Planting A Blue Grama Grass Lawn from Plugs

How to plant, nourish, and maintain a blue grama grass lawn from plugs.

Bouteloua gracilis 'Hachita'
Item # 27055 		Bouteloua gracilis 'Hachita' Plugs
'Hachita' Blue Grama Grass Plugs

1 to 3 flats $44.95
4 to 12 flats $42.95
13 or more $40.95
  • Topic: Grasses and Lawns
  • Author: High Country Gardens
  • Keywords: , Garden Tips, lawns, grasses, gardens
  • Date: January 2001

© All articles are copyrighted by High Country Gardens. Republication is prohibited without Permission.

  • When You Receive Your Plugs
  • Site Preparation
  • Planting the plugs
  • Weeding
  • Watering Newly Planted Plugs
  • Caring for an Established Blue Grama Grass Lawn
  • Creating A Flower Meadow

When You Receive Your Plugs

Remove the plug flats from the shipping boxes and water the plugs if dry. (When watering, note that plugs on the outside edges will dry most quickly and may need more frequent watering than plugs in the center. It’s OK to water only the outer plugs if the center plugs are still moist). Place the flats outside in a spot that receives morning sun / afternoon shade until you are ready to plant.

Plugs shipped early in the Spring will be marked “I am a tender plant”. These plugs are greenhouse-fresh and need to be hardened off before planting. Place the flats outside in a morning sun / afternoon shade area for 7-10 days, leaving them outside at night. If a frost is expected, simply cover the trays with a sheet of plastic or a sheet or blanket for the night. Water as needed. Hardening off in cold weather will cause the plugs to change color from green to brown or greenish-brown. This is OK; the grass will re-green as the weather warms. Once hardened, the plugs are ready to plant.

Site preparation:

Before planting the plugs, on bare ground, in existing dead lawn or in viable lawn, spray with Round-Up (a non-selective herbicide that kills annual and perennial weeds, including the roots, without contaminating the soil) or any other non-selective herbicide, following instructions exactly (we cannot be responsible if the product is not used according to the manufacturer instructions). Usually, within 10-14 days, the site will be ready for the installation of your new lawn.

Proper soil preparation is essential to successful perennial gardening in the West. In general, western soils are mineral, alkaline (high pH) and low in phosphorous and organic matter (humus). When planting native grass plugs, the following soil improvers should be used for best results.

  • Superphosphate 0-18-0: use 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of bed area. Bone meal or rock phosphate may be used instead, at rates recommended on the package directions. This is an essential nutrient for strong root systems and is usually available locally.
  • Planter II Trace Mineral Fertilizer: Use 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of bed area. This organic soil builder boosts essential trace mineral levels and increases microbial activity in the soil to improve nutrient availability.
  • Gro-Power 5-3-1: use at the rate of 10-15 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of bed area. Gro Power is a humus (compost) based fertilizer that adds much needed nutrients and beneficial microbes to the soil.
  • Compost: if available, add a well made, thoroughly rotted compost to the soil up to a rate of 1/2 cubic yd. per 100 sq. ft. When adding compost, the amount of Gro-Power 5-3-1 used can be decreased by half or eliminated all together.

Rototill all the ingredients into the soil to a depth of 4” Water thoroughly 3 or 4 days before planting to settle the soil and dissolve the Gro-Power granules.

When planting sloped areas, it is very helpful to cover the soil with an erosion-preventing material, such as burlap or aspen excelsior matting, that should be pegged into place. The plugs are planted through the material and the grass runners will root through it as they spread.

Planting the plugs:

Before planting begins, the plugs should be well-watered but not dripping wet. Make a single shallow 1/8” deep cut through the surface roots on each side and the bottom of each plug with the corner of the plastic plant tag or a pocket knife. To speed transplanting, the plugs can be removed from the flat, scratched out, replaced in the open flat and then kept together in a shaded area before you start.

When the prescribed amount of time has elapsed (according to product directions) after using the Round-Up , use a trowel or shovel to make a hole big enough to accept the plug. Insert the plug in the hole and fill in around the plug with loose soil; water in thoroughly. Plant the plugs 6”-15” apart in a grid pattern. The closer they are planted, the more quickly the new grass will fill in the area.

A 1” thick layer of mulching material (e.g. Back-to-Earth Compost, seed-free wheat or barley straw or another similar material) will shade the soil and keep it moist longer between watering and discourage weed growth.

When mixing blue grama and buffalo grass, plant the blue grama plugs randomly amongst the buffalo grass plugs.

Weeding

Weeds can sprout quickly with the T.L.C. and water that you are giving the plugs. These weeds must be removed so they don’t smother the grass plugs. This can be done by hand weeding or with the use of a broadleaf herbicide. Broadleaf herbicides kill only non-grass weeds, leaving the grass plugs unaffected. Turf experts recommend 2,4-D (an herbicide used to control weeds in corn). Do not use formulations that mix 2,4-D with other herbicides (e.g. Trimec), as these mixtures may stunt the growth of the grass. For safe application of any chemical, always follow label directions exactly. Once a blue grama grass lawn is established, it will form a thick sod that will rarely need additional weeding.

Watering Newly Planted Plugs

Frequency; Water in newly-planted plugs thoroughly. The frequency of subsequent irrigation will depend on how quickly the soil dries. Water just enough to keep the soil damp (not muddy) to a depth of about 2”. Initially, this may require a daily regime (morning or late afternoon) for the 1st week or so. As the plugs begin to root-out and grow, watering can be reduced gradually to every 2-3 days, then to 1-2 times a week. (Plugs that are rooting-out will be noticeably greener and larger than those that haven’t caught hold just yet). After the first month, if it’s not too hot and dry, the plugs should require only weekly watering to keep them growing vigorously. This is only a suggested watering schedule. You should check the depth of soil moisture in several spots around the new lawn area before watering. It is better to let the plugs go a little dry for a day or two than over-water them.

Sloped Areas: Be sure to mulch. Then water the soil with a fine spray just enough that the water doesn’t run off heavily. Wait until the surface water is absorbed, then re-water 2-3 more times until the soil is wet to a 2” depth.

Caring for an Established Blue Grama Grass Lawn

  1. Watering: Once established, these grasses are very drought tolerant, but they may need extra water during the hottest part of the summer to keep them green and actively growing. When depending on natural rainfall, buffalo and blue grama grass may brown out in hot, dry weather but will green-up quickly after a few good rains. If your area receives less than 8” of precipitation annually, you may need to water every 2-3 weeks during extended hot, dry periods.

  • Fertilizing: Buffalo/Grama grass is very thrifty in its needs for fertilizer. Apply a single application of Gro power 5-3-1 in early Fall at the rate of 1 lb. of actual (N) nitrogen per 1000 ft2 of buffalo grass. To measure the actual nitrogen in a bag of fertilizer, see below:

    • A 20 lb. bag of 5-3-1 fertilizer contains 5% Nitrogen, or 5% x 20 lbs. which equals 1 lb. of actual Nitrogen per bag.
    • A 20 lb. bag of 20-5-5 fertilizer contains 20% Nitrogen, or 20% x 20 lbs. which equals 4 lbs. of actual Nitrogen per bag.

  • Mowing: Mowing can be a helpful technique to thicken up a new lawn by encouraging the plugs to grow more runners. Two months after planting cut the grass to a height of 3-4 inches. An established lawn can be cut 1 or 2 times to a height of 3-4 inches over the course of the summer if you want a more manicured look. Mowing is not a necessity and can be avoided all together if you wish.


    • h3. Creating A Flower Meadow

    Many varieties of deep-rooted native perennial wildflowers can be inter-planted in buffalo or blue grama grass to create a low maintenance wildflower meadow. Perennial wildflowers that work well include Berlandiera, Mirablis, Ratibida, Perovskia, Salvia pitcherii, Echinacea, Artemisia, Zinnia gradiflora, and Helianthus maximilliani. These wildflowers are most easily established after the grass plugs have taken hold and are being watered weekly or less frequently.

    For beautiful Spring color before the grass greens up, xeric spring-flowering bulbs can be inter-planted to spread and naturalize themselves in the lawn. Our fall catalog has a complete listing of naturalizing wildflower bulbs for native grass lawns.