The April 15 and September 30 maintenance should include a pre-emergent to discourage weeds. Chemical pre-emergent herbicides may be used once the grass is well rooted and actively growing. Some of those currently labeled for Buffalograss include Barricade, Dacthal, Ronstar G, Surflan and Dimension. Avoid human or animal contact with treated areas for as long as possible. A chemical gas is created at soil level and may linger for several weeks.
Organic products are being researched, so watch for future alternatives.
Always water your grass after applying fertilizer or chemicals, otherwise the next rain will wash the nutrients or chemicals into our creeks and lakes. Buffalograss thrives on natural rainfall, but has the ability to go dormant in the absence of water. If you follow a 20 to 40 day irrigation schedule, the grass will turn tan, then green-up at the next rain or sprinkling. A more frequent watering schedule would be to irrigate every 5 to 10 days in mid-summer, but with Buffalograss this is usually not necessary. To view several grass varieties, visit the National Wildflower Research Center or the Williamson County Agricultural Extension Service office in Georgetown.