a backyard
If your yard is not being fully utilized by your family and pets then there is a problem with your lawn to ensure that it can provide the needed functions for your family.
Below are four key points that are at the core of what families look for in a quality backyard lawn.
- Soft enough that a tumbling toddler doesn’t get hurt
- Tough enough to handle a dog who treats the backyard like a personal racetrack
- Low water use, because nobody wants a lawn that drinks like it’s in a rainforest
- Manageable upkeep, as in something you can actually keep up with between school pickups and soccer practice
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Kids and pets: the real stress test
Kids and pets are the hardest critics of your lawn. Not only do they love to play outside on the lawn but most of all when barefoot, they are also not exactly gentle on the grass. Children can trample over sections of the lawn and dogs dig holes in them. So wear tolerance of the grass is very important to families with kids and pets. This is also the reason why a lot of lawns become mud pits because the grass is not able to withstand the heavy use. The recovery time of a lawn after being played on is also important, because a lawn that takes a long time to recover after being used a lot is not very enjoyable for families.
Another thing to think about when choosing grass is traffic wear on the lawn. This is particularly important if you have pets and children. There’s nothing worse than a muddy lawn that gets tracked into the house on your pets fur. Then you have the additional cleaning to do to remove the mud from your pets before they can start to muddy up the rest of the house.
As I said before, there is a huge difference between a lawn that can be left to recover after a long weekend of family time, and a lawn that takes weeks to come back to life after kids and pets have played heavily in the yard.
(And yes, I have seen a Kikuyu lawn devour a garden bed edging over the summer. It was not pleasant to watch, and she wasn’t too pleased with the loss either. We’ll cover off Kikuyu in a bit of depth below as well).
A quick comparison worth looking at
| Feature | Buffalo grass | Couch grass | Kikuyu |
| Softness underfoot | High | Medium | Low to medium |
| Drought tolerance | Very good | Good | Good |
| Wear and traffic tolerance | High | High | Very high |
| Maintenance demand | Low | Medium | High (fast-growing) |
| Shade performance | Good | Poor | Poor |
There is one lawn that really suits a back yard that has a lot of wear and tear but that is very aggressive growing. The lawn I am talking about is Kikuyu. It is a very tough lawn and is also very good in dry weather. But unfortunately it is also very good at trying to take over your garden, trying to engulf your garden beds and generally cause a lot of maintenance in other areas of the yard that you would like to use as a garden. Because of this I do not recommend this lawn for use in backyards with gardens. There are many other lawns that can be used that are also good for wear but are very good in dry weather but do not cause all the same problems that Kikuyu does.
The upkeep reality check
The truth is that there is no zero-effort lawn. The reality is that there are some grasses that require less effort to maintain than others. There are grasses that need to be mowed from time to time and that need to be fed during the different seasons. But there are also grasses that demand constant intervention to keep it presentable. For many parents, the grass that requires constant intervention can become a second job.
The myth of the ‘no maintenance’ lawn. Oh yes, there are many lawns that need far less maintenance than others, and some are better than others for low maintenance. But here’s the reality: every lawn needs some level of maintenance. This can include occasional mowing, annual fertilizing and pest control. Even very low maintenance lawns need to be mowed from time to time, such as buffalo grass and rough blue grass lawns, and require occasional fertilizing. Yes, this may not be as much as to keep other lawns looking their best, but there will always be some level of maintenance. The reality of lawns has to be faced.
- Mow during the growing season, but less frequently than most other varieties require
- Water deeply but infrequently, training the roots to reach downward rather than loitering near the surface
- Fertilise once or twice a year, not monthly
- Deal with weeds early, before they dig in
This is contrasted with the routines for more demanding grasses that actually get done (as opposed to being written down in the best of circumstances, and then never being put into practice as reality intervenes).
See also: What Are the Key Benefits of Electrical Automation for Businesses?
What a good backyard actually gives you
A lawn that works is a wonderful backyard. Children can play outside, your pets have enough room to burn off their energy without turning your yard into a mess, and you can sit outside in the evening and enjoy your yard instead of standing in the doorway with your hands together thinking of all the things that need to be repaired.
It’s a small thing, but a great back yard is a basic human need, as fundamental as a good mattress or a pair of shoes. They are invisible until they’re not, until they’re broken. And then all you can think about is how to fix it. The grass is the floor of your back yard. When the floor of your home is a problem you can’t help but notice it. And when it’s all right you cease to notice it’s even there. It’s the same with a great back yard, a good mattress, a pair of comfortable shoes. The quality of life is enhanced by their presence, and decreased by their absence. So what makes a lawn a great back yard lawn?
Getting the grass right is where it all starts. Everything else follows from the floor!
